How The Rams Draft Day Trade With Atlanta Materialized

When the Rams traded away the 26th overall pick, the terms of the deal included their trade partner Atlanta Falcons, giving up their 2026 first-round pick, a high price paid as according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, former Rams defensive coordinator and head coach Raheem Morris was sold on Pearce after a pre-draft meeting.

"A few weeks later, when a Falcons contingent led by GM Terry Fontenot touched down in North Carolina, it was pouring rain." Wrote Breer.

"Fontenot looked at the forecast, saw the rain wouldn’t break, and texted to agents to tell them they’d scrap the workout, not wanting to be a prospect in a situation where he’d risk injury that close to the draft. Dandy told Fontenot that Pearce was insistent. Fontenot responded that Pearce didn’t need to worry about it. Dandy responded that Pearce was already trying to find an indoor facility to rent out."

Pearce would end up meeting Morris, GM Terry Fontenot, and DC Jef Ulbrich at his mother's house in Charlotte, North Carolina and the trio walked away ready to select him with the 15th overall selection.

The problem is that on draft day, Jalon Walker became available so the Falcons decided to change directions and draft Walker 15th overall instead.

However the Falcons still wanted Pearce which brings us to negotiations with the Rams for the 26th overall pick.

"Conceptually, the idea was that if they went up for Pearce, they’d simply be getting next year’s first-rounder a year early, at the cost of knocking their pick on Day 2 down. The calls started at around No. 20, where the Denver Broncos were picking, and heated up with the Houston Texans at No. 25, Los Angeles Rams at No. 26 and Baltimore Ravens at No. 27."

"The Falcons were competing, at No. 25, with a New York Giants team that had a high second-rounder and was going up for a quarterback. Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta told the Falcons he’d have to be blown away to give up his spot in the first round."

The Texans ended up trading pick 25 to the Giants as New York selected Jaxson Dart.

"Talks intensified with the Rams, and Los Angeles’s willingness to give up the 101st pick at the end of the third round—which the Rams had actually gotten, interestingly enough, for Atlanta hiring Morris away from them—was what pushed it over the goal line for the Falcons, who agreed to throw a seventh-round pick in as a sweetener. So, as Atlanta saw, they got next year’s first-round pick a year early for knocking a pick down 55 slots (from 46 to 101) and a seventh."

Atlanta wanted a day two pick badly to complete a trade as they had already spent theirs on Matthew Judon. Les Snead's willingness to settle for two day two picks without a first rounder got the Rams the players they wanted and an additional first rounder in 2026.