Los Angeles Rams outright win the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft after fleecing fellow NFC team with draft-day trade

Ironically, the last time the Rams traded out of the first round (2019), it was also with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons gift-wrapped the Rams their second-round pick this year, the Rams' original pick from the Van Jefferson trade, and the cherry on top, Atlanta's first-round pick in 2026.

We do this every year, but the 2026 NFL Draft looks to be a lot stronger at the top of the draft than this year ended up being, particularly at quarterback. Players like Clemson's Cade Klubnik, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State's Drew Allar, and, of course, the hypothetical top prospect next year in Texas's Arch Manning are all projected to be in next year's draft just at the time the Rams are looking for a quarterback.

Sure, giving up a third in return this year stinks, and it takes the Rams to just two picks on Day Two of the draft, but the potential payoff down the line with two first-round picks next year is incredible.

Props to general manager Les Snead on this one. He won the draft and blew all of my expectations out of the water for how round one could have gone. Well done.