Rams Make Blockbuster Trade With Falcons

"The Falcons traded 46, 242 and a first-rounder in 2026 for Rams picks at 26 and 101." Wrote Garafolo.

The Falcons would select Tennessee EDGE player James Pearce Jr, joining former Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris' defense.

Pearce is a controversial player and this selection has been regarded as questionable at best.

The 33rd Team's Kyle Crabbs gave his evaluation of Pearce.

"He boasts a number of rush counters and is an effective rush planner who can identify early opportunities against heavy feet or oversets to take corrective pathways into the backfield through his first two steps of the rush." Wrote Crabbs. "It isn’t just the ability to overwhelm and overtake tackles on the edge that pops; it’s his reactive quickness and recognition of how he’s being framed that allows him to be such a dominant presence rushing the quarterback." 

"The traits, however, give him an area to hang his hat early in his development. His ability to turn tight corners and flatten at the top of the rush is a critical element of his game, as it allows him more margin to work into a hip-to-hip relationship with tackles and his influence attacking the frame of the quarterback while engaged with rushers is larger than most because of his reach and body control."

The fans of the Falcons have to be in pain right now. Pearce has less than 600 career pass rush snaps over three collegiate seasons and there are rumors that he is uncoachable.

More importantly, they got absolutely fleeced in this deal. The Rams now enter 2026 with two first round selections, they maintain a top 50 pick and now, Los Angeles has the same number of 2025 draft picks they entered the day with.

Now that the Rams have moved out of the first round, unless the Rams trade back in, this will mark the eighth year in Sean McVay’s nine seasons as head coach that the team did not make a first-round pick.