Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay walks into the stadium before the NFC Wild Card Round game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Rams Must Consider Bold Approach After Trade With Chiefs

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Jared Feinberg | Last updated Mar 7, 2026 6:00 AM ET

The message to the NFL from the Los Angeles Rams has been made loud and clear: they are going for it all in 2026. The franchise was a win away from reaching Super Bowl LX in an NFC Championship game that all but determined the league's champion. Now, the Rams have started the offseason with a bang after their blockbuster trade for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.

Head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead understand the risks of making big-time acquisitions as well as anyone. They did this sort of thing when the two were first paired together in 2017. Now, under a new approach of roster construction through the draft, a new style of aggression has come alive as the Rams had the draft capital and salary cap space to make such a move for McDuffie.

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

With one first-round draft pick and a large gap between their final Day 2 selection and first Day 3 pick in the NFL Draft, Snead must consider trading back; if not, making it a priority in next month's selection process.

Los Angeles must consider a bold approach to add more draft capital

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Sitting with the No. 13 overall pick in the draft, thanks to their trade with the Atlanta Falcons in the 2025 draft, the Rams are in a great position to take a premium talent if one comes available on the board. There are plenty of options to choose from, whether that is a top cornerback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, or Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq. However, there is no guarantee Snead will stay at No. 13 in the draft order.

The gap between pick No. 93 in the third round and No. 206 in the sixth round is 113 selections—that is a massive stretch of picks where Los Angeles is missing out on adding more depth and foundational pieces to their roster. It is hard to imagine at this point in the offseason, just days before free agency, Snead and McVay will sit on their hands. Trading back should be a real possibility at any point with their first three picks.

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Trading back would put less pressure on Snead to get a hit on every single pick he makes if he were not to make a move for more draft capital and value. That is a significant strain on the scouting department and the decision-maker, and it could lead to bad decisions. A trade back helps alleviate that angst and stress.

Furthermore, the Rams could also trade a player for picks as well. They may not have anyone of significant value to move, but someone like Blake Corum, who could be a potential trade target in a week running back draft, may garner some Day 3 picks as a potential starter for another NFL squad. Regardless, trading back seems like the best choice in this scenario, and it should be heavily discussed in the coming weeks ahead of the draft.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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