The Los Angeles Rams entered the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the expectation that they’d probably wind up trading down. They attempted to move up earlier in the round but because teams were asking “too much,” Les Snead opted to go with old reliable and move back.
They got a deal done with the Falcons, who traded up from No. 46 to 26 in order to draft Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. It was a unique deal in that the Rams not only gave up their first-round pick, but also their third-rounder at No. 101.
In return, they acquired the 46th pick, No. 242 and a first-rounder in 2026. They still have eight picks this weekend but now they’re also equipped with a first-rounder next year – which could come in handy during their search for a young quarterback.
Sean McVay said after the first round concluded that the Falcons’ offer was “too good to be able to pass up” and called it a “big deal” that the Rams got a first-rounder in 2026.
“I think looking at where our team is overall and the value that we were able to get to be able to move back just 20 spots felt like it was too good to be able to pass up,” McVay said. “We’re going to come away with some good football players tomorrow for sure.”
McVay mentions that there weren’t many surprises in their minds as the first round played out. The 25 players that went before their pick at No. 26 were mostly players they expected to be gone, so they had a good plan for when they went on the clock.
Trading down was seemingly always the goal and they got more in return than they anticipated, McVay said.
“We felt like going into it, talking even this morning, this was going to be the most likely scenario where we probably weren’t going to pick tonight,” McVay said. “For it to come to fruition and for us to be able to get the value back, it ended up being better than we anticipated.”
McVay respects the aggression from the Falcons, comparing their move to the Rams’ own last year when they traded up for Braden Fiske.
“I think when look at it, the Falcons had a real appreciation for who they were coming up. That’s what’s so unique about the draft,” he said. “No different than us really wanting to go up for Fiske last year. Those point charts are out the window when you have a real appreciation for a player. They clearly had that. It aligned for us.”
The Falcons got their guy and the Rams got more than they expected in a trade back. Just about everyone believes Los Angeles won the trade, but people were also saying the Panthers fleeced the Rams in their deal for Fiske last year – and we all saw how well that’s turned out for L.A.
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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams draft trade: LA got more than anticipated from Falcons in Round 1
The Los Angeles Rams entered the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the expectation that they’d probably wind up trading down. They attempted to move up earlier in the round but because teams were asking “too much,” Les Snead opted to go with old reliable and move back.
They got a deal done with the Falcons, who traded up from No. 46 to 26 in order to draft Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. It was a unique deal in that the Rams not only gave up their first-round pick, but also their third-rounder at No. 101.
In return, they acquired the 46th pick, No. 242 and a first-rounder in 2026. They still have eight picks this weekend but now they’re also equipped with a first-rounder next year – which could come in handy during their search for a young quarterback.
Sean McVay said after the first round concluded that the Falcons’ offer was “too good to be able to pass up” and called it a “big deal” that the Rams got a first-rounder in 2026.
“I think looking at where our team is overall and the value that we were able to get to be able to move back just 20 spots felt like it was too good to be able to pass up,” McVay said. “We’re going to come away with some good football players tomorrow for sure.”
McVay mentions that there weren’t many surprises in their minds as the first round played out. The 25 players that went before their pick at No. 26 were mostly players they expected to be gone, so they had a good plan for when they went on the clock.
Trading down was seemingly always the goal and they got more in return than they anticipated, McVay said.
“We felt like going into it, talking even this morning, this was going to be the most likely scenario where we probably weren’t going to pick tonight,” McVay said. “For it to come to fruition and for us to be able to get the value back, it ended up being better than we anticipated.”
McVay respects the aggression from the Falcons, comparing their move to the Rams’ own last year when they traded up for Braden Fiske.
“I think when look at it, the Falcons had a real appreciation for who they were coming up. That’s what’s so unique about the draft,” he said. “No different than us really wanting to go up for Fiske last year. Those point charts are out the window when you have a real appreciation for a player. They clearly had that. It aligned for us.”
The Falcons got their guy and the Rams got more than they expected in a trade back. Just about everyone believes Los Angeles won the trade, but people were also saying the Panthers fleeced the Rams in their deal for Fiske last year – and we all saw how well that’s turned out for L.A.
Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and now Threads for more coverage!
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams draft trade: LA got more than anticipated from Falcons in Round 1
