Rams-Falcons draft trade could secure future for L.A.

LOS ANGELES – As Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead sat for their press conference following the first round of the NFL draft last April, the two men fielded questions about swapping 20 spots and being eliminated in the first round.

Hours before this press conference, the Rams traded the No. 26 pick to the Atlanta Falcons, who used him on James Pearce Jr. The outside linebacker has 8.5 sacks this season, which leads all rookies. He has recorded at least a half-sack in seven straight games, which is the second-longest streak by a rookie since 1982, when sacks became official, according to ESPN Research.

In exchange for the No. 26 and a third-round pick (No. 101), the Rams received the Falcons’ first-round pick in 2026, as well as their second-round pick (No. 46) and seventh-round pick (No. 242) in 2025. The Rams used the No. 46 pick on tight end Terrance Ferguson.

The final question of the night for both players – going from seven years without a first-round pick to two in 2026 – wasn’t even over before McVay interrupted with a laugh.

“For now, we’re doing it,” McVay said. “For now –“

Snead quickly intervened.

“Sean is going to get impatient in the morning,” he said.

But the Rams did not react to this impatience. Los Angeles, now 11-4, has two first-round picks in the 2026 draft (April 23-25). While Los Angeles’ pick is currently No. 27, the Falcons’ pick could be in the top 10. Atlanta’s pick could help the Rams trade up to select a lifetime quarterback after Matthew Stafford — anytime — or continue to build a roster around their veteran quarterback, who is the favorite for MVP entering Week 17.

“It just gives us more ammunition to be able to really improve your entire roster,” McVay said. “…Being able to have two first-round picks gives you flexibility and the ability to move around or identify players that you might want and are realistically in the range that they should go.”

McVay acknowledged that as the Rams prepare to face the Falcons on “Monday Night Football” (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN), the draft is “at an advanced stage for me to be thinking about that kind of thing right now.”

But even though the Rams are eyeing a postseason run in 2026 to try to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since winning it during the 2021 season, the Rams’ long-term prospects also look promising.

TWO YEARS AGOEdge Rusher Jared Verse broke the Rams’ streak of seven consecutive drafts without taking a player with a first-round pick.

Those first-round picks during that span were used to build the roster: first to trade for draft quarterback Jared Goff in 2016, then to trade for wide receiver Brandin Cooks (2018), to trade in the first round (2019), to trade for cornerback Jalen Ramsey (2020, ’21), and to trade for Stafford (2022, 2023).

That seven-year span led to Snead wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with his photo and the line “F— the picks” – during the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI parade, a nod to the method that helped build the championship roster.

But fast forward to Week 17 of the 2025 season, McVay now references that mindset, saying, “We joked about the ‘F-their picks.’ We never really felt that way. »

“We look at every avenue to try to build the most competitive team. Every year there are different approaches based on: What do you have in place? Who’s under contract? Who’s on a rookie contract? Who’s up for extensions?” McVay said.

Since winning Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, the Rams have gone from building around what Snead called three “load-bearing walls” in Stafford, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and wide receiver Cooper Kupp to a team with plenty of salary cap flexibility. Going into the 2023 season, the Rams were the only team with more than one player – Stafford and Donald – with an average salary of at least $30 million per year.

In 2026, according to Over the Cap, the Rams have over $81 million in cap space, which is currently sixth-most in the NFL.

Los Angeles organized itself this way because of its picks and the success it has had in the draft since 2023. This offseason, the team could look to extend three players from the 2023 draft who are now eligible: wide receiver Puka Nacua (fifth round), outside linebacker Byron Young (third round) and defensive end Kobie Turner (third round).

LIKE THE RAMS building their roster for 2026 and beyond, the biggest question is how much Should Los Angeles draft a quarterback to replace Stafford after he retires?

The three-time Pro Bowler, now in his 17th season, is under contract for next season after he and the Rams agreed to a restructured deal in February. But, as he has over the past two seasons, Stafford, 37, is taking his NFL career from year to year.

During minicamp in June, Stafford told ESPN he didn’t want to make any promises — to himself or others — about how long he wanted to play.

“I try to play at a high level as long as possible,” Stafford said in Maui, where the team held its minicamp to end the offseason program. “But that being said, I don’t want to set expectations or limits. I don’t want to sit there and go, I only play this year or next year or whatever. Or I don’t want to say I’m going to play 10 more years and then be disappointed if I only play a few.”

It’s worked out well for the Rams this season, as Stafford is playing some of the best football of his career. The quarterback totaled 4,179 yards, with 40 touchdowns and five interceptions. He enters Monday night against Atlanta third in passing yards, with a game in hand. He still leads the league in passing touchdowns, with seven more passing touchdowns than Goff, who is second on the list with one more game played..

Stafford now has three career seasons with 40 or more touchdowns. According to ESPN Research, that’s tied with Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in NFL history.

“I know we feel really lucky to have him at the helm and running the show,” said McVay, who added that Stafford has been “outstanding” for the Rams this season. “And his competitiveness, his enjoyment of those moments, his ability to be at his best when his best is required, his ability to elevate his teammates and his overall ownership of what we’re trying to do with the intention. Whether it’s a running or passing game or a protection orientation.

“He’s a total ‘G’ and he’s been a ‘G’. I think that’s being recognized more and more now, but it’s not new to us.”

Last week, Stafford was one of four Rams players named to the Pro Bowl, marking just his fourth time in 17 seasons. After the announcement, Stafford was asked if he was surprised he wasn’t selected more often.

“I play this game to try to play at a high level and get respect from the people you do it with and play against,” Stafford said. “This part is really cool. Are there any cases [where he has felt overlooked]? In 2011, I thought I had a chance. I wasn’t even close, so at that point I kind of booked myself in to go play and have fun. Whatever happens, happens, but it’s cool to be a part of it. »

McVay said that “when you talk to real football people” he thinks Stafford is “considered one of the best to ever make it.”

“I think it’s been very well recognized this year, but I think it’s probably too late,” McVay said. “I think you’ve asked me a lot about his level of play, but I also think it’s pretty consistent with what he’s done. Sometimes the numbers can reflect really good play and sometimes they don’t. I know, since he got here in ’21, he’s elevated everyone around him.”

It’s that elevation of his teammates — and the level at which he plays — that will make this a significant change for the Rams whenever Stafford chooses to retire. But as the Rams look toward another postseason run, led by Stafford, they’re likely in a good position for the future because of this trade with the Falcons — whether that 2026 first-round pick ends up being used for a quarterback or not.