Over the previous two drafts, the Los Angeles Rams accumulated 24 draft picks, in some instances trading back to add to the overall number. This year, they adopted a more active approach, not only trading out of the first round but also executing three separate trades to move up and select specific players on Day 3. This strategy, as Rams General Manager Les Snead explained on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show, was driven by the team’s need to be aggressive in acquiring targeted players, given their limited number of draft picks.GM Says Draft Class Squeezed Los Angeles Rams, Forced Multiple TradesSnead elaborated that the Rams’ diminished draft capital, stemming from previous trades, necessitated these maneuvers. The Rams went into Draft weekend with eight picks and exited with six.“It was really one of those drafts where you have to work and maneuver to grab the players, to attack the players, that you felt like could come in and contribute in a role, in a vision, that we have for them,” Snead stated. “Based on the nature of our board, this draft, what positions we wanted, it was a little bit thinner.” Specifically, Snead noted that trading away two 2025 picks to the Falcons (receiving a 2026 first-rounder in return) and trading their own second-round pick in the Braden Fiske deal in 2024 meant they were “not positioned as well to wait for their players to fall to them in 2025.”Despite the need to trade up, the Rams also capitalized on opportunities when value presented itself. They secured tight end Terrance Ferguson in the second round (No. 46) after trading back 20 spots with the Falcons, and edge rusher Josaiah Stewart at No. 90.In addition to these selections, the Rams demonstrated their willingness to trade up to secure desired talent, moving up 10 spots for running back Jarquez Hunter in the fourth round, 47 spots for defensive tackle Ty Hamilton in the fifth, and 29 spots for linebacker Chris Paul Jr. in the fifth.The Rams’ 2025 draft strategy underscores their consistent approach of proactively pursuing players who align with their vision, even when it requires multiple trades to secure them.
