The Los Angeles Rams are focused on acquiring some young talent in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft to add to an already talented roster.
While many teams are looking to utilize their first-round pick to add a future star, the Rams are once again dialed in on finding talent later in the draft after dealing their first-rounder to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Jalen Ramsey trade.
Along those lines, general manager Les Snead’s strategy the past few years has been to acquire as many top 100 picks as possible, even if that means forfeiting a first-round pick. They notably traded back and out of the first round to accumulate extra picks in 2019.
As it currently stands, the Rams’ first pick in the 2020 draft will be 52nd overall in the second round. According to Stu Jackson of therams.com, Snead understands that drafting later changes which players the Rams look at as available:
“It does change,” Snead said during his podium session with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. “There will be some players that we ultimately will not really spend a lot more time vetting or evaluating because you’ve got a gut feeling they’re not getting to 50. What you have to do then is the realistic players, really start spending your time vetting him.”
The Rams last used their own first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft when they selected Jared Goff first overall. That pick was acquired by trading future first-round picks to the Tennessee Titans.
Clearly the Rams draft strategy of late has been to acquire numerous second and third-round picks at the expense of first-rounders. However, Snead still thinks trading up can work, as it did with Goff:
“We traditionally said it might be better, the math would say better, to trade back, collect as many picks in the second and third round,” Snead said. “So you may have four picks in the second, third round a little bit later instead of just two. But we’ve also in the past been pretty aggressive in going from 15 or 16 to 1 to pick a quarterback (in 2016). Probably depends on the year.”
Presently, the Rams only possess their own picks for rounds two through seven. It would be surprising if L.A. did not make any trades before or during the draft to acquire more. Either way, the Rams have their work cut out for them to find some solid pieces to add to their core.
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