National media lauds Les Snead for another strong draft class
The Los Angeles Rams have seemingly followed up back-to-back excellent draft classes with another great one.
National media outlets had mostly glowing reviews for Les Snead’s work in the 2025 NFL draft. The Rams needed a strong draft to keep up with the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles this upcoming season. Yahoo Sports draft analysts Nate Tice and Charles McDonald said L.A. snagging the Falcons’ 2026 first-rounder in exchange for the No. 26 pick earned the team an “A” grade alone.
“Getting Terrance Ferguson in the second round was a nice way to kick off the draft with a quality starter who has the upside to be a weapon at tight end for Matthew Stafford this season. The Rams added some good depth on the edge of their defense with Josaiah Stewart, who should fit in cleanly with their other young edge rushers. Overall, it was a really different approach for the Rams in the draft this year that gives them a lot of firepower in terms of draft capital for the 2026 NFL Draft.”
Atlanta’s desperate Round 1 trade gave Los Angeles enough ammo to move up in next year’s draft. The Rams have only had one first-round pick since 2016, when they took Jared Verse last April. First, Jared Goff, and now Verse. L.A. loves going to Jared.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter also loved the Round 1 trade, giving the team an A- for the move, and a B+ grade overall.
“Trading out of the first round gave the Rams a 2026 first-round pick, though it did cost them a Day 2 selection this year (in Round 3). Ferguson is the agile pass-catcher they needed at tight end. The Rams eschewed other needs to select Stewart, who is a good football player despite not possessing the size or athleticism of most pass rushers.
Hunter is a solid value in the fourth but might have to wait a while behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Trading a 2026 fourth-round pick to select a good rotational tackle like Hamilton seemed unwise. L.A. needed a linebacker and receiver; Paul and Mumpfield have better tape than measurements or workout numbers.”
USA Today columnist Nate Davis gave the Rams a B for their draft class and ranked them 20th across all 32 teams:
“Not especially sexy, but second-round TE Terrance Ferguson, third-round OLB Josaiah Stewart and fourth-round RB Jarquez Hunter should all be able to claim instant roles on a team that could be the biggest threat to the Eagles in the NFC next season.”
The Rams earned a B+ from Pro Football Focus, and particularly praised Stewart as the “best pass-rushing defensive lineman in this draft class.” While most outlets liked what they saw from Snead’s latest crop of freshmen, Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano was not among them. L.A. received a C from Manzano, which is still passing, just not overly impressive.
“Los Angeles didn’t do much to address a few holes to close the gap on the top teams in the NFC. Sure, the Rams are still good enough to win the NFC West, but they have concerns at cornerback and linebacker—and they watched the Eagles take Jihaad Campbell at No. 31. GM Les Snead deserves the benefit of the doubt for his draft hits, but he might have made a mistake taking Ferguson over Elijah Arroyo. The Rams also neglected their need for adding a quarterback of the future, but they at least have two first-round picks next year.”
At first glance, I would give the Rams a C+ for their class. The class is more top-heavy, meaning all pressure is on Ferguson and Stewart to pan out. Selecting Hunter in the fourth was odd, considering the premium pick spent on Blake Corum in ‘24. Sure, Corum is coming off a season-ending injury, yet he barely saw the field in his rookie year, and L.A.’s backfield is only getting more crowded.
The most perplexing move was waiting until the fifth round to draft a linebacker. That was a clear need going into the draft, and the Rams are not valuing the position enough—a common trend under Snead. Perhaps, the saving grace of this haul was stealing a first from Atlanta. However, if that’s the highlight, this class might not be as high quality or as deep as originally thought. Still, Snead’s resume in the past two drafts is enough to trust that he knows better than the rest of us armchair GMs.
What are your thoughts on these quick-snap draft class grades, and what grade would you give Les Snead for his 2025 picks?
