Random Ramsdom: Puka Nacua overseas basketball star?

Los Angeles Rams News and Links for 4/10/25

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This is a fun one, but Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua recently did a sport on Julian Edelman’s show, Games With Names and it’s fun and while on that show Nacua threw out the idea that he’d love to go play basketball (when he is done with football) overseas. It’s fun. I don’t know if Nacua is serious or not. He’s a young man so I’d guess he’s just exploring all options. He should.

Again, thanks for joining us today, comment on whatever you want or maybe comment on something you don’t want. Either way, have a great Thursday!

Puka Nacua jokes about playing overseas basketball after retiring (nbcsports)

“With all due respect to the agro-bots who want this to become a thing, it sure looks and sounds like Puka was joking when he unveiled his next chapter, while appearing on Julian Edelman’s Games With Names podcast.

“I wanna go play overseas basketball,” Nacua said. “Like, I’m sure I could go to another country that only 25 percent of the world’s ever heard [of] before, get ownership in the team and I’m gonna get 25 shots up a night. I’m gonna be the coach. I’m gonna sub my own minutes in, and then I’m gonna make sure that we’re getting ticket sales at the end of it, like trying to work some actual business.”

Are the Rams Using Misdirection to Acquire Jaxson Dart? (si.com)

“Dart has been heavily linked with the Rams since the start of the offseason. However, Sean McVay appeared to make it clear the Rams weren’t interested in a quarterback at the NFL Owners meeting.

“I think that’s unlikely. I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t done a whole lot of work on the quarterbacks,” McVay said.”

Random Ramsdom Fandom: Plotting the Rams 1st Round Pick (By samthelost on Apr 9, 2025)

“I am currently doing a lot of focus on sleeper picks, late round guys that can add some value for the Rams and aren’t being talked about as much as they maybe should. But let’s take a break from that and get up to first round again. What are the Rams going to do, which players are they targeting and how do they approach the first round of the draft?

We can take 2024 as a starting point, because there were a bunch interesting scenarios posited for the Rams.

Trade Up: The Rams were rumoured to be extremely interested in Brock Bowers. Willing to move up at least 10 spots to get him, Bowers (arguably the best player in a stacked first round) didn’t make it that far. But the Rams were more than willing to get up there to get THE guy.

Stick At The Spot: What the Rams ended up doing, taking Jared Verse. Did they have more names at the position? Two DE’s went in the four spots before Verse, who was next on the list at 19 if Verse had gone instead of Turner or Latu?

Trade Down: If there was no one else that the Rams felt confident with at 19 (I don’t think that this was the case in the 2024 draft) the Rams might have traded back, picking up extra picks and taking another player further down the line. Potentially not needing to give up a 2025 2nd to go get Braden Fiske.

So we come to 2025. Who are the players on the Rams list at 26? Who is potentially on their list for a trade up (are they worth it?), and if none of those players are available will they trade back?

For me, the best way to break this down is by position. For me, the players that the Rams might need to trade up for are in italics.

It is also worth noting that I’m looking at players here generally available between the 10th and 50th picks. As the Rams could reasonably trade up to the bottom of the 2nd round with their other picks.

QB: Jaxson Dart, Jalen MIlroe

RB: Omarion Hampton, TreVeyon Henderson

WR: Matthew Golden, Tetairoa McMillian, Emeka Egbuka, Luther Burden, Jayden Higgins

TE: Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland

IOL: Tyler Booker, Grey Zabel, Jared Wilson

OT: Kelvin Banks Jr, Josh Simmons

DT: Kenneth Grant, Walter Nolen, Derrick Harmon, Tyleik Williams, Darius Alexander

DE: Jalon Walker, Shemar Stewart, Mykel Williams, Mike Green, James Pearce Jr, any other edge you like.

LB: Jihad Campbell

CB: Will Johnson, Jahdae Barron, Maxwell Hairston, Trey Amos, Shavon Revel Jr, Az Thomas, Ben Morrison

S: Nick Emmanwori, Malaki Starks

So what are the Rams looking at. This would be my board if I were the Rams (with a small caveat on QBs)

Trade Up: Jaxson Dart, Tyler Warren, Matthew Golden, Nick Emmanwori”