How serious were the Rams about trading into the top-10 for a wide receiver?
One year after the Los Angeles Rams were the subject of post-draft trade rumors for Brock Bowers, reportedly trying to move into the top-10 for the tight end, Les Snead is once again the subject of rumors centered around a pass catcher. Immediately after the Carolina Panthers drafted Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, rumors emerged of the Rams supposedly hoping to trade up with Carolina for their number 8 pick.
Amid the Panthers releasing a series of “inside the draft” videos recently, it seems that Carolina is leaning towards confirming those rumors and the widely assumed target of Snead’s affection is McMillan.
Panthers GM Dan Morgan has said that the Rams did make an offer but that it could only be accepted if they were willing to go “above and beyond” like they did by trading Carolina a future second round pick in their day two draft deal in 2024:
“It’s like if they want this, they’re going to have to go above and beyond, kind of like what they did to us last year when they gave us the two,” Morgan said, via Panthers.com’s Darin Gantt. “That’s because I was convicted on our guy. I really don’t want to lose this player. But if we are going to lose the player, and it’s something that could potentially set us up for the future, if we get a load of picks out of them, then let’s explore it.”
Whether Snead actually wanted McMillan or not, that’s the narrative that everybody is going with right now.
Great work by the @Panthers. Also further illustrates some stuff we reported right after the draft in April (https://t.co/TMErWXcImg) … With the Rams and Niners trying to move up to 8.
Both liked Tet McMillan, though I think a move up for SF would’ve been for Mykel Williams. https://t.co/eVhuv8LvcJ pic.twitter.com/YsDW1Swa4T
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) June 4, 2025
Despite the Rams already having Puka Nacua and signing Davante Adams in free agency, as well as paying Tutu Atwell a $10 million salary for one year, could L.A. really want to continue building up their receiving corps by trading into the top-10 for McMillan?
Or is this all just noise and are the Rams comfortable being used as a subject of trade interest because that’s what we’re all assuming they’re doing most of the time anyway?
Ultimately, it probably worked in Snead’s favor that he couldn’t meet Morgan’s demands:
Instead of the Rams losing a 2026 first round pick to trade up, Snead landed a 2026 first round pick from the Falcons by trading down. Instead of having zero first round picks next year, L.A. has two first round picks in 2026. Maybe McMillan will end up being a star in the NFL, and maybe in the near future the Rams will look like a team that desperately needs a receiver, but for today it seems as though Snead lucked out.
And if the Rams are so keen on adding players like Bowers and McMillan, then why have they seemed so content without them after their trade offers fall through?
Whether it’s noise or news, the Rams seem to have a pretty good offense going into the season.
