The best draft day trades for the Rams are the one they didn’t make

By passing on splashy trades, the Rams have quietly built a better future.

Over the last three years, the Los Angeles Rams have shown an intent to be aggressive in the early stages of the NFL Draft. In 2023, the Rams reportedly attempted to trade up from the 36th overall pick to take tight end Dalton Kincaid. Last year, they tried hard to move up to take tight end Brock Bowers and defensive lineman Byron Murphy. In this year’s draft, there were reports that the Rams had tried to trade up for wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

Of course, none of those trades came to fruition. In 2023, the Rams ended up selecting Steve Avila, who became a staple on their offensive line. Last year, they stayed at 19 and saw edge rusher Jared Verse fall right into their laps. Verse ended up winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Back in April, the Rams ended up trading back and acquiring an extra first-round pick, eventually taking tight end Terrance Ferguson.

In a recent video released by the Carolina Panthers, fans got to see a behind the scenes look at the trade negotiations during the draft. Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said, “I was kind of hoping that the trade would fall through, because I really wanted to take T-Mac.”

The Panthers held off to see if the Rams would call, which they did. While it’s unclear exactly what the Panthers were asking, it can be assumed that it would have been a lot given that they would be moving from eighth overall to 26. It very likely would have included a 2026 first-round pick as a starting point. In the video, the Panthers very clearly had a set price of what it would take. Said Morgan, “They would have had to give us the moon to trade out of that spot.”

With two minutes left, the Rams called the Panthers back to let them know that they were out. As we know, the Rams ended up making a blockbuster trade of their own, trading back from 26 to 46 with the Atlanta Falcons, acquiring a 2026 first-round pick in the process.

This isn’t the first time in recent years that the Panthers turned down a big haul from the Rams. In 2022, the Rams offered two first-round draft picks and a second-round pick in exchange for edge rusher Brian Burns. The Panthers turned that down and ended up taking a second and fifth round pick from the New York Giants last offseason.

These types of trade discussions, especially during the draft, are likely very common. However, it is interesting to think about what would have happened had the Panthers said yes in the Burns case or in the most recent draft. The same can be said about last year’s draft in which the Rams tried to trade up for Bowers.

It’s a reminder that sometimes the best trades are the ones that aren’t made. Had the Rams traded for Burns in 2022, the bottom would have fallen out as every analyst said it would after the “F them picks” era. Instead, the Rams have been able to recoup with young talent. While Bowers would have been a great addition to the offense, is he worth the additional draft capital compared to Verse? The answer right now is no.

Similarly, McMillan would have been a great addition for the Rams offense as a big-bodied receiver on the outside. However, by not making that move, the Rams ended up with a tight end that they were very high on and got a 2026 first-round pick. That extra first-round pick will put them in a wasgreat position to make a move for a quarterback in next year’s class.

The Rams ended up being more aggressive in the later stages of the draft, trading up for Jarquez Hunter, Ty Hamilton, and Chris Paul Jr. However, outside of Hamilton, the draft capital required to trade up for those players was significantly lower than it would have taken to move up for McMillan.

It can be argued that the Panthers may come to regret not taking the trade package for Burns back in 2022. We’ll see if that also ends up being the case after they stood pat and took McMillan. From the Rams’ perspective, their best trade during the draft was the one that they didn’t make.