The Los Angeles Rams are anything but predictable when it comes to the NFL Draft, which only adds to the speculation about their pick. However, they've never been afraid to take big swings in the pursuit of talents they believe in, which is exactly what they do in a new mock from Pro Football Focus.
Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness released a new mock draft of what he would do as each team’s general manager and the Los Angeles Rams make perhaps the most shocking pick of all. Rather than standing pat at No. 19, they trade all the way up to No. 8 in a deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
However, instead of a move for a wide receiver like Rome Odunze or an offensive lineman like Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu, McGuinness has them moving up for a different player: LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Mock Trade: Rams receive Pick No. 8; Falcons receive Pick Nos. 19, 52 and 99 and a 2025 first-round pick
The Rams have been aggressive about trading up for potential franchise quarterbacks over the past eight years, first trading a haul to land Jared Goff in 2016 and then trading Goff and a haul to land Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions in 2021. The latter move landed them a Super Bowl, so I don’t see them being shy about being aggressive again.
Pairing Sean McVay with a quarterback who just earned a nation-best 94.7 PFF grade and produced PFF passing and rushing grades of 92.0 or better? Sign me up.
Jayden Daniels having time to sit behind Matthew Stafford for a time and develop behind him and McVay would be an intriguing idea, and would add an element to the Rams roster that they haven't had in perhaps decades with his ability to be a legitimate rushing threat as well as a quality passer. The Rams haven't had a QB with over 1,000 career rushing yards since the recently-deceased Roman Gabriel in the 60s and 70s, and Daniels broke that mark in just 2023 at LSU.
It doesn't feel likely, given how we're projecting the draft to go, that Jayden Daniels will be available for the Rams to even think about a trade up. However, never say never when it comes to both the NFL Draft and the Los Angeles Rams under Les Snead.
