With the 2024 NFL Draft on the horizon, it's time to look back on who the Rams have drafted first each draft under general manager Les Snead.
Rams Top Draft Picks Each Year
2012
To kick off Snead's first draft with the Rams, he executed a massive trade down with Washington from the second overall draft pick. They traded back again one more time that year, moving from sixth to fourteenth, where they selected defensive tackle Michael Brockers. Brockers spent nine years with the Rams as a key cog in their run defense, tallying up 29 sacks and 395 total tackles with the Rams.
2013
With the eighth pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Rams drafted electric wide receiver Tavon Austin. The two-time collegiate All-American spent five years with the Rams, catching 194 passes for 1689 yards and totaling 21 touchdowns before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 2018.
2014
The Rams made history with their second first-round pick of the 2014 class, but their first pick that year had a less than auspicious career. The then-St. Louis Rams selected Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson with the second overall pick that year. Robinson lasted just three years with the Rams and was traded to the Detroit Lions for a sixth-round pick in 2018.
2015
2015 was Snead's first draft without multiple first-round picks, but he made this one count. The Rams selected Georgia running back Todd Gurley tenth overall in 2015. A two-time First-Team All-Pro and the 2017 Offensive Player of the Year, Gurley amassed 7,494 total yards and 70 total touchdowns in just five years with the Rams before injuries began to take their toll on him. Gurley last played in 2020.
2016
Les Snead orchestrated a blockbuster deal to move up to the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. With the first pick that year, the Rams selected Cal quarterback Jared Goff. Goff passed for 18,171 yards and 107 touchdowns and helped the Rams reach Super Bowl LIII, but was traded to the Detroit Lions in 2021 in exchange for QB Matthew Stafford.
2017
2017 began the long drought of the now-Los Angeles Rams not picking in the first round after the Jared Goff trade. With the 44th overall pick in 2017, the Rams selected Gerald Everett out of South Alabama in the second round that year. Everett spent four seasons with the Rams, catching 127 passes for 1389 yards and eight touchdowns. Everett currently plays for the Chicago Bears.
2018
Not picking in either of the first or second round in the 2018 NFL Draft left the Rams in a bind with their draft capital, but they still ended up picking 11 players that year. Their first pick went to TCU OT Joe Noteboom, who has bounced between tackle and guard since but is still on the team.
2019
The first pick the Rams made after losing Super Bowl LIII was a safety, selecting Taylor Rapp out of Washington in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Rapp spent four years with the Rams, wracking up 330 tackles and nine interceptions. Rapp currently plays for the Buffalo Bills.
2020
The Rams did not have a first-round pick in 2020, but did have two second-round picks that year, using their first to draft running back Cam Akers out of Florida State. Akers ran for 625 yards his rookie season, but he tore his Achilles before the 2021 season and only saw action in one game. He was traded to the Vikings one game into the 2023 season for a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick. Akers rushed for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Rams.
2021
The Rams drafted Tutu Atwell out of Louisville in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Atwell has been unable to hold down a starting spot and has battled injuries throughout his career. Atwell has caught 57 passes for 781 yards and four touchdowns so far with the Rams.
2022
The Rams did not pick until pick 104 of this draft and they used that pick to draft Wisconsin offensive lineman Logan Bruss. Bruss tore an ACL and MCL in the second preseason game and missed his rookie season. The Rams waived him and then placed him on their practice squad last season and is still on the team. He has yet to play in the regular season for the Rams.
2023
The Rams selected TCU offensive lineman Steve Avila 36th overall in last year's draft. Avila finished with a stellar rookie season holding down the left guard spot for the Rams this past season, but is moving to center in 2024.
