Los Angeles Rams Draft In First Round For The First Time In 8 Years
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. That's what they say, right? The longer you go without something, the more you desire it. The Los Angeles Rams fans must be bursting with excitement as the 2024 NFL Draft gets closer.
On April 28, 2016, the Rams selected Cal quarterback Jared Goff with the first overall pick and they haven't made a first-round selection since then. Goff is now the starting quarterback of the Detroit Lions. Aaron Donald (2014 first-round pick) just retired, which means the Rams don't have a single player on their roster that they took in round one.
What happened to the picks?
In 2016 the Rams were slated to draft 15th overall and send a stockpile of picks to the Tennessee Titans (including a 2017 first-round pick) to move up to the top spot and select Goff. The 2017 second-round pick they included, the Titans used to draft Derrick Henry.
In 2018 the Rams sent their first-round pick to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for receiver Brandon Cooks. He caught 80 balls for 1,204 yards and five touchdowns that season. The following year he played 14 games catching just 42 balls for 583 yards. He was then sent to the Houston Texans for a second-round pick that became Van Jefferson.
In 2019 the Rams traded back from 31 to 45 with the Falcons. They then traded back from 45 to 56 with the New England Patriots. This was followed by a trade with the Chiefs to move back from 56 to 61. At pick 61, the Rams choose safety Taylor Rapp who is no longer on the team.
The Rams' 2020 and 2021 first-round picks were sent to Jacksonville in a trade that brought cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the city of Angels. He played 57 games for the Rams, recording 47 passes defended and 10 interceptions. Ramsey was traded to the Dolphins in the 2023 off-season for Hunter Long and a third-round pick.
The Rams sent their 2022 and 2023 first-round picks, along with Jared Goff to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford who is still the team's starting quarterback. All in all, it's all worked out in the Rams' favor, as they have been to two Super Bowls and won one of them as a direct result of these trades.
Whether the team targets a shutdown corner or interior pass rusher this year, the selection will be met with a deafening roar from the team's fan base. This pick has been a long time coming, and the hearts of Rams Nation couldn't be any fonder.
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