After taking a few years off from trading valuable draft capital for star players, the Los Angeles Rams are back at it again.
The Rams will reportedly trade their first-round pick (No. 29 overall) in the 2026 NFL Draft for Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie. They’ll also surrender a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 draft, plus a third-round pick in the 2027 draft as part of the deal.
When the deal was first reported on Wednesday, nearly everyone on social media recalled Rams general manager Les Snead’s memorable “F them picks” quote following the team’s Super Bowl win in 2021. But as Snead traded another first-round pick on Wednesday, has that approach worked out well for the Rams in the past?
Let’s take a look at all the trades the Rams have made involving first-round picks since they moved to Los Angeles ahead of the 2016 season.
2016 and 2017: Traded first-round picks in order to move up and draft QB Jared Goff
The Rams traded up to get the No. 1 pick in the 2016 select Jared Goff, (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
Trade details
Rams received: No. 1 (first round), No. 113 (fourth round) and No. 177 (sixth round) overall picks in 2016 NFL Draft
Titans received: No. 15 (first round), No. 43 (second round), No. 45 (second round) and No. 76 (third round) overall picks in 2016 NFL Draft, plus Rams’ first-round pick and third-round picks in 2017 NFL Draft
This move actually came in the offseason prior to Sean McVay being hired as head coach. But fresh off their announcement that they would be moving to Los Angeles, the Rams decided to make a big swing to land a franchise quarterback.
The trade sort of worked out for the Rams. When McVay took over in 2017, Goff ascended into becoming one of the game’s top quarterbacks and helped Los Angeles reach the Super Bowl in 2019. But two years after the Super Bowl trip, questions about Goff’s status as a franchise quarterback lingered, leading them to make another move later on this list.
As for the Titans, two of the picks they got turned into running back Derrick Henry and offensive tackle Jack Conklin. Those players served as core pieces for a Tennessee team that made the playoffs in three straight seasons (2019-21), so not a bad final haul there.
2018: Trade first-round pick for WR Brandin Cooks
The Rams gave up a first round pick to acquire Brandin Cooks ahead of the 2018 season. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Trade details
Rams received: Brandin Cooks, No. 136 (fourth round) overall pick in 2018 NFL Draft
Patriots received: No. 23 (first round) and No. 198 (sixth round) overall picks in 2018 NFL Draft
Seeking to help Goff, the Rams traded a first-round pick for Cooks just weeks before the 2018 NFL Draft. Cooks, who signed a three-year extension shortly after the trade, made a great impact in his first season in Los Angeles, catching 80 passes for 1,204 yards and 10 touchdowns. But he only had 42 receptions for 583 yards and two touchdowns in 2019 as he dealt with injuries, getting traded to the Texans for a second-round pick in the following offseason.
Luckily for the Rams, the pick the Patriots used didn’t pan out. Offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn spent just four seasons in New England, dealing with injuries for most of his tenure before leaving the team in free agency.
2019: Traded out of first-round pick in draft day deal with Falcons
The Rams traded out of the first round in the 2019 draft, with the Falcons getting their pack to select offensive tackle Kaleb McGary. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Trade details
Rams received: No. 45 (second round) and No. 79 (third round overall picks in 2019 NFL Draft
Falcons received: No. 31 (first round) and No. 203 (sixth round) overall picks in 2019 NFL Draft
This deal actually didn’t involve the Rams trading their first-round pick. In fact, they actually did sort of the opposite. They moved out of the first round when they traded their first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to the Falcons.
Snead’s decision to trade back didn’t work out, though. The Falcons nabbed offensive tackle Kaleb McGary with the first-round pick they got for the Rams, and they haven’t had to worry about right tackle since. The Rams, meanwhile, got safety Taylor Rapp, cornerback David Long and offensive tackle Bobby Evans thanks to the picks they acquired from the Falcons. None of those players remained in Los Angeles beyond their rookie contracts.
2020 and 2021: Traded first-round picks for CB Jalen Ramsey
Jalen Ramsey was a big piece on the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl-winning team. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Trade details
Rams received: Jalen Ramsey
Jaguars received: Rams’ 2020 first-round pick, Rams’ 2021 first-round pick, Rams’ 2021 fourth-round pick
Seeking a boost following a 3-3 start to the 2019 season, the Rams swung a trade for Ramsey, who was upset with his situation with the Jaguars at the time. The trade didn’t pay immediate dividends for the Rams, missing the playoffs in 2019. But Ramsey wound up being a major piece for the Rams in the following seasons, being named first-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021, with the latter ending in a Super Bowl title.
As for the Jaguars, they turned those picks into edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson and running back Travis Etienne. While both players aren’t bad, Chaisson needed to leave Jacksonville in order to maximize his potential and Etienne is set to become a free agent. Most importantly, neither player is as good as Ramsey.
2022 and 2023: Traded first-round picks for QB Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford has won a Super Bowl and an MVP since the Rams traded Jared Goff and two first-round picks for him. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Trade details
Rams received: Matthew Stafford
Lions received: QB Jared Goff, No. 101 overall pick (third round), Rams’ 2022 first-round pick, Rams’ 2023 first-round pick
In one of the boldest trades in NFL history, the Rams decided to move a younger quarterback they had some success with, plus two first-round picks, for a relatively older quarterback.
Los Angeles’ bold bet paid off, though. Stafford led the Rams to a Super Bowl title in his first year with the team and won the MVP for the first time in his career this past season, proving to be worth the major trade capital.
Goff has had some of his better seasons in Detroit, though. He’s been named a Pro Bowler three times since joining the Lions, even leading them to the NFC Championship Game in 2023.
As for the picks Detroit got, it was able to use one of those first-round picks to trade up and get wide receiver Jameson Williams in 2022. With the 2023 first-round pick they got from the Rams, the Lions traded down in the first round to get running back Jahmyr Gibbs. That trade down also allowed the Lions to draft tight end Sam LaPorta.
So, this might have been a rare win-win trade.
2025: Traded first-round pick to Falcons in draft day deal
The Rams traded out of their first-round pick in the 2025 draft, with the Falcons acquiring it to select James Pearce Jr. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Trade details
Rams received: No. 46 (second round) and No. 242 overall picks in 2025 NFL Draft, plus Falcons’ 2026 first-round pick
Falcons received: No. 26 (first round) and No. 101 (third round) overall picks in 2025 NFL Draft
The Rams took advantage of the Falcons’ desire to get some pass-rushing help on draft night in 2025. Los Angeles gave up its first-round pick to Atlanta so the Falcons could draft edge rusher James Pearce Jr. Pearce had a productive rookie season, logging 10.5 sacks. But Pearce also faces potential discipline from the league after his arrest for an alleged domestic dispute.
As for the Rams, they used the second-round pick they got in the deal to trade tight end Terrance Ferguson, who had 231 receiving yards and three touchdowns as a rookie.
2026: Traded first-round pick for CB Trent McDuffie
Trent McDuffie is the latest player the Rams have acquired with a first-round pick.. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
Rams received: Trent McDuffie
Chiefs received: No. 29 (first round) overall pick in 2026 NFL Draft, plus 2026 fifth-round pick, 2026 sixth-round pick and 2027 third-round pick.
The Rams’ most recent trade involving first-round picks actually marks the first time in five years they’ve traded major draft capital for a top player. Los Angeles will reportedly trade for Kansas City’s McDuffie, giving up four picks for the two-time All-Pro corner.
McDuffie has been one of the game’s top cover corners since the Chiefs drafted him in 2022. He’s allowed just 6.6 yards per attempt when targeted in coverage over his career as well, per Pro Football Focus.
That should certainly help a Rams team that struggled to stop opposing quarterbacks consistently in 2025. The Rams ranked 19th in passing defense this past season, with their inability to slow down Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold being a top reason why they lost in the NFC Championship Game.
