By now, you’re probably aware that the Los Angeles Rams won’t make a first-round pick in the NFL draft until 2022. They traded their next two first-rounders to the Jaguars for Jalen Ramsey, which is a deal that looks to have worked out for both teams.
The Rams made that trade believing they’d be picking toward the end of the first round, looking like a perennial playoff team with Super Bowl aspirations. The 2019 season didn’t go exactly as planned with the Rams missing the playoffs, and to make matters worse, they won’t have the benefit of a top-32 pick.
Instead, they’ll have to wait a while before making their first selection in the draft. The pick order for the 20 non-playoff teams is set and the Rams won’t be on the clock until No. 52 overall in the second round.
Here's what the first 20 picks in the 2nd round look like:
33. CIN
34. IND (via WAS)
35. DET
36. NYG
37. LAC
38. CAR
39. MIA
40. ARI
41. CLE
42. JAX
43. CHI (via Raiders)
44. IND
45. TB
46. DEN
47. ATL
48. NYJ
49. PIT
50. CHI
51. DAL
52. LAR— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) December 30, 2019
That’s a long time to wait, but it’s not out of the ordinary for the Rams. In fact, it’s more the norm than it is an anomaly. In 2017, the Rams didn’t pick until 44th overall after trading for Jared Goff the year before.
The following year, their first pick came at No. 89 with Joseph Noteboom. Last year, the Rams traded back three times – including out of the first round – before selecting Taylor Rapp at No. 61 overall.
So barring any trades, this will be the second-highest draft slot of the Sean McVay era.
[vertical-gallery id=627654]