The Los Angeles Rams are looking to trade up in the first round of the draft, potentially all the way into the top 10. General manager Les Snead was on NFL Network mere hours before the first round is set to begin and his comments suggest the Rams won’t be targeting a quarterback early in the draft.
When asked about Matthew Stafford’s future and the Rams’ possibility of drafting a quarterback to be his eventual replacement, Snead was candid in saying the team is focused on building around Stafford, an indication that they will pass on the top quarterbacks in Round 1.
“I’ll be frank with you. Matthew Stafford is right now in a really, really good prime,” Snead said. “I think our focus is on continuing to help build a team around him, take advantage of his time, his reign as our QB and then we’ll kind of figure out next steps then. But right now, it’s really, let’s focus on Matthew Stafford, what he’s good at and try to help him and the rest of his teammates win games.”
Given the team’s aggressive moves in free agency, the Rams clearly view themselves as a team that can win a championship now, especially after making the playoffs in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year in 2023. Drafting a player who can contribute right away at either wide receiver, edge rusher or possibly even offensive tackle makes more sense than taking a quarterback who’s certain to sit for at least a year or two.
And based on a new report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Rams are not targeting a quarterback in a trade into the top 10.