How the LA Rams Completed the FASTEST Rebuild in NFL History

How the LA Rams Completed the FASTEST Rebuild in NFL History

In 2021, the LA Rams reached the mountaintop. A Super Bowl, a star-studded roster. The plan worked and it worked perfectly. But then it all came crashing down. Injuries, cap hell, no draft picks, a five- win season. The Dynasty window didn’t just close, it slammed shut. The NFL buried them. The Rams were finished. Except they weren’t. Because while everyone counted them out, LA quietly engineered one of the most shocking turnarounds the league has ever seen. They flipped the roster, rebuilt the trenches, drafted stars out of thin air, and turned a broken team back into a powerhouse. This is the story of how the LA Rams went from collapse to completing the fastest rebuild in NFL history. When we say the Rams went allin for a Super Bowl, we mean it. In 2019, Jaylen Ramsay was brought in for two firstround draft picks. Then in 2021, Matthew Stafford joined for two more firstround draft picks and Jared Goff. Then during the 2021 season, Von Miller was welcomed into the building at the cost of second and third round draft picks. LA smelled blood in the water and they pounced. Their reward was a Super Bowl with a thrilling victory over the Cincinnati Bengals sealed by franchise legend Aaron Donald. It was a bold strategy by the Rams, but one that paid off big time, and boy did Lesne celebrate his success well. That FM picks mantra changed the franchise’s history forever. It gave fans a season they will never forget, producing an epic triple crown season for Cooper Cup, and it gave arguably the greatest defensive player of all time, the legendary career-defining moment he deserved. It cost a lot, but the reward couldn’t have been higher. However, when there are high costs, there are consequences. The LA Rams had now removed several opportunities to pick high-end young talent in the draft and owed big money deals to the veteran players who had secured them the Super Bowl. Matthew Stafford, now 34 years old, inked a 4-year, $ 160 million extension, while Aaron Donald and Cooper Cup also secured a healthy raise. All welld deserved, of course. But when the injury bug hit during the 2022 season, it hit hard and it targeted all three pillars of the Rams roster. Cup and Donald were both lost to season ending high ankle sprains in November before Matthew Stafford had his season officially ended in December after playing just nine games. As a result, the reigning Super Bowl champions fell to a 5-12 record, which was good enough to earn them the sixth spot in the draft. Unfortunately, this team, which clearly needs some young talent to help balance out the roster, would not get to use that sixth overall pick, as it had now been sent to Detroit as part of the deal with Jared Goff. All of a sudden, things were looking bleak in LA. Matthew Stafford’s injuries had led to discussions of a potential retirement, and Aaron Donald was also weighing up his options. Even Shawn McVey was rumored to be on retirement watch for the second offseason running. Naturally, this tilted conversation towards the LA Rams team. and whether a rebuild might be on the cards. General manager Les Sne didn’t quite see it that way, although he did recognize a shift in priority was needed. It It’s tough to rebuild when you have some of the better players at their position still on the team. So what what we what what I said we we needed to do and we thought was best for the team was right we did take a step back in terms of how we acquired players uh and things like that and we said okay maybe this year it’s best to utilize our draft picks on younger players so we can grow and evolve. we can we can utilize this year to uh engineer a healthier cap situation so that when we do uh feel an opportunity or definitely an opportunity to strike, to attack, to be aggressive, we’re definitely capable and have the ability to do that. So, that’s where we’re at. I think Sneeed put his money where his mouth was by parting ways with several key veterans. Jaylen Ramsay, one of the highest paid players and pillars of the defense, was shipped off to Miami for a third round pick, while Bobby Wagner, Leonard Floyd, Alan Robinson, and several others were released. Von Miller was allowed to walk as well as a free agent. Even after all of this, the cap situation was tight for the Rams, meaning wide receiver Demarcus Robinson was the only notable free agent addition. Thankfully, they enter the 2023 NFL draft armed with 14 total picks, thanks in large part to compensatory selections. This is where Lesne could properly begin the execution of his remodeling. But to make that work, he needed to find good quality contributors with all of those picks. Steve Aila was the team’s first selection in 2023 at pick 36 in the second round. Aila is a powerful interior lineman who would become the only Rams player to play every snap-on offense during that 2023 campaign, earning him a spot on the Pro Football Writers Association all rookie team. Then with two selections in round three, Lesn selected edge Byron Young from Tennessee and defensive tackle Kobe Turner from Wake Forest. These two young studs also made the all rookie team, meaning Sneeed went a perfect three for three to open up his all-important 2023 draft class. The selection of Young in particular was good for Rams fans to see as this was the selection that came back as part of the Jaylen Ramsay trade. Good franchises build from the trenches and Sneeed certainly did that on both sides of the ball with these first three selections. Good general managers also plan ahead for potential departures down the road. And for the LA Rams, no departure would be more significant than when Aaron Donald finally decided to hang up his cleats. In Turner, Sne found someone who could grow alongside Donald and eventually take over from him on the interior, proven by the fact that he tied Donald’s franchise record of nine sacks as a rookie, which led the team. But the decision to double down on pass rush help was a smart one, because at the end of the day, losing Aaron Donald was more like losing two players, not one. Now, on the topic of finding two players in one, let’s jump to the fifth round. This is where Puka Nakua became an LA Ram with the 177th overall pick. As most NFL fans already know, it didn’t take long for this guy to prove himself to be one of the best fifth round picks we have ever seen. He reeled in 10 of 15 targets for 119 yards in his first ever game as a pro. Then one week later, Matthew Stafford sent 20 targets his way, resulting in 15 receptions for 147 yards. rare and special doesn’t even begin to summarize what this guy was doing early in his career. Nua set a new single season rookie record with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards during that 2023 season, earning himself second team allpro and pro bowl selections. He has been arguably the most dominant receiver in the NFL ever since his outrageous debut. So, in a crucial draft in which Lesne needed to inject a ton of young talent, he found four players who would all be selected for the PFWA all rookie team. On top of that, he also found solid depth pieces in Nick Hampton, Warren McClendon, and Davis Allen. Oh, and he did all of that without a firstround draft pick. That is how you reset the narrative and execute a roster remodeling, which is exactly what he intended to do. For his efforts, the LA Rams rewarded him with a return to winning football, securing a 10-7 record and a playoff birth. Unfortunately, a tight loss to the Detroit Lions would put an end to the dreams of a Super Bowl run. But there were still plenty of reasons for optimism. Sneeed had found some young talent to balance out this roster with Nikkua already slotting himself among the league’s elite and young and Turner combining for 17 sacks and 110 pressures, the most by any rookie duo leaguewide since 2018. And crucially, Matthew Stafford had proven he could still deliver good quality quarterback play if supported well. The vibes were good in LA, although one announcement over the 2024 offseason did threaten to derail things slightly. Aaron Donald was now calling it a day after an incredible 10-year career that featured three defensive player of the year awards, eight first team all pros, and 10 Pro Bowls. He’s the kind of player that single-handedly affects game plans. Opposing offenses have to account for him on every single play, and no matter how you try to counteract him, he will find a way to get production. Donald is not the kind of guy you can replace. Lessneed understood that and instead of trying to find the perfect one for one replacement, he doubled down on the defensive line for the second year running. Jared Verse was his first selection of the 2024 draft, joining the team as the first firstround draft pick since Jared Goff in 2016, 8 years ago. Verse has been a monster ever since joining the league, and Sneeed made sure he was set up for success by bringing in his Florida State running mate, Braden Fisk, in the second round. Fisk would lead the team with eight and a half sacks in 2024. And despite only having four and a half sacks himself, there was little doubt that Verse was a star in the making as well. So in the space of two drafts, Lesne had completely rebuilt his defensive line with young cheap playmakers who clearly have an incredibly high ceiling as individuals and as a unit who will benefit from growing together. Blake Cororm was the team’s third round draft pick in 2024, followed by Cameron Kinchins later in the same round. Kinchins goes down as another great pick, having had a strong second half of his rookie season and now operating as a part of one of the better safety tandemss in the NFL alongside Cam Curl, who also joined in 2024 via free agency. Sneeed had more success in the sixth round of this 2024 draft as well. Finding kicker Joshua Cardi, interior offensive lineman Bo Liur, and wide receiver Jordan Whittington all have found ways to contribute early to this Rams team, with Whittington in particular standing out as another all rookie selection. That takes LA up to seven all rookie selections over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, which is the perfect blueprint to ensuring sustained success and setting up what we are seeing now in 2025. Another priority over the 2024 off seasonason was protecting Matthew Stafford, who despite him now entering his age 36 season, was proving to be as sharp as ever when kept upright. Jonah Jackson came over from the Lions on a three-year, $51 million deal to play guard, while Kevin Dodson, another guard, was resigned on a three-year deal as well. It was another great offseason by Les Sneed. Although the early returns were concerning, the LA Rams went into their week six buy with a miserable 1-4 record, not helped by injuries to both Cooper Cup and Puka Nakua over that stretch. Thankfully for Rams fans, the team locked in over that bye-week and with a healthier roster returning, they dominated the second half of the season. They improved from 1 and4 to finish the season with a 10-7 record and an NFC West title, not playing their starters in the regular season finale loss to Seattle. This set up a dominant wildcard round victory over the Minnesota Vikings before losing to the eventual champion Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round. Once again, it was a promising season with elite production from the team’s youngsters. And despite the disappointing playoff exit, there was still plenty of reason for optimism. Unlike the 2024 offseason, there would be no key departures in 2025. They had handled the loss of Aaron Donald well and were now benefiting from stability and continuity over the 2025 offseason on both sides of the ball. As a result, it was time to put the finishing touches on the roster to make another push to win it all. First things first, Devonte Adams arrived in free agency, joining forces with Nua to produce arguably the most dangerous wide receiver duo in the entire NFL. His arrival offered a significant upgrade over the departing Cooper Cup who had clearly lost a step by now and was struggling with injuries as well. Then on defense, Puna Ford was welcomed into the fold. Operating as one of the league’s best run stuffing defensive tackles, both Ford and Adam solved problems in areas of need for the Rams while also bringing useful veteran experience to help the youngsters on both sides of the ball. The Rams also needed help with the linebacker position after losing Christian Roseboom and Jake Hmel. So, and K8 Landman, an under the radar signing after three seasons with the Falcons. He has been brilliant for the Rams so far, leading the team with 90 tackles, which is already just 20 shy of his career best effort of 110 tackles with Atlanta in 2023. Landman is making his presence felt on a weekly basis, contributing one and a half sacks, four pass breakups, and a career-high four forced fumbles through 11 weeks. Matthew Stafford also earned a slightly better deal over the 2025 off season before Sneed managed to lock down the guy who would be protecting his blind side, left tackle all Alaric Jackson. With the core of the team now locked and loaded, attention turned to the draft where Lesne needed went back to the good old FM pick days, accepting a very generous offer of a 2026 first round pick from the Atlanta Falcons for pick 26 in 2025. This is looking like a gem of a move for LA based on where the Falcons are currently projected to be picking in that 2026 draft, and they still managed to get tight end Terrence Ferguson with their new 46th overall pick. McVey hinted that they valued him significantly higher than that, making it an incredible win-win for the Rams. Josiah Stewart and Jarquz Hunt then headlined the rest of a relatively small draft class for LA, featuring just six players in total. This wrapped up a busy few years for less need in his front office. The tricky salary cap and draft situation produced by going allin for 2021 had now been solved. The roster was full of young talent. The defensive line was completely rebuilt post Donald and the offense was primed and ready to let it rip. And that is exactly what they have done in 2025. Behind this well-built offensive line, Matthew Stafford has been dealing through the first 11 weeks of the season. He comfortably leads the NFL with 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Puka Nuisa still looks like arguably the most unguardable wide receiver in the NFL with 850 yards and four touchdowns. While Devonte Adams has already delivered as the star free agent signing, he has a whopping 10 touchdowns in 10 games already building elite chemistry with Stafford. That trio in the passing game combines brilliantly with the ever reliable Kairen Williams in the run game to make the LA Rams a truly unstoppable force on offense. Their 27.2 points per game ranked sixth in the NFL, which is particularly exciting considering their defense is ranked second in the NFL, conceding just 17.2 points per game. Byron Young has been rampant, posting nine sacks through the first 10 games with Jared Verse, Josiah Stewart, and Jaylen McCulla all posting at least two. These guys have been making life a nightmare for quarterbacks, helping the secondary make some big plays themselves. Emanuel Forbes, Cam Curl, Cameron Kinchins, and Kobe Durant all have two interceptions on the season already, while Darius Williams and Quinton Lake each have one as well. Lake in particular has been one of the stars of the season. All in all, this is looking like one of the most well-rounded and dangerous teams in the entire NFL. Matthew Stafford has firmly entrenched himself as an MVP front runner, delivering at an elite level of play that matches the level he played at back in 2021, which was good enough to win a Super Bowl. In Puka Nua, he has a young receiver who is in the offensive player of the year race. And in Devonte Adams, he has a point scoring machine in the red zone. Add in Kairen Williams as one of the most reliable running backs in the NFL and a surgeon defense who look like they can stop anyone. And you get a team that has to be considered the very best in the entire NFL. And with the Falcons first round draft pick in hand for 2026, which looks like it will be in the top 10 and potentially top five, these guys are well set up to dominate for years to come. Things are certainly looking up for these LA Rams. The question is, can they go all the way in 2025? And do you believe that they could be set up to be at the top of the NFL for years to come? Let us know in the comments.

The LA Rams just pulled off the fastest rebuild in NFL history. From cap issues, no draft picks, injuries, and a 5-win collapse… to becoming one of the most dangerous teams in football again. Les Snead rebuilt the trenches, hit back-to-back home-run draft classes, replaced Aaron Donald with a wave of young stars, upgraded the offense with Davante Adams, and gave Matthew Stafford the supporting cast he needed to return to MVP form. Now the Rams have an elite defense, a top-tier offense, and a young core that’s only getting better — plus a future top-5 pick from Atlanta. The scary truth? LA isn’t just back. They’re built to dominate for years.

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