April 4, 2026, 7:01 a.m. PT
The Los Angeles Rams are no strangers to draft-day moves. They traded out of the first round in 2025, which resulted in the No. 13 overall pick they currently own in the 2026 draft.
General manager Les Snead already said the team likely won’t trade up in this month’s draft, but they could easily trade back again. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter predicted that in his newest five-round mock draft, although this trade is only four spots back in a deal with the Detroit Lions.
In this scenario, Reuter has the Rams picking up a 2026 fifth-round pick from the Lions, plus a 2027 third-rounder to execute the trade. The Rams take Indiana receiver Omar Cooper Jr. with their new selection at No. 17.
Cooper joins Davante Adams and Puka Nacua to give Matthew Stafford one of the best receiver trios in the league. The Indiana product will need to be a star in Year 2 if Adams moves on as a free agent after 2026.
The rest of the draft goes as follows, including the new fifth-round pick from the Lions:
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.Round 2, Pick No. 61: Iowa OG Gennings DunkerRound 3, Pick No. 93: Western Kentucky EDGE Nadame TuckerRound 5, Pick No. 157 (via Detroit): Penn State QB Drew Allar
This is an intriguing class for the Rams. All four of these picks could turn into quality contributors on both sides of the ball, but not immediately.
Cooper Jr. is a WR3 who could become a WR2 when Adams leaves. Dunker played right tackle at Iowa, but could kick inside if needed, so he’s a possible depth piece behind Warren McClendon Jr. and Kevin Dotson. And then there’s Allar, who has NFL-caliber traits but would get at least a full year to sit behind Matthew Stafford before potentially taking over in 2027.
It’s not flashy, but the Rams don’t need to be in the 2026 draft. They need a stable collection of additions who serve both short- and long-term plans for the franchise.
