{"id":854464,"date":"2026-04-05T03:15:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T03:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/854464\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T03:15:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T03:15:26","slug":"rams-make-1st-round-trade-to-pick-up-wr-in-5-round-mock-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/854464\/","title":{"rendered":"Rams make 1st-round trade to pick up WR in 5-round mock draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

April 4, 2026, 7:01 a.m. PT<\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Rams<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

General manager Les Snead already said the team likely won’t trade up<\/a> in this month’s draft, but they could easily trade back again. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter<\/a> predicted that in his newest five-round mock draft, although this trade is only four spots back in a deal with the Detroit Lions.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The rest of the draft goes as follows, including the new fifth-round pick from the Lions:<\/p>\n

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a>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<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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