Los Angeles Rams should trade up in the 2019 NFL Draft
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Rams have a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the first time the team has had a first-round pick since selecting Jared Goff in 2016.
The Los Angeles Rams have not had a first-round pick the last two NFL Drafts. The 2017 pick was traded for Jared Goff when the Los Angeles Rams moved up to the first overall pick to select the Cal quarterback.
The team entered the offseason last year with its own first-round pick but traded it to the New England Patriots for Brandin Cooks. This trade ended up being great as the Rams extended Cooks, who put up great numbers in his first year as a Ram.
There is a chance the team could do the same thing and try trading the 31st overall pick for established talent. However, it is hard to really find someone who would be worth trading a pick for. Plus, the Rams cannot afford another big extension with Jared Goff’s rookie contract ending after the 2020 season.
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Instead, the Los Angeles Rams should go the other way and trade up in the draft with one target in mind: Michigan linebacker Devin Bush.
The Rams were better at linebacker than everyone expected last season but could still use help at the position. There are not many great linebackers worth using the 31st overall pick for and Bush is not too high and would fit nicely in this defense.
Bush is a bit undersized for a traditional linebacker but is fine in this day of football where you do not need a linebacker to be an insanely heavy hitter. He won’t do great on the line as a blitzer but has elite speed and range and can be a help in coverage and a fantastic gap plugger to stop the run.
Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network says in his scouting report that Bush “should be utilized primarily in a gap penetration scheme with a strong DL.”
The Los Angeles Rams, even if the team loses Ndamukong Suh, has an extremely strong defensive line and would present Bush the best situation to thrive right away.
Los Angeles would not have to trade too high up to get Bush, either, and can set a number. If Bush gets to that specific number, the Rams pull the trigger and make a trade.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report ranks Bush as the 18th-best prospect in his latest 2019 NFL Draft Big Board. There is so much time for that to change but we will just make that the Rams’ number, which belongs to the Minnesota Vikings.
Last year the Saints moved up 13 spots from the 27th overall pick to the 14th overall pick to draft Michael Davenport. New Orleans gave Green Bay a fifth-round pick in last year’s draft and the team’s first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Rams would ironically be moving up 13 spots as well and could use that trade as groundwork for their own deal. Quite frankly, if the team loves Devin Bush as much as we do, it would be worth giving up a fifth and the first-round pick next year, which will be no higher than 28th.
Next. Cheap trade targets that are valuable. dark
However, the Rams can even try and go down another route and offer their 2019 first, 2019 second and 2020 second-round pick. That is just as valuable as can prevent the Rams from losing a first-round pick next year.