Before the 2016 NFL Draft kicked off we saw two massive trades happen in order for teams at the top of the draft to acquire quarterbacks.
The Rams traded up to No. 1 and selected Jared Goff, while the Eagles traded up to No. 2 and took Carson Wentz. The most important aspects of these draft-day trades will be the development of the quarterbacks. If they're "franchise quarterback" the deal was great.
For now we're left to compare the haul from the two trades.
We already took a deep dive into the Philadelphia-Cleveland swap that netted the Eagles Carson Wentz. Let's do the same with the Jared Goff trade.
The Rams initially received the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, No. 113 and No. 177 overall in this year's draft. They would trade No. 113 for No. 117 and No. 206, so we're including that in their haul.
Rams Draft Haul | ||||
Player/Pick | Round | Overall Pick | Position | College |
Jared Goff | 1 | 1 | QB | California |
Pharoh Cooper | 4 | 117 | WR | South Carolina |
Temarrick Hemingway | 6 | 177 | TE | South Carolina State |
Mike Thomas | 7 | 206 | WR | Southern Mississippi |
As I've said a bunch, I don't like giving up tons of picks to move up. But if you're going to go all in on 2016, which the Rams clearly are, they did a nice job of acquiring talent to help. Cooper is a steal in the fourth round there. Thomas is a flier late in the draft. The Rams got some offensive talent to help out Goff and will have an interesting offense to watch if the pieces come together and Goff is ready for the pressure of being L.A.'s football face and playing in Year 1.
This can be said like 500 times but it all comes down to Goff. If he's good out of the gates, the Rams make the playoffs and he contends for Offensive Rookie of the Year people will praise this move by Los Angeles. (Except in St. Louis where they will weep in perpetuity.)
Before we get to the Titans side of things, let's look at who the Rams could have taken by staying pat in their original position. Specifically: No. 15 overall, No. 43, No. 45 and No. 76 in this year's draft.
Taken With Rams Picks | ||||
Player/Pick | Round | Overall Pick | Position | College |
Corey Coleman | 1 | 15 | WR | Baylor |
Austin Johnson | 2 | 43 | DT | Penn State |
Derrick Henry | 2 | 45 | RB | Alabama |
Shon Coleman | 3 | 76 | OT | Auburn |
2017 NFL Draft Pick | 1 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
2017 NFL Draft Pick | 3 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
How hilariously incestuous were the Browns and Titans in all these deals? Two of the picks the Titans acquired from the Rams were used by the Browns, who also traded down. Just odd and clearly a case of two new regimes willing to move around the draft board. (Also two teams with a lot of capital to spend in the draft.)
If you're the Rams, you look at this haul and you feel good about the deal. Corey Coleman would help a lot but wide receivers aren't changing things for Los Angeles without a quarterback (Paxton Lynch was also available there for what it's worth).
Los Angeles needs help on the offensive line, but defensively they're in pretty good shape. Running back is not a need at all. Barring a meltdown that 2017 first-round pick shouldn't be too high.
Let's look at what the Titans got from the trade. Two additional trades apply:
- Traded No. 15 and No. 76 for No. 8 overall and No. 176 overall
- Traded No. 176 overall and a 2017 sixth-round pick for No. 157 overall and No. 253 overall
Titans Draft Haul from Rams Trade | ||||
Player/Pick | Round | Overall Pick | Position | College |
Jack Conklin | 1 | 8 | OL | Michigan State |
Austin Johnson | 3 | 43 | DT | Penn State |
Derrick Henry | 3 | 45 | RB | Alabama |
LeShaun Sims | 5 | 157 | CB | Southern Utah |
Kalan Reed | 7 | 253 | CB | Southern Mississippi |
2017 NFL Draft Pick | 1 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
2017 NFL Draft Pick | 3 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Just like with Eagles-Browns, when you take a look at what Tennessee actually came away with from the trade to move down from No. 2, well, it's not mind blowing.
These trades take time to marinate: it wasn't immediately obvious the Rams were cleaning up with the picks they got from the RG3 trade.
There's still the matter of the first-round pick in 2017 and there's still the matter of actually being good with Goff under center. Most important: Goff himself has to meet the very vague qualifications of a franchise quarterback to justify the move.
But if you're Los Angeles, you look at what you could have taken with the picks you had and then what Tennessee came away with and you feel much better about the move up to get Goff at No. 1 overall.