Rams don't trade back, still take a TE in 2025 re-draft

The Los Angeles Rams had a pretty good start to the 2025 draft a year ago. They may have traded out of the No. 26 overall pick, but they picked up a future first from the Atlanta Falcons that turned into the No. 13 pick in the 2026 draft. L.A. still landed a potential contributor in Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson at No. 46 after the trade-back.

But wouldn't it be nice to go back in time and try again, just to see what the Rams could have done? That's what The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner did with a little more than a week before the 2026 draft kicks off. In Baumgardner's 2025 re-draft, the Rams didn't trade the No. 26 pick but still drafted a tight end — Bowling Green's Harold Fannin Jr.

Fannin could probably be higher in our redraft — apart from its QB nonsense, Cleveland had a very nice draft last spring. Fannin is absolutely a keeper and already has emerged as a downfield threat.

Fannin dominated as a rookie for the Browns. He caught 72 passes for 731 yards and six touchdowns, which were team-highs in Cleveland. And in L.A., Fannin would likely have put up good numbers in an offense that took advantage of a lot of 13 personnel. While he may not have produced as much as he did as Cleveland's de facto No. 1 target, Fannin could have easily put up similar numbers to what Colby Parkinson did if he turned into a focal point of the offense early on.

This isn't reality, though, and the Browns are lucky to have a big offensive weapon in Fannin for their future. Alternatively, the Rams did well on their own to secure a top-13 pick from the Falcons and still came out with a tight end in Ferguson, who put up a solid season in a reserve role (11 receptions for 231 yards and three touchdowns).

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 2025 re-draft: Rams don't trade back, still take a TE