Rams trade for star defensive player in new mock draft

The Los Angeles Rams have the opportunity to use their No. 13 overall pick on an immediate impact player without even having to worry about who they’ll draft.

In a new mock draft from The Ringer’s Danny Heifetz, the Rams make another bold trade by moving their first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick for Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby.

The Rams were reportedly “keeping tabs” on Crosby before he was traded and then not traded to the Baltimore Ravens, so it’s certainly within the realm of possibility that L.A. pulls this off. Two first-round picks is a lot, but in this scenario they don’t give up any of their other young players and maintain a fully-loaded defense for another Super Bowl run.

And at the end of the day, that’s really all general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay should be aiming for in 2026. The No. 13 pick (and likely late-first-round 2027 pick) likely won’t serve the team as much as the addition of Crosby, who had 10 sacks in 2025 and 69.5 in his career.

The alternatives for the Rams at No. 13 are a third receiver, a backup offensive lineman or quarterback Ty Simpson. Crosby is much more valuable than those options.

The drawbacks are minimal but not nothing. Crosby would join a loaded defensive line group between Braden Fiske, , and . He will also cost the Rams $30.7 million in 2026 and $29.7 million guaranteed in 2027, per , with additional $27 million-plus nonguaranteed cap hits in 2028 and 2029.