Rams trade back in new mock draft, take CB in first round

The Los Angeles Rams own the No. 26 pick but don't have another selection until the third round at No. 90.

While the Rams aren't littered with holes, there are some key positions of need that L.A. wants to fill and will need to be judicious with their picks to stabilize the roster before the 2025 season.

The Rams do just that in The Athletic's new mock draft, which featured its beat writers making moves for the respective teams they cover. In it, the Rams trade back to the No. 30 pick in the first round with the Buffalo Bills and acquire the No. 106 pick in the process. That gives L.A. three picks between Nos. 90 and 106 — a key area to address any concerns for the team.

So, with the No. 30 pick, The Athletic's Rams beat writer Jourdan Rodrigue selected Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas. Here's how she explained the trade and the pick:

"The Lions and Bills both called the Rams inquiring about a possible trade. Detroit attempted to convince the Rams to send back one too many extra picks by using the powerful bond of friendship as a negotiation tactic, but Snead wasn’t biting and kept his beloved fourth-rounder this year, his fourth-rounder in 2026, plus got pick No. 109 in a sweet deal with Buffalo and only had to move back four spots.
"Thomas is a long corner with good range who gives the Rams the size they badly need in their secondary, to pair on the outside with veteran Darious Williams (even though veteran starter Ahkello Witherspoon is back under contract for another season). Cobie Durant could move into the slot full-time with the selection of Thomas, who adds youth and talent to the DB room to match much of the rest of the defense."

In terms of a best-of-both-worlds scenario, the Rams can't get any better than this. While L.A. lost out on Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron (who would go No. 27 to the Baltimore Ravens), Thomas is solid as well and the additional third-round pick is a great pick-up.

Thomas is a 6-foot-2, 198-pounder who is more of a lockdown defender than a ballhawk. He finished with just two career interceptions but 15 defended passes in 37 games for the Seminoles. Thomas added 95 combined tackles on the year.

Pro Football Focus' NFL comp for Thomas is Bryce Hall of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while NFL.com's Lance Zierlein believes Thomas is most similar to Jaylen Watson of the Kansas City Chiefs and The Ringer's Danny Kelly compared Thomas to Paulson Adebo of the New York Giants.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams trade back in new mock draft, take CB in first round

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