Mel Kiper Mock Draft Blockbuster: Rams Trade Into Round 1 for QB Hendon Hooker

In Mel Kiper's final mock draft he tabs the Rams to jump back into the first round for Matthew Stafford's eventual successor.

With the first day of the NFL draft officially upon us the Los Angeles Rams will once again not have a first-round pick. Despite that, though, maybe they'll see a player they really like sliding into the back half of the first round and trade back up to ensure no one else takes him. 

This is the scenario that unfolds in Mel Kiper's final mock as he has the Rams trading back into the first round with the Kansas City Chiefs and acquiring the No. 31 pick - a pick they use to select Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker. 

"Why not do this if you're the Rams?" Kiper wrote. "Stafford had a rough season in 2022. They could get Hooker's fifth-year option here, and there is a precedent of teams trading into the final spot in Round 1 (Lamar Jackson in 2018)."

"As I've written before, I'm not as high on Hooker as others are -- he's No. 54 in my rankings -- but I do think he'll land in Round 1. This is a fit I could see happening."

After an offseason filled with rumors that the Rams were shopping Matthew Stafford the quarterback is set to return in 2023. However, that might not stop them from drafting his successor. 

The talent is there for Hooker and it isn't hard to see why Sean McVay would like the chance to mold him. In his two seasons as a starter for Tennessee after transferring from Virginia Tech he threw for 6,080 yards with 58 touchdowns and just five interceptions while completing 68.8 percent of his passes.

Yes, there are questions surrounding Hooker as a prospect. From the fact that he'll be a 25-year-old rookie to not knowing how he'll look after recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in his final season at Tennessee. 

If the Rams covet Hooker and he falls this far down the board then they shouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. Making matters more favorable for them in this scenario is the fact that moving up from pick No. 36 to No. 31 might not cost them an arm and a leg. 

For now the Rams are a team without a first-round pick and for all they know Hooker could land in their laps at No. 36. What is primed to be an interesting first round could get even more chaotic if the Rams decide to jump into the fray and take their next franchise quarterback for life after Stafford.

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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