Los Angeles Rams Trade Up, Pick Future QB In Latest Mel Kiper Jr. NFL Mock Draft

According to ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr., the Rams are about to get their QB of the future.

Matt Galatzan | Apr 10, 2024

Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) against the / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have a first round pick in the NFL Draft for the first time since 2016. In that draft, they selected now-Lions quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick.

This year, should they decide to stay put at No. 19, and with Matthew Stafford entering the season at 36 years old, they could very well decide to go quarterback once again.

However, according to ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest mock draft, they should be able to wait until round No. 2 to get their QB of the future. That said, they are going to get aggressive to do so.

Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) against the / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Per Kiper, the Rams are set to trade up with the Los Angeles Chargers to the No. 37 pick, where they will take Washington QB and Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr as the next franchise signal-caller. In exchange, the Rams will send back Nos. 52, 83, and 196 to the Chargers.

"Yes, the Rams have Matthew Stafford. Yes, they brought in Jimmy Garoppolo. And yes, they drafted Stetson Bennett in Round 4 last year. But Stafford is 36 and has dealt with serious injuries in recent years, while Garoppolo is on a one-year deal and Bennett spent his rookie season on the reserve/non-football illness list," Kiper said. "Penix could be the future franchise signal-caller for coach Sean McVay and the Rams. He is accurate to every level of the field and is a great decision-maker."

Last season In his two seasons with Washington, Penix completed 725 of 1,109 passes for 9,544 yards and 67 touchdowns with 19 interceptions, leading the Huskies to a Pac 12 title and a national title appearance last season.

Meanwhile, back in the first round, Kiper believes the Rams will select UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu, hoping to improve a pass rush that just lost Aaron Donald.

"Latu is the best pure edge rusher in this class, and he already has an array of pass-rush moves," Kiper said. "I haven't heard any recent red flags around his medical reports, as there were some questions last fall because he medically retired from football because of a neck injury he suffered when he was at Washington in 2021."

Published Apr 10, 2024

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com