The Rams hadn’t made a first-round pick since 2016 when they selected Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall choice. Goff hasn’t played in Los Angeles since 2020.
The Rams made their first first-round selection since then when they took Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse with the 19th overall pick.
The team had investigated moving up into the top 10, with University of Washington receiver Rome Odunze the possible target. But Odunze went ninth overall to the Bears.
The Rams stayed put and selected Verse, who had nine sacks each of the past two seasons.
He will team with defensive end Byron Young, a third-round pick in 2023 who made eight sacks as a rookie, and defensive tackle Kobie Turner, a third-round pick in 2023 who made nine sacks as a rookie, on the Rams’ rebuilt defensive line. They will play without Aaron Donald, one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, for the first time since 2013.
