The Los Angeles Rams almost made a second trade during the 2025 draft, eyeing Louisville’s Ashton Gillotte.
They pulled out after the Kansas City Chiefs took him. LA was in talks about a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars before stopping negotiations. Former Rams director of scouting strategy James Gladstone left to become the Jaguars’ general manager this offseason.
He also had a deal in the works with the Detroit Lions.
Both teams had eyes on the No. 70 overall pick, per The Athletic’s Mike Silver in a report published on April 29. When all was said and done, it was the Lions that pulled the trigger.
“The trade terms [with Detroit] were a go,” Silver wrote, detailing the moments before the deal. “Seconds later, Gladstone fielded a phone call and grimaced. ‘The Rams are out,’ he said. ‘Guess who they wanted? Gillotte.’”
Per Silver, the Rams were prepared to surrender their second-round pick in 2026 to move up.
The Chiefs took Gillotte with the No. 66 overall selection, which they acquired in a prior trade sending cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Jaguars’ AFC South Rival, the Tennessee Titans.
“The Chiefs needed a complement to George Karlaftis so they don’t have to blitz as much and to improve those third-down numbers,” ESPN’s Steve Muench wrote on April 25. “Gillotte should make an immediate impact as a pass rusher.”
Rams Land ‘Great Value’ After Canceled Trade
GettyJosaiah Stewart #0 of the Michigan Wolverines plays against the Oregon Ducks.
Instead of coming away with Gillotte, the Rams drafted Michigan Wolverines EDGE Josiah Stewart with the No. 90 overall selection.
Muench called Stewart a “great value.
“General manager Les Snead drafted two difference-makers last year in Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse in the first round and defensive tackle Braden Fiske in the second round. Now, he gets a great value in Stewart in the third round,” Muench wrote. “Stewart is an excellent fit at outside linebacker in the Rams’ scheme and should complement Verse well.”
The Rams recorded the NFL’s eighth-fewest sacks in 2024 with 38, ranking 22nd in a tie with the Las Vegas Raiders.
“The Rams will never turn down opportunities to add rush talent, and Stewart is a perfect fit, style- and temperament-wise,” NFL.com’s Eric Edholm wrote on April 25. “He’s a smaller-framed bull in a China shop with the kind of playmaking chops you just can’t teach.”
Former Rams Exec Properly Predicted Draft Pick
GettyJacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone speaks to the media during the NFL Scouting Combine.
Months after his departure, and even with the Rams trading out of the first round, Gladstone still predicted that they would select Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson No. 36 overall.
“With the Rams on the clock, I asked Gladstone to predict which player his former team would take with the 46th selection. He squinted at the board for a moment and replied,” Silver wrote. “A minute later, an NFL official at draft headquarters, over speakerphone, announced the pick: Ferguson.”
Per Silver, Gladstone called the moment a “bullseye.”
“The Rams had been sniffing around a lot of tight ends, and they take one of the more athletic ones in Ferguson,” Edholm wrote after Ferguson’s selection. “He’s a natural receiver and well-rounded player who could be a 10-year pro.”
“Tyler Higbee, who is 32, missed most of the 2024 season with injuries, and the Rams needed to improve the depth behind him,” Muench wrote. “Ferugson has the potential to develop into a No. 1 tight end, and he gives the Rams someone who can make an immediate impact as a receiver.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Rams Held Talks About 2nd Draft-Day Trade for Versatile Pass Rusher appeared first on Heavy Sports.