LA Rams trade for first overall NFL Draft pick

The Los Angeles Rams have traded for the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.

In a bold move upon retuing to L.A., the Rams will send their 15th overall pick to the Teessee Titans, along with picks No. 43 and 45 in the second round and No. 76 in the third round. The Rams also gave up their first- and third-round picks next year in order to move up to the No. 1 spot in 2016.

The Rams are on the clock and are expected to draft either quarterbacks Carson Wentz of North Dakota State or Jared Goff of Cal. The team last drafted at No. 1 overall in 2010, when it selected quarterback Sam Bradford out of Oklahoma. The Rams last traded up to the top spot in 1997, when they picked offensive tackle Orlando Pace, who was elected this year into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“Our philosophy has always been to build through the draft,” Rams general manager Les Snead said in a statement.

But while Los Angeles now has a chance to land a headliner for its Coliseum homecoming, the move came at a high cost. By surrendering six draft picks, the Rams have left themselves with just one selection in the first three rounds at the end of this month in Chicago. And while quarterback was by far the most pressing need for a team that has ranked among the league’s worst offenses for nearly a decade, it was far from the only one.

• READ: Did the Rams give up too much? A history of recent trades for the No. 1 pick.

The team lost coerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod to free agency, and certainly could have used at least a second- or third-round pick to bolster its secondary. It also needs to supplement a receiving corps that is currently highlighted by Tavon Austin, but bereft of any other truly dynamic playmakers.

However, the Rams do have an electrifying talent in ruing back Todd Gurley, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year. After rushing for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns, the 21-year-old is poised to become one of the city’s most recognizable athletes. Put him next to an up-and-coming star quarterback — instead of Case Keenum, or Nick Foles, or Sean Maion — and this could quickly become a team worth watching.

This blockbuster trade echoes one from 2012. This time, however, the Rams are on the opposite side. Four years ago, the team traded the No. 2 overall pick to Washington, a selection that tued into Robert Griffin III. In exchange, the Rams received three first-round picks and a second-rounder.

Griffin didn’t last in the nation’s capital despite a thrilling rookie season, and signed with the Cleveland Browns last month as something of a reclamation project. The Rams added players such as linebacker Alec Ogletree and offensive tackle Greg Robinson, but weren’t able to use the draft haul to transform themselves into contenders.

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Their hope is that a new quarterback will help them take that step.

Titans receive from Rams:

1st round pick (15 overall)

2nd round pick (43)

2nd round pick (45)

3rd round pick (76)

1st round pick in 2017

3rd round pick in 2017

Rams receive from Titans:

1st round pick (1 overall)

4th round pick (113)

6th round pick (177)