The Rams are keeping all options on the table in the first round of the draft on Thursday night, and that could include a trade for a veteran. That’s what transpired in our latest NFL Wire mock draft where I picked for the Rams.
Rather than staying put at No. 19, I was offered a trade by Bucs Wire editor Luke Easterling for the 26th pick. It was an offer I felt would help the Rams now, while also still giving them a chance to add a rookie for the future.
The deal was Pick 19 for Pick 26 and edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Based on the trade value chart, Pick 19 was worth 55 points more than the Bucs’ pick at No. 26, which is the equivalent of a third-rounder. So essentially, Tryon-Shoyinka, a former first-round pick, was valued as a third-round selection in this trade and he still has two years left on his contract with the fifth-year option.
At No. 26, I then took Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton, an offensive lineman with excellent size at 6-foot-8 and the ability to play either left or right tackle.
The Bucs made an offer for the 19th overall pick that was tough to turn down. Not only do the Rams only move back seven spots, but they pick up a starting-caliber edge rusher in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – the No. 32 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He fits the mold of the type of edge rusher the Rams look for, standing 6-foot-5 and 259 pounds, and could step in right away opposite Byron Young. So the Rams fill one major need by acquiring Tryon-Shoyinka, who still has three years left on his contract, and still pick up a future starter at offensive tackle by taking Guyton. He’s 6-foot-8 and can play either left or right tackle, which could need upgrading at some point in the next year or two. So by moving down seven spots, the Rams still manage to add a starting edge rusher and a potential franchise left tackle.
Tryon-Shoyinka hasn’t panned out the way the Bucs hoped through three seasons, recording only 13 total sacks: 4.0, 4.0 and 5.0. However, he has the tools to be a productive starter, standing 6-foot-5 and 259 pounds with good athleticism.
Though he had a career-best five sacks in 2023, he had a career-low seven quarterback hits and 30 total pressures. There’s still time for him to develop into a 10-sack player as he enters his age-25 season in the NFL, and the Rams are a team that could take a chance on him this year.