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The Los Angeles Rams draft-day trade with the Atlanta Falcons could prove to be the deal of the season.
Despite sitting pretty atop the NFC West with an 8-2 record, the Rams could be set to land a top-10 draft pick when the end of the season rolls around.
While on the clock back in April, Los Angeles agreed to send their first-round pick to the Falcons. In exchange, they would receive Atlanta's first-round pick in next year's draft.
The Falcons were willing to sacrifice the 2026 pick in order to land James Pearce with the Rams' No. 26 overall pick.
However, the desperate gamble hasn't paid off for the Falcons. Instead of adding the defensive end to a team in the hunt for a playoff berth, Atlanta has fallen to 3-7 so far this season - ahead of only the lowly New Orleans Saints in the NFC South.
Pearce has played only a part-time role, recording 2.5 sacks this season, as any hope of making the playoffs has died a death in Atlanta.
The Los Angeles Rams could land a top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft despite their record
The Rams traded their 2025 first-round pick to the Falcons who drafted James Pearce
Yet, while the trade has proven to be a flop for the Falcons, it could be extremely fortuitous for the Rams.
Thanks to the Falcons' woeful record, Los Angeles - whether it makes it all the way to the Super Bowl or not - could be looking at a top-10 pick.
The Falcons appear set to land one of the first picks in next year's draft. However, thanks to their trade, that selection will actually belong to the Rams, despite their 8-2 record.
It is a blow for the Falcons, whose misery only deepened over the weekend when quarterback Michael Penix Jr suffered a season-ending injury.
The Falcons announced on Wednesday that Penix would undergo season-ending surgery to repair the ACL in his left knee, two days after saying he would be placed on injured reserve and miss at least four games. The team said Penix has a partially torn ligament in the knee.
The loss of Penix leaves veteran Kirk Cousins as the starter for the remainder of the season as the Falcons prepare to play at New Orleans on Sunday.
Penix suffered the injury in Sunday's 30-27 overtime loss to Carolina, extending the Falcons' losing streak to five games.
