LOS ANGELES — Last month, general manager Les Snead said the Los Angeles Rams would like to make the most of however long they have quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is coming off an MVP season.
They took one major step toward maximizing that window Wednesday by trading for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie in exchange for a package of picks that includes No. 29 in the 2026 draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Rams are also sending 2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks and a 2027 third-round pick, the sources told Schefter.
The Rams are no stranger to adding veterans via a trade to help make a push for a roster they believe is close to being able to win a Super Bowl.
In 2018, the Rams traded for cornerback Marcus Peters for a fourth-round pick in 2018 and a second-round pick the following draft. In 2019, the Rams sent two first-round picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars for cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
The final push for their Super Bowl LVI victory was trading for Stafford in 2021 and then outside linebacker Von Miller at the trade deadline that season.
This season, coming off a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, the position the team needed to address was clear: cornerback.
The team has four pending free agents at the position and has not heavily invested at cornerback since the Rams traded away Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins in March 2023. The Rams did play safety Quentin Lake at corner last season in the star position — a big, safety-sized nickel corner who could defend the run.
That changed on Wednesday, when the Rams found an impact player in McDuffie at a position where they desperately needed one. Schefter also reported the Rams intend to sign McDuffie, who is entering the final season of his rookie deal, to a contract extension.
“At the end of the day, it’s all of us doing the after-action review, coaching staff coming in and saying, ‘Hey, this maybe tweaks what we’re trying to accomplish on the back end from a scheme standpoint,'” Snead said on Tuesday. “Then at that point determining who on our roster fits, the new adjustments or tweaks. Then at that point it’s figuring out, is there an All-Pro that you could add? That could be nice, but if there’s not an All-Pro, is there a player out there that adds an edge based on what we’re trying to accomplish?”
McDuffie was that All-Pro player, being named to the first-team in 2023 and second-team in 2024.
In 56 career games, McDuffie has three interceptions, 34 passes defensed, 5.5 sacks and 246 total tackles.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, McDuffie has allowed 6.0 yards per target in coverage in the last two seasons, which is the third best among defensive backs who have been targeted at least 150 times. His eight career forced fumbles are the most among all NFL cornerbacks since 2022, according to ESPN Research.
The Rams had success against the pass last season, allowing an 48.3 Total QBR to opposing quarterbacks. According to ESPN Research, that was the second-best mark in the NFL behind only the Chargers (48.0).
The group also had 60 pass breakups (tied for fifth) and 16 interceptions (tied for sixth). However, a lot of the success was also due to their front seven — led by outside linebackers Byron Young and Jared Verse and defensive ends Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske — putting pressure on quarterbacks.
The Rams have been clear they believe this roster is one that can take them on a deep playoff run again in 2026, and trading pick No. 29 (while keeping No. 13) could get the Rams closer to winning another Super Bowl ring.
