PROJECTED TRADE WITH PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

The Rams move down in the first round to get a third pick in the third round, an area of the draft in which general manager Les Snead and his scouts have excelled in recent years. They still find an immense talent available at No. 32, though, in Bond. His suddenness after the catch and willingness to take (and make) hits despite his slight build give him an outside shot of joining Texas teammate Matthew Golden in Round 1.

Colston Loveland isn't a Cooper Kupp replacement, but he is a tight end who could do some of the things Kupp used to do for the Rams offense.

Cooper Kupp is out, but the bigger-bodied Loveland can handle a lot of the same responsibilities as a big body from the slot. Loveland isn't a great blocker like a lot of traditional tight ends, but he has the speed and receiving skills to be a clean fit for Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford.

Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: B+
Day 3 grade: B

Analysis: The run on offensive players in Round 1 allowed the Rams to land a bargain edge rusher (which they really needed) in Verse, their first first-round pick since 2016. Fiske will help make up for the loss of Aaron Donald to retirement, but we'll have to see if it made sense to trade a 2025 second-rounder to acquire him instead of getting Michael Hall at their original pick (No. 52; he went to the Browns 54th overall). Corum will play bigger and faster than his numbers indicate, and Kinchens is a downhill player at a soft spot for the Rams.

Jackson and Davis bolster the depth on the defensive line with former Florida State teammates Verse and Fiske. The Rams needed to find a kicker in his draft, and they chose Karty over Cam Little (who went to the Jags at No. 212). Limmer and Leveston should be long-time pros at center and guard, respectively. Rookie cornerbacks not drafted this weekend should be getting calls from the Rams.

Top needs entering the draft: Edge defender, cornerback, offensive line

The Rams were back in Round 1 for the first time since 2016, and despite rumblings that they wanted to trade up, they stayed put and took the most complete edge defender in the class. Jared Verse (19) dominated at times at Florida State but also disappeared too often for my tastes, making him a difficult evaluation. The traits are there, though. He can be a 10-sacks-per-season guy. L.A. got excellent rookie seasons from Byron Young and Kobie Turner in 2023, and GM Les Snead has started putting together his plan for life without Aaron Donald, who retired this offseason.

Speaking of, Snead traded up in Round 2 for a potential starter at defensive tackle in Braden Fiske (39), getting Carolina's pick but surrendering Nos. 52 and 155 along with an extremely valuable 2025 second-rounder. Fiske had 11.5 sacks when lined up as DT over the past two seasons, which were the second most in the FBS. He isn't going to be Donald -- one of the greatest defensive linemen in NFL history -- but Fiske can wreak some havoc. Still, I have to downgrade it a little bit because of that 2025 pick.

Blake Corum (83) is a powerful running back who reminds me a little bit of Kyren Williams, the Rams' starter. Safety Kamren Kinchens (99) had 11 interceptions over the past two seasons but ran a subpar 4.65-second 40-yard dash at the combine. I love the way outside linebacker Brennan Jackson (154) plays the game. Use him in a situational role and he can make an instant impact. Joshua Karty (209) is my No. 1 kicker.

Man, I want to give this class an A- because of the bevy of talented players, but I have to knock it down a tier because Snead gave up his second-rounder next year for Fiske.