Rams mock draft: 3-round projection after Cooper Kupp goes on trade block

No matter how badly he might want to stay with the Los Angeles Rams, Cooper Kupp will almost certainly be wearing another uniform when the 2025 NFL season kicks off.

Kupp, a star receiver who spent eight seasons with the Rams, just posted on X that he was informed that Los Angeles was going to seek to trade him immediately.

While it will certainly be weird to see Kupp in another uniform, this stance is far from surprising. Kupp is a 31-year-old who, since his record-breaking 2021 season, has had trouble staying on the field, and became Los Angeles' No. 2 receiver behind Puka Nacua.

Where Kupp ends up remains to be seen, but assuming the Rams do trade him, that will almost certainly shake up their approach in the 2025 NFL Draft. It was fair to assume that the wide receiver position would be more of an afterthought with Nacua and Kupp in town, but with Kupp gone, that opens a need. With that in mind, let's take a look at how the first half of Los Angeles' draft might shake out.

Round 1, pick 26: Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota

After focusing heavily on their defensive line in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Rams will flip the script and attempt to bolster their offensive line by selecting Aireontae Ersery, an offensive tackle from Minnesota.

Longtime Rams offensive tackle Joe Noteboom is slated to hit free agency once the offseason begins, and fellow veteran offensive tackle Rob Havenstein isn't far behind with only one more year remaining on his contract. While the Rams could bring Noteboom back, he has just one fully healthy season in his career, and that came back in 2018 — his rookie year. He was limited to just four games this past season.

With all of that in mind, Ersery, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound offensive tackle who was a standout in this year's Senior Bowl, makes a lot of sense. He's a great athlete for his size, and is an adequate blocker in passing and rushing situations. There's a good chance he'll be the best offensive lineman available at the end of the first round, making him an ideal fit in Los Angeles.

Round 3: Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green

With Kupp likely to get traded, the Rams will need to bolster their skill position players around Nacua and Kyren Williams, so enter Harold Fannin Jr., a Bowling Green product.

Fannin is coming off an outstanding season which saw him lead the MAC with 117 receptions and 1,555 yards. He also chipped in 10 touchdowns in 13 games played. Fannin's size could impact his blocking at the NFL level, which could bump his stock to the third round, but if he's available at this pick, the Rams would be foolish to pass on him.

Tyler Higbee is a fine option at tight end, but he has just one year remaining on his contract, was limited to just three games this past season, and has never surpassed the 734-yard mark. He set his career-high in receiving yards back in 2019 with Jared Goff under center. The Rams would benefit from adding more of a dynamic presence like Fannin at tight end, especially if they trade Kupp away.

Round 3: Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon

The Rams don't have a second-round pick, but are fortunate enough to have a pair of third-rounders at their disposal, both of which can be used to bolster the Kupp-less offense. Tez Johnson, a wide receiver out of Oregon, can replace Kupp as Los Angeles' WR2.

Johnson has a fourth-round projection right now, but he's really opened eyes at the Senior Bowl, which could raise his stock to the point where he might be a player the Rams think hard about selecting late in the third round. One of the players Johnson models his game off of should only make Los Angeles' decision to select him that much easier.

I'm not going to sit here and say Johnson is going to be Cooper Kupp, but what if the Rams were to trade Kupp and then draft Kupp-lite in the NFL Draft? Wouldn't that be something?

It might be crazy to expect much out of a receiver taken late in the third round, but Johnson has been a standout with the Oregon Ducks in each of the last two seasons, and Sean McVay has a knack for identifying elite receiver talent late in drafts. Remember, Kupp was a third-round pick in his own right. Nacua was a fifth-round pick. It would not be shocking at all to see a player who models his game after an elite wideout who showed tons of promise in college and in the Senior Bowl break out in a McVay-ran offense.

If he's there, this is a no-brainer.