Los Angeles paid a massive package to Tennessee for the No. 1…
Los Angeles paid a massive package to Tennessee for the No. 1 pick in 2016 and selected Jared Goff. Goff became a Pro Bowler and quarterbacked the Rams to Super Bowl LIII, giving Los Angeles real high-end value. Tennessee turned the return into a collection that included Derrick Henry, Corey Davis, Austin Johnson and Jonnu Smith. Both teams benefited, but Henry's historic Titans career and the depth of the package give Tennessee the edge.
Los Angeles Rams Received
- pick 2016 1st round pick (1st overall, Jared Goff ), 2016 4th round pick (113th overall subsequently traded, Nick Kwiatkoski ) and 2016 6th round pick (177th overall, Temarrick Hemingway )
Tennessee Titans Received
- pick 2016 1st round pick (15th overall subsequently traded, Corey Coleman ), 2016 2nd round pick (43rd overall, Austin Johnson ), 2016 2nd round pick (45th overall, Derrick Henry ), 2016 3rd round pick (76th overall subsequently traded, Shon Coleman ), 2017 1st round pick (5th overall, Corey Davis ) and 2017 3rd round pick (100th overall, Jonnu Smith )
Trade Analysis
The Rams' return to Los Angeles coincided with one of the largest draft trades of the decade. Tennessee sent the No. 1 pick in 2016, plus fourth- and sixth-round choices, for a package built around the Rams' 2016 first, two seconds, a third, and first- and third-round selections in 2017. Los Angeles made the move for California quarterback Jared Goff and staked the franchise's new era on him.
Goff's rookie season was rough, but Sean McVay's arrival transformed his trajectory. He made Pro Bowls in 2017 and 2018, helped the Rams win consecutive NFC West titles and quarterbacked the 2018 team to Super Bowl LIII. Los Angeles later included Goff in the trade for Matthew Stafford, the move that preceded a Super Bowl LVI championship. Goff was not the final quarterback of the McVay era, but reaching a Super Bowl and retaining major trade value makes the original acquisition far more successful than a typical failed No. 1 pick.
Tennessee's return was extraordinary in volume and outcome. The Titans selected Austin Johnson and Derrick Henry in the 2016 second round, then used the 2017 first on Corey Davis and the third on Jonnu Smith. Henry became the centerpiece: a two-time rushing champion, 2,000-yard rusher and Offensive Player of the Year who powered Tennessee to an AFC Championship Game. Davis became a multi-year starter, Smith developed into a productive tight end and the remaining capital supported further draft maneuvering.
Both sides should grade highly. The Rams earn an A- because Goff became a Pro Bowl quarterback, led a conference champion and later retained trade value. Tennessee earns an A+ because the package created a generational franchise running back plus several starters. The Titans win on total accumulated value, but Los Angeles achieved the kind of team success that justified taking a franchise-quarterback swing.