Initially, it seems Rams fleeced Falcons in first-round trade up. Now James Pearce is pushing for DROY honors.
Nearly every NFL media consumer felt the Los Angeles Rams fleeced the Atlanta Falcons earlier this year during the 2025 draft. Atlanta sent LA their 2026 first-round pick in exchange for the opportunity to select Tennessee EDGE James Pearce 26th overall.
While the Falcons felt confident in their ability to win the NFC South, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. did not take the step forward the team was expecting. Atlanta instead opened the year with a 3-7 record. Penix suffered a season-ending injury and the 2026 first rounder seemed destined to land in the top 10.
But Kirk Cousins has other plans in mind, and apparently so does Pearce. Cousins has led Atlanta to two-straight wins over the Buccaneers and Cardinals. Pearce now has eight sacks and is shooting up the defensive rookie of the year list.
The Falcons are squarely out of contention this season. Still, the trade that once looked very one-sided now seems like a miss opportunity for the Rams.
NFL DROY Odds:
These were the opening odds for NFL defensive rookie of the year at the season’s opening:
- Abdul Carter (+240)
- Jalon Walker (+550)
- Mason Graham (+750)
- Mykel Williams (+900)
- Travis Hunter (+1000)
- Shemar Stewart (+1200)
- Donovan Ezeiruaku (+1700)
- Mike Green (+1900)
- Jihaad Campbell (+2000)
- James Pearce Jr. (+2200)
- Walter Nolen (+2300)
- Malarki Starks (+2300)
- Will Johnson (+2300)
- Jahdae Barron (+2700)
- JT Tuimoloau (+2800)
- Nick Emmanowori (+4000)
Ahead of the final two regular season games, this is now where the leaderboard stands:
- Carson Schwesinger (-800)
- Nick Emmanwori (+750)
- James Pearce (+750)
Schwesinger is the favorite, though he wasn’t even on the radar back in September. It’s a difficult path for off-ball linebackers to earn these honors, and I believe Pearce still has a realistic chance to take the award.
The last off-ball linebacker to win DROY was Shaquille Leonard in 2018. Since then, five EDGE rushers and one corner have taken up the mantle:
- 2018 – Shaquille Leonard, LB; Colts
- 2019 – Nick Bosa, EDGE; 49ers
- 2020 – Chase Young, EDGE; Football Team
- 2021 – Micah Parsons, EDGE; Cowboys
- 2022 – Sauce Gardner, CB; Jets
- 2023 – Will Anderson, EDGE; Texans
- 2024 – Jared Verse, EDGE; Rams
Pearce is coming on at the right time, and he could change award voters’ minds at the close of the regular season. The rookie has posted sacks in six-straight games and is up to eight on the year. Jared Verse won DROY with just 4.5 sacks a year ago, though his advanced pass rushing metrics and pressures showed consistent production even without QB takedowns.
Should the Rams have taken Pearce?
This is a difficult question to answer.
We know that Matthew Stafford is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. How much longer can he realistically be expected to play? He missed all of training camp and the preseason with a back injury, and then defied the odds on his way to a MVP campaign.
The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter what position the Rams’ roster is for the team’s next era if they don’t successfully stick the landing from Stafford to the next guy.
Having Atlanta’s 2026 first rounder is a valuable tool to have in the Rams’ belt if they are going to move up for a quarterback. They could also find a way to push the first rounder back a year and prepare to take a quarterback in 2027. Either way, if the pick is used to land the next franchise quarterback, missing out on a plus pass rusher simply becomes a speed bump and a minor detriment.
But let’s be honest. The Rams could have used Pearce this season. LA’s pass rush does not seem as formidable as it did a year ago. Verse and Braden Fiske—former Florida State teammates—aren’t as productive as they were last season. Los Angeles also has one more year to enjoy the rookie contracts of Byron Young and Kobie Turner before they will need to decide to either pay up or let them walk.
You can never have too many EDGE’s, and taking Pearce would have improved the Rams in 2025 and futureproofed the position in case they walk away from Young.
What once seemed like a wild thought could now be the reality for the Rams. They might have missed out on the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year.
Category: General Sports
