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Ranking Les Snead's 6 best draft picks as GM of the Rams

Job security for general managers in the NFL is virtually nonexistent. The job is cutthroat, high-pressure and built off of a person’s ability to predict the future. As many executives around the NFL aim to acquire such a position, many owners are quick to pull the plug on their team builders so long tenures are not a common thing for such a job.

However, Les Snead will be participating in his 13th NFL draft as a general manager, a height many aspire to reach but one too great for most. Snead’s tenure with the Rams has been a rollercoaster, featuring many successes and many failures.

He’s navigated multiple roster reconstructions, a relocation and retirements on his way to a Super Bowl title.

Here are Snead’s six best draft picks since he joined the Rams in 2012.

1. DT Aaron Donald, 13th overall (2014)

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

For a franchise known for great defensive linemen like Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones, Aaron Donald is in a class of his own. Arguably the greatest Ram in history, he not only put fear in opposing offenses but also a ring on his teammates’ fingers through clutch performances against the 49ers and Bengals during the team’s Super Bowl run.

The future Hall of Famer has a long list of accolades, including three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards – tied with J.J. Watt and Lawrence Taylor for the most all-time.

2. WR Cooper Kupp, 69th overall (2017)

Joe Rondone-Arizona Republic

Hailing from Eastern Washington, Kupp wasted no time introducing himself to the league. Marked as the best pass catcher in the 2017 NFL draft by former Pro Bowl WR Steve Smith, Kupp has hauled in 567 catches in his career for over 7000 yards.

Kupp won the 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year award behind his league-leading 145 catches, 1947 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. Kupp would proceed to break the NFL record for catches during a playoff run that year en route to a Super Bowl victory – a victory ensured by Kupp’s game-winning touchdown catch. Kupp would also be named Super Bowl MVP.

3. RB Todd Gurley, 10th overall (2015)

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There was a time in which there was a genuine discussion of whether Todd Gurley would break Emmitt Smith’s rushing record. Todd Gurley rushed for over 5,400 yards in five years with the Rams. Despite an injury-riddled career, Gurley constantly defined what it meant to be a true team player.

Taking a knee before scoring a touchdown on multiple occasions to ensure a Rams victory, Gurley’s play was as selfless as it was electric. The man was a certified baller whose stardom was extinguished before it even hit its peak.

4. WR Puka Nacua, 177th overall (2023)

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The star coming out of BYU currently owns the NFL records for most catches and receiving yards by a rookie in NFL history. One of the primary reasons the Rams made a surprising run to the playoffs, the Rams haven’t seen such production from a rookie since Torrey Holt – production made even more impressive by the fact that Cooper Kupp was injured to start the year.

If Nacua continues on his historic run, we are talking about perhaps one of the most prolific careers in NFL history. Yet another potential gold jacket selection by Snead.

5. RT Rob Havenstein, 57th overall (2015)

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The true anchor of the Rams’ offensive line, Rob Havenstein has been neutralizing the NFL’s best pass rushers for nine years. Entering Year 10, the always-consistent Havenstein continues to contribute even though he rarely gets the shine he deserves.

He’s started in every one of the 130 games he’s played for the franchise, winning two NFC championships and a Super Bowl in the process. The last St. Louis Ram on the roster, Havenstein has been a pillar of the Rams and Snead’s success.

6. QB Jared Goff, 1st overall (2016)

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Snead’s most courageous draft pick comes out of the University of California. To acquire the No. 1 pick, Snead traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks and Day 3 compensation for Goff and in Goff’s first full season as a starter, the gamble paid off.

During his time in Los Angeles, Goff won two NFC West titles, an NFC championship and made the playoffs in three of the four years he was primary starter. Goff never had a losing season while averaging over 4,000 passing yards per season. Even during his exit, he was traded for Matthew Stafford and while Stafford won a ring with the Rams, Goff has broken another playoff win drought in Detroit.

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