The Super Bowl champion Rams, meanwhile, knew what they were getting into Thursday. They traded away their first-round pick to the Lions to land Matthew Stafford, so general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay were perfectly content to watch the action.
MORE: NFL Draft picks 2022: Complete list of selections from Round 1
When the Patriots drafted Chattanooga offensive lineman Cole Strange with that No. 29 pick, the Rams’ brass didn’t exactly mask its feelings.
The most telling reaction is from McVay: “How ‘bout that? And we wasted our time watching him thinking he’d be available at (No.) 104 maybe.”
There’s something magical about the awkward silence that follows a laugh that lingers just a beat too long. McVay clearly knows that’s not something you say in the modern NFL, as it can be perceived as a slight of Strange and the Patriots for picking him there. But not having a first-round pick and winning a championship loosened up Snead and McVay long enough to give us that reaction.
It’s good to have these candid moments, and this is on brand for the current Rams. Los Angeles seems to have a certain contempt for the draft that’s easy to respect. On the other hand, giving Bill Belichick bulletin board material has catastrophic potential. At least they don’t share a conference (and the teams won’t meet in the regular season).
