Trent McDuffie trade grades: Experts love blockbuster deal for Rams
· Yahoo Sports
Seeing a gaping hole at cornerback, the Los Angeles Rams wasted no time filling it before free agency and the draft. They agreed to a trade that will send Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs to Los Angeles, sending Kansas City four draft picks in return – including the No. 29 overall selection in Round 1 this year.
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It’s not a risk-free move by Los Angeles, especially given the sizable contract McDuffie will be seeking from the Rams, but it’s a trade that could put the Rams over the top as Super Bowl contenders.
Experts and analysts around the internet praised the Rams for their aggressiveness, giving them unanimously positive grades for this trade. Here’s a roundup of expert grades for Los Angeles, including our own for Rams Wire.
Rams Wire: A-
This is a great move by the Rams. It fills an immediate need at cornerback, and they still get to keep the 13th overall pick in the draft. There's a big difference between No. 13 and 29, so it was wise of Los Angeles to hold onto that earlier selection from the Falcons.
McDuffie solves a big problem on defense, bringing aggressiveness, physicality and the type of toughness that Jalen Ramsey had as a tackler in Los Angeles. He excels in man coverage but can play zone, too, and his inside-outside versatility at corner gives the Rams even greater flexibility with Quentin Lake and their other DBs.
The only thing that brings this grade down slightly is the massive contract Los Angeles will need to give McDuffie to make the trade worth it. They can't let him walk after one year, even if that means getting a compensatory pick in return. The cost of this deal is too high to only get a season out of McDuffie in L.A.
USA TODAY: B
There's plenty to like about the configuration the Rams have to make this work, including the presence of Jimmy Lake, McDuffie's college coach at Washington, as the newly appointed defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. And perhaps this was merely an overdue investment for Snead, who had largely scoured the bargain bin at cornerback since parting with Jalen Ramsey in 2023.
The Athletic: B+
It’s a steep price to pay for McDuffie, who is largely viewed as an upper-echelon cornerback around the league. He has three career interceptions, 34 pass breakups and eight forced fumbles, though five came in 2023. The Rams have to believe the 25-year-old will increase those difference-making plays, assuming his next contract is worth around $25-30 million annually.
CBS Sports: A
The Rams aren't just getting a starting corner, they're getting one of the best young corners in the NFL. McDuffie is just 25 years old and in his four year career, he's already been voted an All-Pro twice (He was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and a second-team All-Pro in 2024). He can shut down one side of the field and if you combine that with the Rams' strong pass rush, this defense should cause nightmares for opposing quarterbacks in 2026.
Yahoo: B
The Rams are in a win-now mode due to their talented roster and also Matthew Stafford’s age. McDuffie fits that build very well while filling a massive need. It just was costly, which keeps the grade down just a bit.
SB Nation: A+
There is no way to look at this other than an absolute home run. Even in a down year, McDuffie was still a Top 10 cornerback — and his struggles were far more a product of inconsistency across the Chiefs’ defense than anything he did in isolation. This is about keeping the window for Super Bowl contention open, and while the Rams were already in the mix, this cements that even further.
Sporting News: A
The Rams are trying to maximize the final years of Matthew Stafford's career, and McDuffie helps them strengthen a defense that needed some playmakers. McDuffie is battle-tested, having won two Super Bowls in Kansas City, and gives Los Angeles a playmaker in the secondary who is still just 25 years-old.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Trent McDuffie trade grades: Experts praise Rams for trade