One way or another, the Los Angeles Rams are going to reshape their secondary. Whether that’s by trading for a cornerback, drafting one (or two) in April or signing a proven veteran in free agency, the Rams’ defensive backfield will look different in 2026.
Les Snead has said as much, telling reporters this offseason that the Rams plan to “attack” the position. And as recently as Tuesday, he spoke with the media and said the team is open to trading a first-round pick for an established player – though not specifically a cornerback.
There’s one player who stands above the rest as a logical trade fit for Los Angeles: Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie.
It hasn’t been publicly stated that he’s on the trade block, but the Chiefs could use some draft capital and McDuffie is entering the final year of his rookie contract. The Chiefs haven’t seemed willing to give him the extension he’s looking for, which is why his name has popped up in trade rumors.
Reading the tealeaves, the Rams trading for McDuffie would almost make too much sense.
McDuffie would like to play for the Rams
In a video from August 2025, McDuffie said at a school event that if he could play for another team, he would pick the Rams. He’s from Westminster, Calif., and went to St. John Bosco High School, which is only about 15 miles from SoFi Stadium.
“If I could play for another team, I’d probably want to play close to my family. That’d probably be the LA Rams, so my family could come see every single game,” he said.
It makes sense that McDuffie would like to head back home to play in front of his family, and a trade to the Rams would make that possible. Not that he’s going to push to be traded, but it helps that he’d be happy to return home.
Rams have McDuffie’s former college coach on staff
This offseason, the Rams promoted Jimmy Lake from senior defensive assistant to pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach, replacing Aubrey Pleasant in that role. It’s Lake’s second stint with the Rams since 2023, and prior to landing in Los Angeles, he was a coach at the University of Washington from 2014-2015.
McDuffie went to Washington and played there from 2019-2021. In 2019, Lake was McDuffie’s defensive coordinator, and in the corner’s final two seasons, Lake was the head coach of the Huskies.
Might Lake be in Sean McVay and Snead’s ears, encouraging them to trade for McDuffie? It’s possible, especially considering he was on Washington’s staff that recruited McDuffie to the Huskies.
That familiarity between McDuffie and Lake isn’t a primary reason for the Rams to make a trade, but again, it helps.
Snead mentioned possibility of adding an All-Pro corner
During his media session on Tuesday, Snead asked whether there might be an All-Pro the Rams could add to their secondary.
“Is there an All-Pro corner that you could add? That could be nice. But if there’s not an All-Pro, is there a player out there that adds an edge based on what we’re trying to accomplish?”
McDuffie was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 as a slot corner, and then a second-team All-Pro again the following year. Snead wasn’t specifically referring to McDuffie with his comments, but how many other All-Pro corners are out there for the taking?
Trade cost won’t be extraordinarily high
Cornerback is a premium position but it’s not as if McDuffie will fetch a Micah Parsons-type haul. There’s no chance the Rams would have to give up both of their first-round picks, and it’s unlikely they’d even have to part ways with No. 13 overall.
Sauce Gardner went for two future first-rounders in his deal from the Jets to Colts last year, but he’s a tier above McDuffie. Plus, he was already signed to a long-term contract, so the Colts knew they would have him signed through 2030.
With McDuffie, he’s in the final year of his rookie contract, which lowers his value. Any team trading for him could potentially only have him for one year if they can’t get a long-term deal done. That should drive down the cost.
Ultimately, it might only take the 29th overall pick and a mid-rounder to get a deal done. That’s doable for the Rams.
There hasn’t been any reported interest on the Rams’ part but Snead said trade talks around the league are happening now. And he also said the Rams would love to fill their needs before the draft, freeing them up to take the best players available rather than reaching for a specific position.
We’ll see if the Rams make a move for McDuffie but the breadcrumbs are there to follow.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams and All-Pro CB Trent McDuffie look like a perfect trade match
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
