One of the major storylines surrounding the Los Angeles Rams in the first month of the season revolved around the wide receiver position. The club saw the emergence of a rookie wideout in Puka Nacua and just welcomed back superstar Cooper Kupp from IR on Sunday. Again, the focus is on the receiver spot in LA, but it involves a former high draft pick being shipped out of town.
The club has agreed to trade Van Jefferson to the Atlanta Falcons, the teams announced Tuesday. The trade includes a 2025 pick swap, with the Rams receiving Atlanta’s sixth-round draft pick that year, while the Falcons receive Jefferson and a seventh-round draft pick. LA has been in contact with Jefferson’s agent about purchasing the receiver, and the player has been open to finding a new home in the league, which he now has with the Falcons.
The 27-year-old was drafted by the Rams out of Florida in 2020 and recently fell out of the rotation in the passing game. In the Week 5 loss to the Eagles, Jefferson played just two offensive snaps, coinciding with the return of Kupp and the emergence of Nacua and 2021 second-round pick Tutu Atwell. This trio was well above Jefferson on the depth chart, so it makes sense that the Rams decided to move on and get an asset for the receiver, who is in the final year of his rookie contract.
Van Jefferson
LAR • WR • #12
TAR15
REC8
REC YDs108
REC TD0
FL0
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Jefferson’s best season in the league was in 2021, when he helped the club to a Super Bowl LVI title. During that regular season, he started in all 17 of his games and caught 50 balls for 802 yards and six touchdowns. He added nine more catches for 102 yards in the playoffs, including four receptions in the Super Bowl victory over Cincinnati.
Since then, his overall numbers have fallen and he has only eight catches for 108 yards in five games this season.
Jefferson now joins a Falcons team where Drake London, Mack Hollins and Scotty Miller headline the receiver room. Tight ends Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith, along with rookie running back Bijan Robinson, also provided an important outlet for second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder in the passing game.
Commercial qualities
Falcons: A
This is a low-risk, high-reward trade for the Falcons. By going down one round in the 2025 NFL Draft, Atlanta gains a player who was a former second-round pick, has speed on the field and has previous NFL success with an 800-yard season. If Arthur Smith and the coaching staff can restore Jefferson’s potential, we could end up with a huge rebound. After all, he’s only 27. And if Jefferson doesn’t prove to be a player that fits the system, he’ll be a free agent at the end of the year and that will only cost you a few spots in the draft. A very worthwhile gamble for the Falcons.
Rams: C
LA would never see a significant return for Jefferson. He’s essentially a rental player since he’s in the final year of his rookie contract, but one would think they could potentially get a higher Day 3 pick without getting Jefferson a future seventh spot as part of the trade to assign. The receiver has special speed and was successful in Sean McVay’s offense for a while. A second guess would be if they should have waited a little closer to the deadline to see if there would be a more significant return. However, they end up getting more draft capital in exchange for a player they likely would have let as a free agent this offseason, which isn’t nothing.