A 5-12 NFL team that has not made a first-round pick in the NFL draft since 2016 went all in on a draft hype video.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Rams published the video, which includes cameos from celebrities like actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul of ‘Breaking Bad,’ comedian and actor Cheech Marin and DJ and music producer Diplo.
The video also features several Rams coaches and executives, including general manager Les Snead, coach Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
The video appears to include intentional overacting, with Snead delivering the line: ‘We need a new formula; it’s time to get back to the lab’ and Morris saying later: ‘We know what to do, and we know how to do it.’
Part of the irony with the video is that the Rams have been a team that has in recent seasons dismissed the value of draft capital by trading away picks in order to build a Super Bowl contender. The strategy worked, with Los Angeles winning Super Bowl 56 in February 2022.
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Spliced within the video is footage from the moments when notable Rams players like defensive tackle Aaron Donald, receiver Cooper Kupp and safety Jordan Fuller were drafted.
At one point, the video also takes a dig at some of Los Angeles’ rivals in the NFC West, as a barbecue is opened to reveal a pair of chickens being grilled, with the logos of the Cardinals and Seahawks — teams with fowl-themed mascots — serving as the heads of the browned chickens.
The video also includes cameos of the logos and products of a number of the team’s corporate sponsors.
No strangers to extravagance surrounding the NFL draft, the Rams conducted their operations for the 2022 NFL draft in a luxurious mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
The first round of the NFL draft is set for Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. ET.
What are the picks the Los Angeles Rams hold going into the 2023 NFL draft?
Because of a series of trades, this will mark yet another season that the Rams are not scheduled to pick in the first round. In fact, barring any trades into the first round, this will mark the seventh consecutive year that Los Angeles does not pick in the first round. The last time the Rams did make a first-round selection was 2016, when they held the first overall pick and took quarterback Jared Goff.
Round 2: No. 36 overall
Round 3: No. 69 overall
Round 3: No. 77 overall
Round 5: No. 167 overall (compensatory)
Round 5: No. 171 overall (compensatory)
Round 5: No. 177 overall (compensatory)
Round 6: No. 182 overall
Round 6: No. 189 overall
Round 6: No. 191 overall
Round 7: No. 223 overall
Round 7: No. 234 overall
