The Los Angeles Rams’ trade for Myles Garrett has stolen the headlines, but their deal to acquire Trent McDuffie addressed a more pressing issue and gave them one of the premier players at his position.
McDuffie is a two-time Super Bowl champion and earned First Team All-Pro honors in 2023.
He joins a Rams defense whose biggest weakness, by consensus, was its pass coverage during the 2025 regular season.
Trent McDuffie Fuels Telling Take From Rams’ Rivals
GettyTrent McDuffie was a significant addition for the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams surrendered a bounty of draft picks for McDuffie in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason, before doubling up on blockbusters with their move to add Garrett.
McDuffie ranked fifth in a poll of unnamed NFL personnel, including executives, coaches, and scouts, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on July 7. He was unranked at his lowest, but third at his peak in this year’s voting. However, he still finished one slot behind his 2025 placement.
Fowler noted that some still view McDuffie as “more of a slot corner,” which may have hurt him.
However, Fowler also noted that it was due to his size at 5-foot-11, while McDuffie logged 500 snaps on the perimeter. Even still, many feel he is best utilized inside.
“One of the top coverage corners in the league,” an unnamed NFC scout said, per Fowler. “He can cover in the perimeter or the slot, can play man or zone, can pressure the quarterback, can play Cover 2 well and can jam and re-route. [He] has plus zone vision.”
According to Fowler, “Over the past four years, his 6.2 yards per target ranks 10th-fewest among corners, while an unnamed NFL coordinator called McDuffie an “outstanding open-field tackler, and he’s always in position to make a play,” adding, “You’re going to have to beat him because he won’t beat himself.”
Trent McDuffie Among Top 25 Under 25
GettyTrent McDuffie is just entering his prime while joining the Los Angeles Rams.
McDuffie’s presence should bolster a Rams’ pass defense that ranked 19th, dragging down the LA’s 12th-ranked run defense for a 17th-place finish overall.
CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan ranked McDuffie 20th among the NFL’s top 25 players under 25.
“Trent McDuffie barely qualified for this list, as he turns 26 on Sept. 13. That said, he’s now the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history after the Rams signed him to a four-year, $124 million extension following his trade from the Chiefs in March,” Sullivan wrote on July 7.
“McDuffie is a heat-seeking missile, as his 31 quarterback pressures and eight forced fumbles are both the most by a corner since he entered the NFL in 2022. He’s also one of just four defensive backs with at least 25 pass breakups, 15 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for loss over that span.”
The Rams are committed to McDuffie, with the standout cornerback under contract through the 2030 season.
The downside is that deals like McDuffie and Garrett’s will force the Rams to be cap-conscious.
They remain in good shape, but the bill is coming due for how well they have drafted at other positions, particularly at wide receiver with Puka Nacua and along the defensive line, where multiple players are at least eligible for a new deal.
Rivals Get Honest About Trent McDuffie Before Rams Training Camp