How the Myles Garrett trade illustrates the difference between 49ers and Rams
The San Francisco 49ers’ rivalry with the Los Angeles Rams can be defined by their similarities. But Monday’s seismic NFL news signals their differences.
Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay come from the same coaching tree, with McVay working under Shanahan in Washington and both getting their head coaching jobs in 2017. They run similar versions of the “West Coast Offense” popularized by Shanahan’s father, Mike. They’ve enjoyed similar success, with their teams often considered the class of the NFC while both coaches are regarded as the best offensive minds in football. McVay’s Rams are 10-6 in the playoffs compared to 9-5 for Shanahan.
But the stark contrast between the two NFC West foes was underscored Monday with the Rams’ blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns to acquire future Hall of Fame pass rusher Myles Garrett.
The Rams famously are more willing to build out the core of their team by making blockbuster trades involving high value draft selections. The 49ers have made it clear they prefer to build through the draft and supplement the roster with trades and free-agent acquisitions.
And one team is clearly ahead of the other.
The Rams have an obvious leg up, both in talent on their current rosters and in history. They have a Super Bowl championship from the 2021 season, a run included beating the 49ers in the conference title. A sixth Lombardi Trophy has been famously elusive for San Francisco, which hasn’t won a title in 31 years.
Rams GM Les Snead gave up a haul for Garrett, to be sure. He sent a 2027 first-round pick, 2028 second-round pick, 2029 third-round pick and two-time Pro-Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse to the Browns. It’s made the Rams the clear betting favorite to win the Super Bowl next season, while the 49ers are clumped in the No. 10-11 range with teams like the Packers, Chargers, Texans and Lions.
Fans on the internet have voiced their displeasure in the 49ers not offering a similar trade to get Garrett in red and gold. And while they could have sent over a similar package of draft picks, they didn’t have a ready-made player like Verse to entice Cleveland.
Verse gives the Browns a Pro Bowl-level pass rusher they can replace Garrett with, while selling their fan base on the three valuable draft assets they also got back. Browns GM Andrew Berry is in rebuilding mode after going 5-12 last season and still in search of a long-term solution at quarterback. More picks offer more chances at fortifying their roster, or more trade ammunition to move up for a quarterback in a strong draft class next spring.
49ers’ shaky draft success
This week’s trade creates a good summation of the differences between the 49ers and Rams. Verse was the only first-round pick the Rams made between 2017 and 2025, and he quickly became a force, combining for 12 sacks over his two seasons, being named Defensive Rookie of the Year for 2024 and being named to the Pro Bowl twice.
San Francisco’s only player comparable player to Verse they might have been willing to send in a trade is 2025 first-round draftee Mykel Williams, who is recovering from a midseason ACL tear after logging one sack in nine games.
The 49ers, meanwhile, haven’t drafted a player named to the Pro Bowl since quarterback Brock Purdy with the final pick in 2022, or an All-Pro since safety Talanoa Hufanga in 2021, who departed for the Denver Broncos in free agency 2025.
The 49ers have drafted eight players in the first round since 2017. Nick Bosa (No. 2 pick in 2019) is the only one still with the team with any accolades. Williams (2025) and Ricky Pearsall (2024) have shown flashes, but have had the early stages of their careers derailed by injures.
By punting on draft picks, the Rams are taking the possibility of whiffing on them out of the equation. Meanwhile, the 49ers have struggled to supplement their roster with stars after drafting them early in Shanahan’s tenure like George Kittle, Fred Warner and Bosa.
What happens next for NFC West rivals?
In a world where roughly 30% of drafted players are considered “hits,” the Rams are removing that shaky probability from their math. They’d rather avoid the risk of whiffing on draft picks for established player. They have a history of it working. Garrett and cornerback Trent McDuffie are the examples from this offseason. Previously it was the trades for quarterback Matthew Stafford (2021), cornerback Jalen Ramsey (2019), defensive end Von Miller (2021) that were key in the Rams winning their Super Bowl and beating the 49ers along the way.
It’s also worth noting the time the most recent time the 49ers have traded multiple first-round picks. It was to move up in the 2021 draft for quarterback Trey Lance, essentially investing three first-round picks in their Jimmy Garoppolo replacement. It was a monumental miss and the worst decision of the tenures of Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, while Purdy’s ascension has masked it in a monumental way.
The 49ers benefitted from drafting stars while the Rams have traded for theirs. The problem for San Francisco is they haven’t drafted stars in a while, while Los Angeles keeps acquiring them in trades, giving them a significant advantage in the NFC West heading into 2026.
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 2:53 PM.
