Video: Sean McVay wanted Rams to move ahead of Seahawks to draft Byron Murphy II

Remember last year when the Seattle Seahawks drafted Devon Witherspoon before the Detroit Lions could? Well the sequel to that draft day decision is within the NFC West.

The Seahawks were able to land star Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II with the No. 16 overall pick. An unprecedented run on offensive players meant that Murphy was available by the time the Seahawks were on the clock, and they were able to get the consensus best interior defensive lineman in the draft.

But in an alternative universe, the Seahawks could’ve had their division rivals swoop in and get their logical successor to Aaron Donald.

As part of NFL Films’ behind the scenes documentary, “NFL Draft: The Pick Is In”, viewers got a glimpse of the Rams’ efforts to try and trade up for multiple players. They looked at Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, who went to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 13 overall. Efforts to trade with the Raiders were unsuccessful, likewise higher up the board with the New York Jets. Rams coach Sean McVay made a call to the Minnesota Vikings before they took J.J. McCarthy at No. 10, but one with the knowledge that such a trade was unlikely.

Here’s a teaser:

The Indianapolis Colts are on the clock at No. 15, one pick ahead of the Seahawks. Coach McVay is exploring a trade with the expectation that Murphy would not fall below Seattle.

“We’ll be reasonable, but try and go up and get Murphy,” McVay said. “I would try to get this guy. He makes a huge difference to me. I just don’t think he’ll get past 16. I’m not saying reckless but he’s way better than anyone –“

“Don’t worry about that,” Rams GM Les Snead said. “That ain’t in the DNA.”

“What’s that?” McVay replied.

“I said recklessness isn’t in the DNA,” Snead answered.

“Aggressively smart is,” said McVay.

“I’ll do anything, I just need to know what’s fair.”

Here’s the trade offer the Rams made with the Colts to select Byron Murphy II:

Rams receive: No. 15, No. 191 (6th round)

Colts receive: No. 19, No. 99 (3rd round), No. 154 (5th round)

The Colts pick UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu, and now the Seahawks are on the clock.

“Do you want to call [John] Schneider?” McVay asked Snead.

The Rams weren’t reportedly one of the teams the Seahawks discussed trading back with, so presumably Snead knew he was at a dead-end.

When the Seahawks made the Murphy selection official, McVay can be seen walking back to his chair and sitting down. While I’m no body language expert, the disappointment looks noticeable. As he’s texting away on his phone, he says, “Alright, here we go. Now we sit tight and see how we want to navigate this.”

The Rams stayed at No. 19 and selected Florida State pass rusher Jared Verse, with McVay calling him a “dick” but in a good way.

Here’s to hoping the Seahawks have found their own Donald at the expense of the Rams.

If you want to watch the Rams portion of the documentary, go to 39:42 of the video player and enjoy. If you’re impatient and just want the Seahawks portion, get to about 48:55. This is free to watch on The Roku Channel.