The Los Angeles Rams have a new label that no rival wanted to hand them: the team to beat. In the latest Bleacher Report power rankings, Los Angeles climbed to No. 1 after acquiring Myles Garrett from Cleveland on June 1.

The price was steep. The Rams shipped out edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, and conditional selections to land the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Garrett is fresh off setting the NFL single-season sack record with 23 sacks in 2025. He earned his seventh Pro Bowl, fifth All-Pro nod, and the Defensive Player of the Year award for that 2025 campaign.

He now joins Byron Young, who posted 12 sacks last season, and Kobie Turner, who added seven in 2025. That trio gives Los Angeles arguably the most fearsome defensive front in football.

The move pairs the reigning MVP, Matt Stafford, with the reigning DPoY on the same roster, a first in league history. It also followed earlier trades for cornerback Trent McDuffie and a deal that addressed a secondary that was the team’s clear weakness.

DraftKings reacted immediately, shortening the Rams to +600 Super Bowl odds. That placed them ahead of the +1000 Bills and Ravens and the +1100 reigning champion Seahawks.

The rankings consensus backs the hype across outlets. Both Bleacher Report and Yahoo Sports placed Los Angeles at the very top of their post-trade boards this week.

Yahoo’s board, built using PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor, framed the offseason as the rich getting richer. The Rams entered free agency with a secondary problem and exited it as the clear favorite to win Super Bowl LXI.

Other recent boards agree. FanSided’s OTA-era rankings this week also slotted the Rams at No. 1, ahead of the Seahawks and Broncos.

The secondary additions matter as much as the Garrett headline. Cornerback Trent McDuffie and safety Kamren Curl, who signed an extension, stabilize a unit that ranked among the team’s weakest in 2025.

On offense, Stafford returns as the reigning MVP behind a line that must stay healthy. Sean McVay’s scheme has consistently maximized that group, but the margin narrows as the core ages.

The NFC West only sharpens the stakes. The division houses the champion Seahawks and a retooled 49ers team, so the Rams cannot coast on their new favorite status.

There is also a financial cost beyond the draft picks. Garrett’s record extension, signed in March, ties up significant cap space and limits how aggressively the Rams can patch holes during the season.

Still, the upside is obvious. A defensive front anchored by Garrett, Young, and Turner should generate pressure without heavy blitzing, which protects the secondary and shortens games.

That formula is how contenders win in January. The Rams have bet that a true win-now roster beats hoarding future picks, and the rankings suggest the gamble already paid off on paper.

The risk is age and durability. Stafford is 38, and a roster built around veteran stars leaves little margin if injuries strike the offensive line or the receiving corps.

There is also chemistry to build. Garrett must integrate into Chris Shula’s defense quickly, and losing Verse removes a 7.5-sack contributor from the 2025 rotation.

The concrete path to improvement is depth behind the headliners. Los Angeles should spend its remaining cap space on an experienced swing tackle and a proven third receiver, insulating Stafford so one untimely injury does not slam the win-now window shut.

Outlet	Rams Ranking
Bleacher Report	1
Yahoo Sports	1