Which Rams preseason prediction did you get the most wrong?

Plenty of predictions have been made about LA in 2023, and not all of them have been remotely correct

The Los Angeles Rams sit at a surprising 2-2 heading into their Week 5 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. LA’s .500 start to the 2023 campaign has been a surprise to several analysts covering the sport.

The Rams’ record through four games was especially shocking to one NFL writer. According to Seth Walder of ESPN, he made a bold preseason prediction where Los Angeles traded away Aaron Donald before the trade deadline. Walder reviewed his predictions for all 32 teams and decided to pivot from what he had for LA.

“OK, let me hedge a little to this: The Rams will trade Donald before the deadline if they go 3-5 through their first eight games. I entered the season confident they wouldn’t be .500 by the deadline, but now that is very much in play. They are 2-2 and 12th in the FPI. Pretty good! But if they aren’t serious contenders, it just makes too much sense to trade the 32-year-old Donald to recoup something for him while they still can.”

No matter what record the Rams finish with this season, I don’t see them trading away AD, not even for the strongest offer possible. The reason being that he’s far too valuable to a young defense figuring out life in the pros. Walder’s article made me think of my own preseason predictions for the Rams. I’ve made quite a few and not all of them have been remotely correct.

For starters, I picked Van Jefferson as a handcuff player recommendation alongside Cooper Kupp in fantasy. ZOINKS SCOOB! I also said not to overdraft Puka Nacua. Yikes, no Scooby snack for me later. In my defense, I said that in case the rookie disappointed like Tutu Atwell in the 2021-22 offseasons. Seriously, how was I supposed to know Nacua would be on such a historic tear to start his career?

Perhaps the Rams prediction I feel the best about is this team staying competitive through Thanksgiving. I said LA needs to win at least two of their opening five games to have a chance for a playoff push and they’re sitting at 2-2 through four games. So now I want to know, what were some of your bold preseason predictions that you got wrong or are trending down that path? Would you pivot away from your predictions or make new ones entirely?

It doesn’t just have to be about the Rams as any NFL predictions are welcome too. Remember, this is a safe space so I won’t judge. How could I possibly be in a position to judge when I pegged the Giants as a playoff team and had Da Bears finishing second in the NFC North? Well, I said Russell Wilson would rebound in a big way and so far he’s proven me right. See, even a smart@$$ football writer is right every once in a while.

Don’t be shy, drop your wrong preseason predictions in the comments!