Rams take Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson in second round after trading out of first
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams selected Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson with the 46th overall pick in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday night.
Ferguson had 134 catches for 1,537 yards and 16 touchdowns in four seasons with the Ducks, earning first-team All-Pac-12 recognition in 2023. He was also a willing blocker to help Oregon run for 2,211 yards in its first season in the Big Ten last year, winning the conference and earning the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff before losing to eventual national champion Ohio State in a quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.
“I think I bring a lot of things, versatility being the biggest,” Ferguson said in a video call from his family home in Denver. “Being able to stretch the field, create mismatches with linebackers or safeties, but also being able to put my nose on somebody.”
Ferguson represents a potential long-term answer at the position for the Rams. Tyler Higbee, a nine-year veteran, is going into the final season of a two-year contract extension he signed in 2023. Colby Parkinson signed a three-year contract in free agency in March 2024 with Higbee coming off a serious knee injury in the previous postseason, but Parkinson didn’t have much of an impact in his first season with Los Angeles as he finished with 30 receptions for 294 yards and one touchdown.
The Rams traded the No. 26 overall pick and a third-round selection to the Atlanta Falcons for second-round and seventh-round selections in this year’s draft and a 2026 first-round pick on Thursday, with Atlanta taking Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr. It marked the eighth time in the past nine years the Rams did not make a pick in the first round.
But the Rams have had seven winning seasons in the past eight years under coach Sean McVay, including a Super Bowl victory following the 2021 campaign. Consecutive 10-win seasons each of the past two years have been fueled by success on the second day of the draft, rebuilding their defensive line with edge rusher Byron Young and tackle Kobie Turner in 2023 and tackle in Braden Fiske in 2024. They also took offensive lineman Steve Avila in the second round two years ago as part of the overhaul on both lines of scrimmage.
Ferguson said he has some familiarity with McVay’s offense, having watched film of the Rams’ scheme during his time at Oregon under offensive coordinator Will Stein.
Joining the Rams should also earn Ferguson some extra status with his younger brother, Phillip.
“My little brother is a die-hard Lions fan, so he loves (Rams quarterback) Matt Stafford and has loved him his whole life,” Terrance Ferguson said. “So just being able to play with a guy like that who has a lot of experience, won a Super Bowl, and super obviously detailed and has super talent, I just can’t wait to be able to catch passes from him.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
By DAN GREENSPAN
Associated Press
