Analysis of every draft pick by Snead/McVay

[FrantikRam]

Let's break this down into tiers:

A (starter)
B (contributor)
C (was on the roster for at least two years)
D (not on the roster for two years)
F (bust/never played)

Gerald Everett - B
Cooper Kupp - A
John Johnson - A
Josh Reynolds - B
Samson Ebukam - B
Tanziel Smart - C
Sam Rogers - F
Ejuan Price - F

Joseph Noteboom - B
Brian Allen - C
John Franklin-Meyers - D
Micah Kiser - B
Obo - C
John Kelly - F
Jamil Demby - F
SJD - A
Trevon Young - F
Travin Howard - C
Justin Lawler - F

Taylor Rapp - B
Darrell Henderson - B
David Long - C
Bobby Evans - B
Greg Gaines - B
David Edwards - A
Nick Scott - C

(projection for 2020 class based on one year)

Cam Akers - A
Van Jefferson - B
Terrell Lewis - B
Terrell Burgess - B
Brycen Hopkins - C
Jordan Fuller - A
Clay Johnston - C (not Rams fault he was signed off the practice squad)
Sam Sloman - F
Tremayne Anchrum - C



Now, these are obviously my opinions - but I wanted to lay out every draft pick because somehow people have missed how well the Rams have drafted with no first round pick. Jefferson/Lewis/Burgess are all on track to be starters, so those could move up to As, and Hopkins could easily end up as a 'B'.

But the 2019 draft class is will quietly fuel this team. Not only is that no misses, but all 7 were active on most gamedays last year. I'd love to have the time to go through and check how many teams have a draft class of at least 7 players all active on gamedays.

The 2020 class looks to be just as good. The Rams were the youngest team in the NFC last year, yet people keep saying we went "all in" - when we can draft like this, who cares about first round picks? Even in the dreaded 2018 draft, we landed SJD and Kiser, two defensive starters from this past season. Obviously the 2017 draft was one of the best in the league too.

So all this "all in" talk needs to stop. We'll continue to have roughly the same picks that we've excelled with for the next two years.

 

[I like Rams]

Not every pick can be a starter, nor is it intended to be, so I think your grading scale is flawed.

 

[OldSchool]

Very generous with a lot of those B grades even some of the C's.

 

[PhillyRam]

Hard to give F's for 7th rounders. I get it your just saying they never contributed, but as far as grading the pick, that's a crap shoot.

Just like a 7th rounder that becomes a core ST guy is an A based on where he is drafted and Everett would be a C in my book because he just never became consistent.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Let's break this down into tiers:

A (starter)
B (contributor)
C (was on the roster for at least two years)
D (not on the roster for two years)
F (bust/never played)

Gerald Everett - B
Cooper Kupp - A
John Johnson - A
Josh Reynolds - B
Samson Ebukam - B
Tanziel Smart - C
Sam Rogers - F
Ejuan Price - F

Joseph Noteboom - B
Brian Allen - C
John Franklin-Meyers - D
Micah Kiser - B
Obo - C
John Kelly - F
Jamil Demby - F
SJD - A
Trevon Young - F
Travin Howard - C
Justin Lawler - F

Taylor Rapp - B
Darrell Henderson - B
David Long - C
Bobby Evans - B
Greg Gaines - B
David Edwards - A
Nick Scott - C

(projection for 2020 class based on one year)

Cam Akers - A
Van Jefferson - B
Terrell Lewis - B
Terrell Burgess - B
Brycen Hopkins - C
Jordan Fuller - A
Clay Johnston - C (not Rams fault he was signed off the practice squad)
Sam Sloman - F
Tremayne Anchrum - C



Now, these are obviously my opinions - but I wanted to lay out every draft pick because somehow people have missed how well the Rams have drafted with no first round pick. Jefferson/Lewis/Burgess are all on track to be starters, so those could move up to As, and Hopkins could easily end up as a 'B'.

But the 2019 draft class is will quietly fuel this team. Not only is that no misses, but all 7 were active on most gamedays last year. I'd love to have the time to go through and check how many teams have a draft class of at least 7 players all active on gamedays.

The 2020 class looks to be just as good. The Rams were the youngest team in the NFC last year, yet people keep saying we went "all in" - when we can draft like this, who cares about first round picks? Even in the dreaded 2018 draft, we landed SJD and Kiser, two defensive starters from this past season. Obviously the 2017 draft was one of the best in the league too.

So all this "all in" talk needs to stop. We'll continue to have roughly the same picks that we've excelled with for the next two years.

I agree with most all of your grades. JFM is still playing as a rotational DT for another team.


Overall this team drafts well. I think fans miss the infusion of a new first round star. That is exciting every year. They just fail to realize that those players usually just end up being good players much like what the Rams get from other rounds. AD is an outlier. He is a generational talent. Every first round won’t get you an AD.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Very generous with a lot of those B grades even some of the C's.

I didn’t see it that way. I figured he was grading them in consideration to the round they were picked. If you can get a rotational DT that sticks with the team and continues to improve, in round 6. That should get a higher grade considering most 6th round picks don’t make their team.

Fuller is not an A player in my opinion but getting a good starter that late in the draft is an A pick. Put it in perspective.

I’d say it’s early to grade 2019 though.

 

[12intheBox]

I get the point of the thread, but not all starters are made equal. Numerical grades 1-100 may be more enlightening.

 

[OldSchool]

I didn’t see it that way. I figured he was grading them in consideration to the round they were picked. If you can get a rotational DT that sticks with the team and continues to improve, in round 6. That should get a higher grade considering most 6th round picks don’t make their team.

Fuller is not an A player in my opinion but getting a good starter that late in the draft is an A pick. Put it in perspective.

I’d say it’s early to grade 2019 though.

Again your assessment imo is generous. I dont know many around here would read back on member comments about Brian Allen is a C grade. A D based on comment history would be generous.

 

[Liberator]

Again your assessment imo is generous. I dont know many around here would read back on member comments about Brian Allen is a C grade. A D based on comment history would be generous.

Well, he has, by definition, been on the roster for two years so a C is correct by OP's definition. But as has been said not all C's are created equal. Personally I prefer to judge drafts based on the top end guys as opposed to depth guys that I think you can find almost anywhere, though.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Again your assessment imo is generous. I dont know many around here would read back on member comments about Brian Allen is a C grade. A D based on comment history would be generous.

I agree on that one. I would give it an F.

 

[gabriel18]

I really liked what I saw in Burgess this year before the injury. I think he could be a play maker

 

[OldSchool]

Well, he has, by definition, been on the roster for two years so a C is correct by OP's definition. But as has been said not all C's are created equal. Personally I prefer to judge drafts based on the top end guys as opposed to depth guys that I think you can find almost anywhere, though.

So it’s a grading scale that’s generous to the GM doing the draft, nothing changes with my assessment. In no world is Brian Allen a c which is a passing grade but not good. He’s been terrible when on the field and was he ever game day active this year?

As for top end vs depth they all matter since injuries are so common. Plus we’re told Snead is a master at day 3 finds and value.

 

[ProGen]

Now grade the trades and the contracts handed out

 

[TexasRam]

Good initial post and thanks for laying it out for analysis.

But one glaring problem I see is there are Zero pro bowlers drafted in 4 years.

In fact outside of a player that we traded for, gave up picks for and paid heavily for (Ramsey), the only draft pick Snead has currently as a pro bowler is Donald.

That almost sounds like luck.

That is a little concerning.

 

[FrantikRam]

Very generous with a lot of those B grades even some of the C's.

Solid point with Allen.

My logic was that he's solid depth - meaning he's started some games.

The purpose of doing this is to show that the Rams are actually chalk full of average starters and depth guys - Allen, for example, is someone the board beats up on - but he has started games before. It's completely unrealistic and impossible to have starting caliber players as depth at every position.

But overall I agree that Allen has played poorly enough I could have graded him lower.

My overall point in doing this was to grade based on their status with the team - the results have been good - 4 winning seasons in 4 years, and then factoring in their play.

For instance, David Edwards and SJD - both are at least average, trending toward above average starters on a team with a winning record. For me, that makes those picks an A.

 

[CGI_Ram]

In fact outside of a player that we traded for, gave up picks for and paid heavily for (Ramsey), the only draft pick Snead has currently as a pro bowler is Donald.

I don't know if this is all inclusive, and your point is about current players, but Snead joined the Rams in 2012.

Among current; Donald, Hekker, McQuaide

Pro Bowls
Hekker 12, 15, 16, 17
Gurley 15, 17, 18
McQuaide 16, 17
Goff 17, 18
Pharaoh Cooper 17
Littleton 18
Donald every year

 

[FrantikRam]

Good initial post and thanks for laying it out for analysis.

But one glaring problem I see is there are Zero pro bowlers drafted in 4 years.

In fact outside of a player that we traded for, gave up picks for and paid heavily for (Ramsey), the only draft pick Snead has currently as a pro bowler is Donald.

That almost sounds like luck.

That is a little concerning.

Pro Bowl has always been something of a joke. For example last year:

Devante Adams - 83/997/5, 66% catch rate
Cooper Kupp - 94/1161/10, 70% catch rate

Guess who made the pro bowl?

Similarly, this year Quandre Diggs made the pro bowl over John Johnson, even though Johnson was possibly the best safety in the NFC and playing on the best defense.

 

[FrantikRam]

Now grade the trades and the contracts handed out

It'd be mostly As for every trade and every free agent move, Donald's contract.

B for Higbee's contract.

Fs for Goff, Gurley and Cooks

 

[OldSchool]

Solid point with Allen.

My logic was that he's solid depth - meaning he's started some games.

The purpose of doing this is to show that the Rams are actually chalk full of average starters and depth guys - Allen, for example, is someone the board beats up on - but he has started games before. It's completely unrealistic and impossible to have starting caliber players as depth at every position.

But overall I agree that Allen has played poorly enough I could have graded him lower.

My overall point in doing this was to grade based on their status with the team - the results have been good - 4 winning seasons in 4 years, and then factoring in their play.

For instance, David Edwards and SJD - both are at least average, trending toward above average starters on a team with a winning record. For me, that makes those picks an A.

Demby has started games as well and been inactive and his reviews on game tape are not too different from Allen yet he gets an F. I get what you're trying to do I just think the grading system needs to be tweaked.

Everett has largely been to most a disappointment but is a B similar to Reynolds who has seen even fewer snaps and less production.

I'm not trying to be critical of you but when I think of a B graded draft pick I think of something a little more than what we've seen from those two guys. I appreciate the effort just would grade a little diffrent.

 

[OldSchool]

I don't know if this is all inclusive, and your point is about current players, but Snead joined the Rams in 2012.

Among current; Donald, Hekker, McQuaide

Pro Bowls
Hekker 12, 15, 16, 17
Gurley 15, 17, 18
McQuaide 16, 17
Goff 17, 18
Pharaoh Cooper 17
Littleton 18
Donald every year

Technically McQuaide was an UDFA from Devaney in 2011.