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Rams look for more late-round knockouts in NFL draft
Key starters on the Super Bowl-winning roster came from every round of past drafts. The Rams have eight picks this week, all in rounds 3-7.
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Rams look for more late-round knockouts in NFL draft
When a team goes into an NFL draft with no early picks, it’s encouraging to know Super Bowl-caliber players can be found in any round.The Rams know, because their Super Bowl-winning team last season featured starters from every round.
General Manager Les Snead might be more famous for trading first- and second-round draft picks for established stars, as he did last year for quarterback Matthew Stafford and outside linebacker Von Miller.
But the other hallmark of the success that Snead, Coach Sean McVay and their brain trust have enjoyed at deploying draft picks is their knack for finding useful players in the middle to late rounds.
The Rams were rare, though not unique, in how much they counted on unheralded players to win a Super Bowl.
“There’s so many different guys that contributed. That’s where you take a lot of pride,” McVay said Wednesday as he and Snead held a pre-draft virtual press conference.
The three-day NFL draft, in Las Vegas this year, begins Thursday. The Rams, based at the team’s rented “draft house” in the Hollywood Hills, aren’t scheduled to make their first pick until the third round on Friday, with the 104th overall pick. Then they’ve stockpiled seven more picks in rounds 4 through 7, ending with the 253rd.
In the past they’ve found pearls at every level of the draft, as a look at key Rams starters in the 2021 regular season and postseason shows:
Round 1: Defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The Rams drafted him 13th overall in 2014. He was underrated.
Round 2: Running back Cam Akers (52nd overall, 2020), wide receiver Van Jefferson (57th, 2020) and right tackle Rob Havenstein (57th, 2015) all started in the Super Bowl, and safety Taylor Rapp (61st, 2019) started all 17 regular-season games before getting hurt in the playoffs.
Round 3: Wide receiver Cooper Kupp (69th, 2017) and running back Darrell Henderson (70th, 2019). Also linebacker Ernest Jones (103rd, 2021) and cornerback David Long (79th, 2019); both made their first postseason starts in the Super Bowl.
Round 4: Tight end Tyler Higbee (110th, 2016), center Brian Allen (111th, 2018) and nose tackle Greg Gaines (134th, 2019).
Round 5: Left guard David Edwards (169th, 2019).
Round 6: Safety Jordan Fuller (199th, 2020) was a defensive leader and nose tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day (195th, 2018) was having a solid year when injuries curtailed their 2021 season.
Round 7: After Fuller’s injury, safety Nick Scott (243rd, 2019) was trusted to play 100% of defensive snaps in the playoffs. Linebacker Travin Howard (231st, 2018) made the NFC championship game-clinching interception against the San Francisco 49ers.
There have been plenty of picks, in almost every round, that didn’t work out as well as hoped in Snead’s 10 years as GM and McVay’s five years as coach. They picked Greg Robinson ahead of Donald. The wisdom of Tutu Atwell in the second round a year ago has yet to be demonstrated.
But finding postseason stars in the seventh round makes up for a lot of mistakes.
McVay said the secret is looking for draft prospects who can fill specific roles for the Rams.
“I think the key is identifying guys that we have a vision for, that fit within our culture but also fit for some of the voids that we might have or areas of need,” McVay said. “There’s certain players that all 32 teams would agree that this is an elite fit. But (for the rest it’s) being able to have a vision, as you get later, identifying certain traits and characteristics that fit within the framework of how you envision utilizing them and helping them reach their highest potential.
“In a lot of those situations, you’re betting on the human being, looking at the history and the way they’re wired and their background and some of the things they bring to the table.”
Snead said effectively scouting for traits that fit what the Rams need is only the first step.
“It’s one thing to identify (players). It’s another thing to acquire. It’s another thing to develop,” Snead said. “I give Sean and his staff credit.”
Rams draftees aren’t often pressed into starting roles as rookies, but they can move up quickly.
“They’ve actually determined that they’re going to rely on players in key roles who are in their rookie contracts,” Snead said of the coaches, “and that’s maybe the hardest part of that equation.”
The Rams don’t pigeonhole prospects and selections by their draft round, Snead said.
“When Sean and his staff is penciling in the 48-man roster, draft round is never mentioned,” the GM said. “What we try to do in draft prep is, with each player, what specific role can they fill? What can they do to help the Rams in 2022, and then what might they be able to do in years beyond that?”
A year ago, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris introduced the Rams’ front office to the concept of “pool-party grade” prospects – players worthy of celebration if the Rams snagged them. They started drafting in 2021 with the 57th overall pick, and they start in 2022 with the 104th. But Snead said a party is still possible.
“The phrase is definitely still alive and well in the draft room. Now, maybe the pool’s a little shallower. Maybe we shouldn’t dive into it,” Snead said. “(But) I think this is a relatively deep draft.
“As the draft (proceeds), there’s going to maybe be players of less talent, but there’s still players who might have specific skill sets that can contribute and fill a role and develop into something.”
