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Well, losing Todd Gurley hurt a lot of us. It sucks that his knee went bad so quickly. He had all the makings of being such a great Ram for the foreseeable future. But it's time to move forward. FA has been a bit of a surprise. We'll see if they have any moves left. I'm hoping they add a veteran at ILB.
Trades
Rams trade Round 2 Pick #20 and Round 3 Pick #40
Jets trade Round 3 Pick #4, Round 3 Pick #15, and Round 6 Pick #12
Rams trade Round 3 Pick #20 and Round 6 Pick #20
Giants trade Round 3 Pick #35, Round 4 Pick #4, and Round 7 Pick #4
NFL Draft
Round 3 Pick #4 - Robert Hunt OL Louisiana
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amIG_LweREM
Analysis: As a four year starter at Louisiana, Hunt started his first two years at LG (with a couple starts at LT) and his final two years at RT. I see Hunt sliding inside and playing LG for the Rams. He has the size (6'5" 325), length (33.5" arms and 10.75" hands), and quickness to stick at RT, but I think he has the potential to be a Brandon Brooks/Kelechi Osemele/Rodger Saffold type of guard. At RT, his kickslide needs work and his lateral quickness would limit him some against the twitchiest edge rushers, so he'd likely top out as a merely above average or good RT. Basically, I see his potential at LG to be very good to elite.
In addition to his size and length, Hunt is mauling run blocker with imposing power. He is arguably the best run blocker in this Draft. He has the athleticism to make difficult blocks, the power to block defenders off the LOS, and the mauler mentality to put his man on the ground and keep him there. However, he needs to watch his pad level and play with better leverage, as NFL defenders won't be so easy to uproot. In pass protection, he has a jarring punch and truly impressive grip strength. When he gets his hands on his man, it's usually game over. At tackle, though, his kickslide needs work, as he oversets and can be beat inside by quicker speed rushers. At guard, he'll need to be quicker and more precise with his punches. He shoots his hands wide, which exposes his chest, and he can be a tick late firing his punch. All in all, though, Hunt has the potential to be one of the best LGs in the NFL with development and a game-changing run blocker.
NFL Comparison: Carl Nicks
Round 3 Pick #15 - Tyler Biadasz OL Wisconsin
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqP4rxCTQmc
Analysis: I struggled choosing between Hunt and Biadasz with our first pick. I went Hunt because I think he has more upside and I felt we might prefer a guard with Blythe returning. I originally slotted in Zack Moss here, but I decided that I couldn't pass on Biadasz if he's available (and he's expected to be). Teams have some medical concerns about Biadasz after he had hip surgery in 2019 and shoulder surgery following 2020. Biadasz also is an average athlete. He definitely does not have the foot quickness that Hunt does. However, Biadasz has started the past 41 games at Center for Wisconsin and is the sort of man we need in the middle at 6'4" 315.
As a run blocker, Biadasz doesn't blow his man off the ball. He doesn't have overwhelming power. But he is a phenomenal technician who consistently executes his blocks and creates seams for the running back. He's also a very effective second-level blocker due to his body control and savvy. Our schemes uses the Center on a lot of combo blocks, Biadasz would be very effective at that. As a pass blocker, Biadasz's average foot quickness should limit him, but it doesn't to the extent one would expect due to his intelligence and technical mastery of the position. I watched a number of his game, and the only guy I saw embarrass him with quickness was Kayvon Thibodeau (who is a future first round pick at DE/OLB who was aligned over Biadasz and faked attacking one gap before jumping into another; while he managed to beat Biadasz, Biadasz recovered enough to get his hands on him and slow him down). Nonetheless, the next time Biadasz went up against Thibodeau on the same alignment, he stoned him. I did notice that Biadasz was leaning a bit more in 2019 than he was in 2018 and wonder if the hip surgery played a role in that (that's one of the few technical issues he needs to fix). That all said, Biadasz is a country strong Center with a quality anchor, out of this world grip strength, intelligence, and precise hand placement and punch timing. He rarely gets beat in pass protection. He's the sort of guy who could step in and handle the Center position from Day 1, and we all know that Les Snead loves himself some Wisconsin OLs.
NFL Comparison: Travis Frederick
Round 3 Pick #35 - Akeem Davis-Gaither ILB Appalachian State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXsUDPRgWtc
Analysis: ADG is an undersized linebacker at 6'1" 225, but he's very athletic and gifted overall. Appalachian State usage of him was quite interesting. On some downs, he rushed off the edge as if he were a DE. On some downs, he went out to the slot and dropped in coverage. On some downs, he played inside like a middle linebacker. Ultimately, I see him slotting in as the "Jack" in our scheme, which will give him the freedom to use his speed and avoid blockers. ADG is quite gifted at slipping and avoiding blocks in the running game, but while he has the physicality to take blocks on, he needs to improve his technique there. His size will always pose concerns, so he needs to get better at using his hands to fend off blocks. As a pass defender, ADG has the speed and quickness to be a very effective coverage linebacker. He didn't play a lot of M2M in college, so there might be some growing pains, but he has the skill-set to thrive at it. Ultimately, while ADG has some warts and developing to do (lack of size, cleaning up bad angles, and polishing coverage skills), he has a lot of upside and the athleticism and instincts to play now if we need him.
NFL Comparison: Mark Barron
Round 4 Pick #4 - Eno Benjamin HB Arizona State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRyQz2Yp56U
Analysis: I gotta tell you that Eno is a lot of fun to watch. At 5'9" 207, he's not the biggest guy, but he runs very hard. He plays with a chip on his shoulders and looks to dish out punishment wherever he can. His stats dipped a bit in 2019 due to worse blocking, but he remained a very effective all-around HB. In the running game, Eno is a bit of a human joystick out there. He's very quick and elusive, has great contact balance, and seemingly finds ways to teleport out of tackles. While he lacks breakaway speed, he has plenty of acceleration, which makes him dangerous with all the starting and stopping he does. His running style is a bit unorthodox, which results in him sometimes not getting everything that is blocked but also leads to some big gains on plays that should have went for very little. But one thing he'll learn in the NFL is to plant and go a bit more often. In the passing game, he's an outstanding pass catcher who is a true weapon out of the backfield and in space. Due to his quickness, he also has the potential to be a real weapon as a route runner. As a blocker, Eno has some developing to do with his technique, but he is plenty willing, plenty physical, and plenty intelligent enough to do it well.
NFL Comparison: Austin Ekeler
Round 4 Pick #20 - Anfernee Jennings OLB Alabama
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vE28WwPrps
Analysis: Anfernee is the definition of a glue guy on defense. He does all of the little things well and brings the physicality and effort you need out there. The problem with Anfernee is that he doesn't show a lot of pass rush potential. He isn't explosive off the LOS, doesn't have the speed/flexibility to make NFL OTs sweat on the edge, and doesn't have the explosive quickness to burn them inside. Instead, if Anfernee is to be anything more than an effort rusher, he's going to have to become more savvy and technical. He has an effective stab move and enough power to do some damage if harnessed properly. He's also flashed the savvy footwork to make things more difficult on OTs. But ultimately, I wouldn't count on him to be anything more than a JAG as a pass rusher. What Anfernee does well is defend the run. He sets a hard edge, he plays physically when taking on pullers, he's adept at finding the football, he's assignment sound, and he has great instincts. That also makes him very effective at sniffing out screens and deflecting passes when he can't get home with his rushes. Finally, Anfernee is competent in coverage. He is a smart and aware zone defender and has the ability to man up when needed against slower TEs. All in all, he's a solid edge defender who will contribute in non-flashy ways.
NFL Comparison: Ryan Anderson
Round 6 Pick #12 - David Woodward ILB Utah State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpViUGhMJvQ
Analysis: Woodward is a guy whose film I absolutely loved. He was incredibly productive, he looked great in all phases of the game on the field, and even places like PFF loved him. However, Woodward tested poorly at the Combine, and I've fallen for LBs in the past who looked great on the field, tested poorly at the Combine, and then did nothing in the NFL. So while I had Woodward as a Day 2 pick based on his film, I had to bump him down to late Day 3 after his Combine performance. That all said, I'd still love for us to get him. He's a super instinctive kid who plays balls to the wall on every down and is just a tackling machine. He hits hard, he is opportunistic with forced fumbles, and he has a lot of film out there showing cover skills. As a run defender, he's one of the few guys in the class I've seen consistently play through blocks and make tackles with OLs on him. Hopefully, he'll prove to be a better football player than athlete.
NFL Comparison: Danny Trevathan
Round 7 Pick #4 - Broderick Washington Jr. DL Texas Tech
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOCe7ESUtl0
Analysis: I like Broderick Washington because of how versatile he can be in our front. At 6'2" 305, he's squatty and strong enough to play behind Gaines at NT, but he also has the arm length, hand usage, and ability to find the football to play outside as a 5-Tech. Washington doesn't offer a lot as a pass rusher. He has a decent bull rush and will occasionally put some pressure on the QB, but that's not going to be his calling card in the NFL. He's a stout run defender who can handle double teams inside, can set the edge against tackles, and plays with the dogged determination and violence you need out of rotational run stuffer. Washington should provide solid depth on running downs when we need to get one of our big guys a breather.
NFL Comparison: Domata Peko
Round 7 Pick #20 - Levonta Taylor DB Florida State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp6n2VoHJyc
Analysis: Levonta Taylor was the top rated CB recruit coming out of high school and burst onto the scene in 2017. Many people were projecting him to go in the first few rounds after the 2017 season. However, after Willie Taggart came in, Taylor's play fell off. He dealt with injuries and just didn't look like a good fit in the new scheme. Taylor bounced between safety and CB at FSU. Ultimately, I think he fits best as a slot CB in the NFL. He's undersized at 5'10" 190 (and I think that listed size is generous), but Taylor possesses all the athleticism needed to be an effective slot CB. He has quick feet, fluid hips, good speed, and natural cover skills. He's very stick in coverage and hard to shake coming out of breaks. However, Taylor's lack of size and play strength will limit his ability to play outside (big WRs will push him around/body him up in the passing game and dominate him in the running game). That all said, I think he can be a productive slot CB if he stays healthy.
NFL Comparison: Avonte Maddox
Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Darrell Henderson
WR: Brandin Cooks
WR: Robert Woods
WR: Cooper Kupp
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Bobby Evans
C: Tyler Biadasz
RG: David Edwards
RT: Rob Havenstein
SDE: A'Shawn Robinson
NT: Greg Gaines
UT: Aaron Donald
OLB: Samson Ebukam
ILB: Akeem Davis-Gaither
ILB: Micah Kiser
OLB: Leonard Floyd
LCB: Jalen Ramsey
RCB: Troy Hill
SLCB: David Long Jr.
FS: John Johnson III
SS: Taylor Rapp
K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
Trades
Rams trade Round 2 Pick #20 and Round 3 Pick #40
Jets trade Round 3 Pick #4, Round 3 Pick #15, and Round 6 Pick #12
Rams trade Round 3 Pick #20 and Round 6 Pick #20
Giants trade Round 3 Pick #35, Round 4 Pick #4, and Round 7 Pick #4
NFL Draft
Round 3 Pick #4 - Robert Hunt OL Louisiana
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amIG_LweREM
Analysis: As a four year starter at Louisiana, Hunt started his first two years at LG (with a couple starts at LT) and his final two years at RT. I see Hunt sliding inside and playing LG for the Rams. He has the size (6'5" 325), length (33.5" arms and 10.75" hands), and quickness to stick at RT, but I think he has the potential to be a Brandon Brooks/Kelechi Osemele/Rodger Saffold type of guard. At RT, his kickslide needs work and his lateral quickness would limit him some against the twitchiest edge rushers, so he'd likely top out as a merely above average or good RT. Basically, I see his potential at LG to be very good to elite.
In addition to his size and length, Hunt is mauling run blocker with imposing power. He is arguably the best run blocker in this Draft. He has the athleticism to make difficult blocks, the power to block defenders off the LOS, and the mauler mentality to put his man on the ground and keep him there. However, he needs to watch his pad level and play with better leverage, as NFL defenders won't be so easy to uproot. In pass protection, he has a jarring punch and truly impressive grip strength. When he gets his hands on his man, it's usually game over. At tackle, though, his kickslide needs work, as he oversets and can be beat inside by quicker speed rushers. At guard, he'll need to be quicker and more precise with his punches. He shoots his hands wide, which exposes his chest, and he can be a tick late firing his punch. All in all, though, Hunt has the potential to be one of the best LGs in the NFL with development and a game-changing run blocker.
NFL Comparison: Carl Nicks
Round 3 Pick #15 - Tyler Biadasz OL Wisconsin
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqP4rxCTQmc
Analysis: I struggled choosing between Hunt and Biadasz with our first pick. I went Hunt because I think he has more upside and I felt we might prefer a guard with Blythe returning. I originally slotted in Zack Moss here, but I decided that I couldn't pass on Biadasz if he's available (and he's expected to be). Teams have some medical concerns about Biadasz after he had hip surgery in 2019 and shoulder surgery following 2020. Biadasz also is an average athlete. He definitely does not have the foot quickness that Hunt does. However, Biadasz has started the past 41 games at Center for Wisconsin and is the sort of man we need in the middle at 6'4" 315.
As a run blocker, Biadasz doesn't blow his man off the ball. He doesn't have overwhelming power. But he is a phenomenal technician who consistently executes his blocks and creates seams for the running back. He's also a very effective second-level blocker due to his body control and savvy. Our schemes uses the Center on a lot of combo blocks, Biadasz would be very effective at that. As a pass blocker, Biadasz's average foot quickness should limit him, but it doesn't to the extent one would expect due to his intelligence and technical mastery of the position. I watched a number of his game, and the only guy I saw embarrass him with quickness was Kayvon Thibodeau (who is a future first round pick at DE/OLB who was aligned over Biadasz and faked attacking one gap before jumping into another; while he managed to beat Biadasz, Biadasz recovered enough to get his hands on him and slow him down). Nonetheless, the next time Biadasz went up against Thibodeau on the same alignment, he stoned him. I did notice that Biadasz was leaning a bit more in 2019 than he was in 2018 and wonder if the hip surgery played a role in that (that's one of the few technical issues he needs to fix). That all said, Biadasz is a country strong Center with a quality anchor, out of this world grip strength, intelligence, and precise hand placement and punch timing. He rarely gets beat in pass protection. He's the sort of guy who could step in and handle the Center position from Day 1, and we all know that Les Snead loves himself some Wisconsin OLs.
NFL Comparison: Travis Frederick
Round 3 Pick #35 - Akeem Davis-Gaither ILB Appalachian State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXsUDPRgWtc
Analysis: ADG is an undersized linebacker at 6'1" 225, but he's very athletic and gifted overall. Appalachian State usage of him was quite interesting. On some downs, he rushed off the edge as if he were a DE. On some downs, he went out to the slot and dropped in coverage. On some downs, he played inside like a middle linebacker. Ultimately, I see him slotting in as the "Jack" in our scheme, which will give him the freedom to use his speed and avoid blockers. ADG is quite gifted at slipping and avoiding blocks in the running game, but while he has the physicality to take blocks on, he needs to improve his technique there. His size will always pose concerns, so he needs to get better at using his hands to fend off blocks. As a pass defender, ADG has the speed and quickness to be a very effective coverage linebacker. He didn't play a lot of M2M in college, so there might be some growing pains, but he has the skill-set to thrive at it. Ultimately, while ADG has some warts and developing to do (lack of size, cleaning up bad angles, and polishing coverage skills), he has a lot of upside and the athleticism and instincts to play now if we need him.
NFL Comparison: Mark Barron
Round 4 Pick #4 - Eno Benjamin HB Arizona State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRyQz2Yp56U
Analysis: I gotta tell you that Eno is a lot of fun to watch. At 5'9" 207, he's not the biggest guy, but he runs very hard. He plays with a chip on his shoulders and looks to dish out punishment wherever he can. His stats dipped a bit in 2019 due to worse blocking, but he remained a very effective all-around HB. In the running game, Eno is a bit of a human joystick out there. He's very quick and elusive, has great contact balance, and seemingly finds ways to teleport out of tackles. While he lacks breakaway speed, he has plenty of acceleration, which makes him dangerous with all the starting and stopping he does. His running style is a bit unorthodox, which results in him sometimes not getting everything that is blocked but also leads to some big gains on plays that should have went for very little. But one thing he'll learn in the NFL is to plant and go a bit more often. In the passing game, he's an outstanding pass catcher who is a true weapon out of the backfield and in space. Due to his quickness, he also has the potential to be a real weapon as a route runner. As a blocker, Eno has some developing to do with his technique, but he is plenty willing, plenty physical, and plenty intelligent enough to do it well.
NFL Comparison: Austin Ekeler
Round 4 Pick #20 - Anfernee Jennings OLB Alabama
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vE28WwPrps
Analysis: Anfernee is the definition of a glue guy on defense. He does all of the little things well and brings the physicality and effort you need out there. The problem with Anfernee is that he doesn't show a lot of pass rush potential. He isn't explosive off the LOS, doesn't have the speed/flexibility to make NFL OTs sweat on the edge, and doesn't have the explosive quickness to burn them inside. Instead, if Anfernee is to be anything more than an effort rusher, he's going to have to become more savvy and technical. He has an effective stab move and enough power to do some damage if harnessed properly. He's also flashed the savvy footwork to make things more difficult on OTs. But ultimately, I wouldn't count on him to be anything more than a JAG as a pass rusher. What Anfernee does well is defend the run. He sets a hard edge, he plays physically when taking on pullers, he's adept at finding the football, he's assignment sound, and he has great instincts. That also makes him very effective at sniffing out screens and deflecting passes when he can't get home with his rushes. Finally, Anfernee is competent in coverage. He is a smart and aware zone defender and has the ability to man up when needed against slower TEs. All in all, he's a solid edge defender who will contribute in non-flashy ways.
NFL Comparison: Ryan Anderson
Round 6 Pick #12 - David Woodward ILB Utah State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpViUGhMJvQ
Analysis: Woodward is a guy whose film I absolutely loved. He was incredibly productive, he looked great in all phases of the game on the field, and even places like PFF loved him. However, Woodward tested poorly at the Combine, and I've fallen for LBs in the past who looked great on the field, tested poorly at the Combine, and then did nothing in the NFL. So while I had Woodward as a Day 2 pick based on his film, I had to bump him down to late Day 3 after his Combine performance. That all said, I'd still love for us to get him. He's a super instinctive kid who plays balls to the wall on every down and is just a tackling machine. He hits hard, he is opportunistic with forced fumbles, and he has a lot of film out there showing cover skills. As a run defender, he's one of the few guys in the class I've seen consistently play through blocks and make tackles with OLs on him. Hopefully, he'll prove to be a better football player than athlete.
NFL Comparison: Danny Trevathan
Round 7 Pick #4 - Broderick Washington Jr. DL Texas Tech
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOCe7ESUtl0
Analysis: I like Broderick Washington because of how versatile he can be in our front. At 6'2" 305, he's squatty and strong enough to play behind Gaines at NT, but he also has the arm length, hand usage, and ability to find the football to play outside as a 5-Tech. Washington doesn't offer a lot as a pass rusher. He has a decent bull rush and will occasionally put some pressure on the QB, but that's not going to be his calling card in the NFL. He's a stout run defender who can handle double teams inside, can set the edge against tackles, and plays with the dogged determination and violence you need out of rotational run stuffer. Washington should provide solid depth on running downs when we need to get one of our big guys a breather.
NFL Comparison: Domata Peko
Round 7 Pick #20 - Levonta Taylor DB Florida State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp6n2VoHJyc
Analysis: Levonta Taylor was the top rated CB recruit coming out of high school and burst onto the scene in 2017. Many people were projecting him to go in the first few rounds after the 2017 season. However, after Willie Taggart came in, Taylor's play fell off. He dealt with injuries and just didn't look like a good fit in the new scheme. Taylor bounced between safety and CB at FSU. Ultimately, I think he fits best as a slot CB in the NFL. He's undersized at 5'10" 190 (and I think that listed size is generous), but Taylor possesses all the athleticism needed to be an effective slot CB. He has quick feet, fluid hips, good speed, and natural cover skills. He's very stick in coverage and hard to shake coming out of breaks. However, Taylor's lack of size and play strength will limit his ability to play outside (big WRs will push him around/body him up in the passing game and dominate him in the running game). That all said, I think he can be a productive slot CB if he stays healthy.
NFL Comparison: Avonte Maddox
Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Darrell Henderson
WR: Brandin Cooks
WR: Robert Woods
WR: Cooper Kupp
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Bobby Evans
C: Tyler Biadasz
RG: David Edwards
RT: Rob Havenstein
SDE: A'Shawn Robinson
NT: Greg Gaines
UT: Aaron Donald
OLB: Samson Ebukam
ILB: Akeem Davis-Gaither
ILB: Micah Kiser
OLB: Leonard Floyd
LCB: Jalen Ramsey
RCB: Troy Hill
SLCB: David Long Jr.
FS: John Johnson III
SS: Taylor Rapp
K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
