Kneejerk Central: Grade the Draft

[kurtfaulk]

And speaking of the overpay, I couldn't give two shits about that - we didn't overpay for Bobby Wagner a little over a decade ago, and how'd that work out for us again?

I get what you're saying but the Wagner screw up was Snead getting cute. He thought he could move back a few spots, get an extra pick and still take Wagner. In the end Wagner went a couple of picks before the Rams so they ended up with a rb that couldn't get on the field and a dt that couldn't get away from the dinner table.

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[thirteen28]

I get what you're saying but the Wagner screw up was Snead getting cute. He thought he could move back a few spots, get an extra pick and still take Wagner. In the end Wagner went a couple of picks before the Rams so they ended up with a rb that couldn't get on the field and a dt that couldn't get away from the dinner table.

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Either way, the point stands. They thought they could get Wagner on the cheap (in terms of draft position) and were proven wrong.

 

[Giles]

Solid A from me with my favorite picks being Fiske, kinchins, and karty.

 

[Kupped]

I'm kind of staying away from grades.. because, fuck if I know if the guys can play.

But..

I can say it's a draft where pretty much every pick makes complete sense. No head scratchers, and if the players are the right picks.. they've significantly raised the floor and ceiling for this team next year. A lot of them will see a lot of playing time, imo.

 

[OnceARam]

This draft made the team significantly better. Don't remember having said that before. LFG!

 

[Ellard80]

grading drafts is fun...

but ya who knows... we will see in a couple years if it was good.

 

[XXXIVwin]

Last year's draft was an A+, possibly the best draft in Rams history. Puka, Avila, Young, and Turner, are you kidding me?, and all without a 1st rounder? Plus a great punter in Evans? Plus some other young guys who might be contributors?

This year felt like an unbelievably solid draft, not sure it can rival last year, but it can be great in its own right. Every single pick seemed extremely well thought out and researched. All guys who love football and are obsessed with working at it.

Key to this draft is Fiske. He was initially projected as a fifth rounder but then shot up the boards after a stellar combine and dominating in the Senior Bowl. Rams gave up a lot for Fiske but it sounds like he's gonna work his tail off to become a quality starter.

 

[TheTackle]

Great draft especially at the top where we picked impact players! A+

I spoke about stacking an Edge with 5 technique/End and couldn’t be happier that they did this and even more so that they have drafted two teammates who play so well in tandem! Genius.

That said I have some faint critique that I look forward to getting killed for

1. I am excited but we have some problematic holes - especially at off-ball linebacker and returner.

2. I am trying to get over the long waits between pick 99 and 154 and then again from there to 196. I like the Blame Corum pick but question whether we might have traded back? If we had, we could have joined the run on great prospects in round 4. Blake feels like a luxury pick at 83 even if I don’t question the player

3. I was sure we were going to take a CB and was disappointed when we passed on MJ Devonshire and Myles Harden who were somehow available late (both great prospects who were steals there)

4. I would have traded our 2025 3rd rounder for more 2024 draft capital. This draft was unbelievably deep. Want proof? Look no further than where Brenden Rice was picked!

 

[PARAM]

Not all Snead & McVay's drafts have been great. Many have been subpar IMO. This staff has just done a great job of overcoming that. But last year's draft was insane given where the picks were. And this one feels like an extension of that. If so then this team will be right in the mix vs the best teams in the playoffs.

They have married free agency and the draft better this year. In their defense, they didn't have nearly enough money in free agency last year. This year they solidified the OL and secondary in free agency and the DL in the draft. While also adding Corum and Karty. Take a step back and look at the entire NFL. There are 32 teams trying to do the same thing and these guys have had success year after year.

As far as "grossly overpaying" for Fiske, there was run on DT's early in the 2nd round....#35 Orhorhoro, #36 Newton, #38 Sweat and finally Fiske at #39. Here's one view on that trade....

" It should come as no surprise that the Los Angeles Rams selected a Florida State defensive lineman in Round 2 considering that's exactly what they did on Thursday night. A second-round selection came sooner than expected via a controversial trade with the Panthers.

The Rams traded Picks 52, 155, and a 2025 second-rounder for Braden Fiske, causing some to freak out over the "fleece" by the Carolina Panthers, the original owner of the 39th overall pick.


They reference the trade value chart as the basis for their reasoning but here's the truth: The value chart doesn't matter if the player is a stud and that's exactly what the Rams got in Fiske.

After a dominant career at Western Michigan, he transferred to Florida State where Fiske and Rams first-round pick Jared Verse helped anchor a defensive line that was devastating.

Fiske shot up draft boards after a phenomenal combine, placing first in his position group for the 40-yard dash, broad jump, and vertical jump. He also tied for first in the 20-yard shuttle.

Fiske gets off blocks well, has a nice "push-pull" pass rush move, and has a tremendous motor. He will help open things up for his interior defensive line partner Kobie Turner. Pairing a player with Fiske's talents alongside Turner, Byron Young, and his collegiate teammate, Verse, gives the Rams one of the youngest and brightest defensive lines in the NFL. (Is that too expensive?)

Fiske won't replace Aaron Donald. At least not immediately, but the Rams will need to replace Donald's production in the aggregate. Verse and Fiske will be more than enough to do that.

It is an excellent pick and considering that the Rams still have a vast amount of Day 3 picks, this is a home run selection."

My view is always, if you like a guy, take him. It's not too early or too expensive if he's everything you expect. My grade for this draft is "well done". Edge, DT, RB, S, Edge, DT, PK, WR, OL depth, OL depth. No shiny toys. Meat and potatoes. Needs filled.

 

[PARAM]

Los Angeles Rams Draft Picks in 2025​

• Round 1
• Round 2 (to Carolina for Fiske)
• Round 3
• Round 3 (Projected 2nd of 2 comp picks for Raheem Morris hiring)
• Round 4
• Round 5 (to Pittsburgh for Dotson)
• Round 6
• Round 6 (from Pittsburgh with Dotson)
• Round 6 (from Atlanta for Van Jefferson)
• Round 7 (to Atlanta with Van Jefferson)

As of this writing, the Rams have eight draft picks for 2025 (now 7 with the Fiske trade). They traded their fifth-round pick to the Steelers for Kevin Dotson and received a sixth-round pick in return. They also received an additional sixth-round pick for the Van Jefferson trade with the Falcons where they sent Jefferson and a seventh-rounder to Atlanta in exchange for the sixth-rounder.

 

[OldSchool]

Yeah wait a few years for grades but they addressed pretty much every one of our perceived needs.

Edge times 2, DT times 2, RB2, WR/returner, Kicker, backup center and a safety. I didn't think they would draft a CB though I might have even after signing Williams and White. As far as addressing needs this is easily an A for team building.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Los Angeles Rams Draft Picks in 2025​

• 
  
• Round 6
• Round 6 (from Pittsburgh with Dotson)
• Round 6 (from Atlanta for Van Jefferson)

Rams love their 6's.

 

[PARAM]

Yeah wait a few years for grades but they addressed pretty much every one of our perceived needs.

Edge times 2, DT times 2, RB2, WR/returner, Kicker, backup center and a safety. I didn't think they would draft a CB though I might have even after signing Williams and White. As far as addressing needs this is easily an A for team building.

I think the Kinchens pick is being way undervalued. The kid is a playmaker. The knock was his speed but I heard one guy say, his speed was better at his pro day but besides that, he's got great eyes and anticipation that more than makes up for any lack of speed. 11 picks the last 2 years.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Blake Corum, Kamren Kinchens, and Joshua Karty…

That looks like 5 players nearly certain to play a lot of snaps for us.

5 players… That’s an “A” grade in my book.

 

[snackdaddy]

When you're looking at players who've yet to play a snap in the NFL its hard to grade. For every Akers and Jefferson in the 2nd round you have a Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams in the 5th. And McVay has never picked in the first round. So its new territory with that. I will say I like the draft. It has potential to give us a couple pro bowlers for years to come. And maybe a couple solid blue chip guys along with that. And role players every team needs. No grade but I like it.

 

[AvengerRam]

Did we “overpay” for Fiske? Maybe. But if he becomes a Pro Bowl player, nobody will care.

I’d say we got Verse at a bargain price, so it evens out.

 

[69superbowl]

5 maybe six players that will make an immediate impact, or at least get significant playing time. Snead remained a sober adult for the entire draft and filled a lot of needy roster spots. I like this draft. Also, I'm fired up if he Rams sign Omar Speights. As a Beaver, he was dominant and ILB is certainly a need here.

 

[snackdaddy]

Watched a post draft presser with Snead and McVay. If someone didn't know about McVay the first couple minutes you would think its Snead's show. McVay sitting there quietly letting Snead to the talking. Then its McVay's turn and you can't shut him up. Like the energizer bunny he just goes and goes. You gotta love the energy with him. Its gotta rub off on the players. So glad he's our coach.

 

[Memphis Ram]

I don't know about any grades, but this is the best I've felt after ANY Rams draft.

They went 7 rounds without any Tavon Austin, LaMarcus Joyner, Taylor Rapp, Tutu Atwell, Stetson Bennett cringeworthy type selections for me.

The only problem is I believe that the other teams in the division had pretty decent drafts, too.

 

[PhillyRam]

I don't know about any grades, but this is the best I've felt after ANY Rams draft.

They went 7 rounds without any Tavon Austin, Taylor Rapp, Tutu Atwell, Stetson Bennett cringeworthy type selections for me.

The only problem is I believe that the other teams in the division had pretty decent drafts, too.

I think teams in general are doing a much better job drafting players nowadays.

Not as many lose cannon owners or GMs that make head scratching picks like they did 20 yrs ago. They seem to have this process down to a science as much as possible, considering these are human beings.

And these scouts and personal guys move throughout the league so the methodology may not differ as much as it did when you had GMs & owners that were in jobs for yrs, going back to the dark ages of the 60's & 70's.

I assume each team's process was very different from the next, and thus you would see a wide variety of results. Now they are operating off the same playsheet for the most part.