Pro Football Focus likes our draft

[Ram_Rally]

Los Angeles Rams, A-
1 (1) (from Tennessee) Jared Goff, QB, California
4 (110) Tyler Higbee, TE, Western Kentucky
4 (117) (from Buffalo) Pharoh Cooper, WR, South Carolina
6 (177) (from Tennessee) Temarrick Hemingway, TE, South Carolina State
6 (190) Josh Forrest, ILB, Kentucky
6 (206) (from Carolina via Chicago) Michael Thomas, WR, Southern Mississippi

Day 1: The Rams made the move up to get their franchise quarterback, and they got the best QB in the draft in Goff. Our top-graded FBS quarterback brings a lot of translatable skills to the table, from intermediate and deep accuracy to his handling of pressure to his excellent pocket presence. Goff has improved every year, and he’s still filling out his frame, so given his base of NFL skills, he should continue to get better.

Day 2: No picks

Day 3: Off-field issues aside, Higbee originally had a second-round grade as his +7.9 receiving grade ranked third in the class. He’s one of the most athletic options in the draft and he can become an intermediate weapon for new QB Jared Goff. Cooper can start out as a gimmick player, but he accelerates quickly and can become a vertical option from the slot, pairing well with Goff’s skillset. Thomas is one of our favorite picks in the draft as the No. 38 player on the PFF draft board has great body control and he won contested catches at a higher rate than the other top receivers in the class.

Side note: my dad has been teasing me about the Rams trade up for weeks. I loved rubbing it in his face that my rams scored a higher grade than his Vikings even with the trade (which is pretty much settled now besides the first round pick next year). Go rams!

 

[DaveFan'51]

Nice report! Even if it is PFF!!

 

[Ram_Rally]

Nice report! Even if it is PFF!!

This is one of the times where I'll take their report hahaha

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I agree about Mike Thomas. He is a Juco transfer that only had two years at S. Miss. He is still learning the position, but has excellent tools to help him become a great receiver.

Higbee's potential is great too. But, some risk is obvious.

Cooper is a tough presence that the Rams sorely need.

 

[Fatbot]

Now just waiting on Bleacher Report and TMZ grades...

 

[WvuIN02]

Those guys dont know their youknowwhat from a hole in the ground. Said Tavon Austin was a D pick.

 

[FrantikRam]

Those guys dont know their youknowwhat from a hole in the ground. Said Tavon Austin was a D pick.

Tavon was a D pick. That grade was spot on.

He's a valuable piece to our team now that we have Gurley...but before? Not worth the 8th pick in the draft. WRs that go top 10 should develop into number 1 WRs....he hasn't and won't. He is a special case, but to be worth that pick he would need to start averaging around 1200 yards rushing/receiving and 10 TDs per season. He got the TDs last year, but not the yards.

 

[lockdnram21]

Tavon was a D pick. That grade was spot on.

He's a valuable piece to our team now that we have Gurley...but before? Not worth the 8th pick in the draft. WRs that go top 10 should develop into number 1 WRs....he hasn't and won't. He is a special case, but to be worth that pick he would need to start averaging around 1200 yards rushing/receiving and 10 TDs per season. He got the TDs last year, but not the yards.

We have s qb now that can hit him in stride

 

[FrantikRam]

We have s qb now that can hit him in stride

We do have a more accurate QB, yes.

BTW, I'm not saying I don't think we should have drafted Austin - I love what he's becoming. But if you had to grade the draft pick after his first two years (before last year), it was an F. At the time I loved the pick - still love the player - but in hindsight, I believe it is something Snead and Fisher can learn from.

So grading it a D at the time makes a lot of sense actually. In order for it to be an "A" or "B", he would have to start averaging 1200 yards rushing/receiving and 8-10 TDs per year IMO.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Those guys dont know their youknowwhat from a hole in the ground. Said Tavon Austin was a D pick.

Trading up for Tavon in round 1 was a bad pick. He isn't close to what he was at West Virginia, which was predictable. He is not a WR nor a RB. He is a gadget player that the Rams had to scheme open. A dominant player can get open on his own. I'll add that Schotty was not exactly the best OC to figure out how to optimize his potential.

 

[Flatlyner]

Those guys dont know their youknowwhat from a hole in the ground. Said Tavon Austin was a D pick.

Remember, we took him above Hopkins AND traded up for him. I like him personally, but think of how much better we would be with Hopkins outside

 

[WvuIN02]

Hopkins had 1 more td than Austin last year on a team that was in the playoffs with a better QB. Ie not the worst passing offense in the NFL that averaged a putrid 175 yards a game.

People need to stop using this dumb phrase of #1 wr. Austin is a football player who can score from anywhere. Haters gonna hate.

 

[HitStick]

Hopkins had 1 more td than Austin last year on a team that was in the playoffs with a better QB. Ie not the worst passing offense in the NFL that averaged a putrid 175 yards a game.

People need to stop using this dumb phrase of #1 wr. Austin is a football player who can score from anywhere. Haters gonna hate.

Let's not act like Hopkins had Brady. He had a bunch of scrubs throwing him the ball and was still one of the most dominant receivers in the NFL. If Austin gave us half of what Hopkins did from the receiver position, this conversation wouldn't exist.