https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20...es-los-angeles-rams-roundup-experts-analysis/
By:
Andrew Ortenberg | April 29, 2018 2:39 pm ET
When the dust settled after a busy draft week that saw Les Snead swinging deals left and right, the Los Angeles Rams had made 11 picks in the 2018 NFL Draft. Ten of those picks came on Day 3 alone.
With a slew of late-round selections, the Rams just have to hope that a couple of them can hit, and if they do, the draft class will be a resounding success. To get a sense of what the various analysts thought of Snead’s performance, here’s a roundup of all the draft grades assigned to the Rams from experts:
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter
Overall grade: A-
What he said: “Finally able to pick in the middle of the third round, the Rams get a swing tackle in Noteboom, who showed impressive movement last season. This was a good pick for a team needing depth at the position. The Rams did some work on Day 3 well before the draft, grabbing picks in trading away Robert Quinn and Alec Ogletree and giving up picks for cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. Franklin-Myers is an interesting edge rusher whom I valued as a top-150 pick. Kiser could take Ogletree’s starting spot in 2018. The Rams went nuts on edge rushers later, but all had good value. Kelly is also a strong pick in the sixth round.”
Sports Illustrated’s Andy Benoit
Overall grade: C+
What he said: “They entered the draft with major needs at defensive end and, because of Alec Ogletree’s trade to the Giants, linebacker. But short on picks after trading for Brandin Cooks and Marcus Peters this year, the Rams didn’t address those areas until they drafted defensive end John Franklin (who may not be a pure edge rusher anyway) late in the fourth round and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo in the fifth round. Normally, that’d be grounds for a reprimanding, but drafting offensive line with their first two picks makes sense for this reason: Three O-linemen—Rob Havenstein, Jamon Brown and Rodger Saffold—are in contract years, and the other two—Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan—are feeling their age. Personnel changes up front are looming in 2019, and all those fancy L.A. skill position players mean little without an O-line that allows the offense to function.”
USA Today’s Nate Davis
Overall grade: C
What he said: “Very hard to peg this. GM Les Snead gave up his first-round pick for WR Brandin Cooks, who’s currently under contract for one more year. Snead used his second rounder last year in a trade for WR Sammy Watkins, and that turned out to be a rental. In terms of players Snead actually drafted, fifth rounders Micah Kiser, an inside linebacker, and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, an edge player, may have the best chance to play now.”
The Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling
Overall grade: B
What he said: “They had the longest wait to make their first pick (No. 89 overall), but they found enough gems in this draft to make up for it. Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen were taken a little earlier than I expected, and John Franklin-Myers was a left-fielder, but things got golden with the next few picks. Getting a trio of Micah Kiser, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and John Kelly between the fifth and sixth rounds was incredible, giving the Rams great value and depth at key positions of need. There were some off-the-wall picks mixed in here, but overall, the haul was impressive considering how late they got into the game this year.”
SB Nation’s Dan Kadar
Overall grade: C
What he said: “The Rams didn’t have a pick until No. 89 overall, so it’s hard to get too excited about their draft. Offensive tackle Joe Noteboom is a good developmental offensive tackle who has the traits to become a starter. How fast he gets there may depend on how many more years Andrew Whitworth plays. Center Brian Allen was a decent, but still unexciting pick, in the fourth round.
Later in the fourth round, the Rams got another depth piece in defensive end John Franklin-Myers. He’s a good power end who will help against the run game. Linebacker Micah Kiser, taken 147th overall, was actually my favorite pick the Rams made. He’s a smart player who lead the ACC in tackles the past three seasons. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo was a sneaky good pick in the fifth round. He’s a situational pass rusher, but a good one.
The Rams had four picks in the sixth round, and the best one was Tennessee running back John Kelly. He’s obviously not going to overtake Todd Gurley, but he’s similar in many ways.”
Washington Post’s Mark Maske
Overall grade: C-
What he said: “The Rams made their biggest moves earlier this offseason with big-name veterans, including the trade of their first-round pick for WR Brandin Cooks They didn’t have a choice until the third round and focused initially on adding depth to the offensive line. Such an approach isn’t sustainable for long but the Rams clearly are in win-now mode and little will be expected immediately of this draft class.”
Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson and Steve Palazzolo
Overall grade: Average
What they said: “With just one pick to play with over the first two days of the draft, the Rams didn’t come on the clock until the 89th pick of the draft, and they used that to select Joseph Noteboom, an offensive tackle out of TCU. With Andrew Whitworth over 35 years of age and coming off a season in which he looked mortal for the first time in a while, Noteboom makes a lot of sense as an insurance policy. Noteboom allowed just 13 total pressures in his final year at TCU, and that gave him his second strong college season of pass protection. Run-blocking has been more of a challenge for him, but that has never been less of an issue in the NFL given how much the league is pass first in 2018.
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo could prove to be an important player for a team in need of edge rush. He had 10 sacks and 47 total pressures in 2017. John Kelly is an intriguing smaller back that runs with power and determination, breaking 37 tackles last season. They went back to the well at edge with Trevon Young in Round 6 as Young had 40 total pressures in 2017.”
The bottom line
Overall, the reactions are mixed. Some liked Snead’s strategy of stockpiling late-round picks, while others didn’t. Some seemed to hold the Rams’ lack of Round 1 or 2 selections against their overall grade, which isn’t very fair. In the end, though, it will be at least a few years before one could truly begin to judge this draft class.
