Ten Rams Draft Questions I’m Contemplating

[AvengerRam]

Here are 10 questions I'm contemplating as we approach the draft:

1. The Laitu Latu question(s). Really a two-parter: (a) will he be there at #19, and (b) if so, will it be because of medical red flags? If the answers are (a) yes, and (b) no (and the other two top EDGE rushers, Dallas Turner and Jared Verse are, as I expect them to be, gone), he's my guy.

2. If the three top EDGE rushers are gone, I'm leaning toward a CB. The question here is, which of the top guys will make it to No. 19? My top guys are (1) Quinyon Mitchell, (2) Terrion Arnold, (3) DeJean Cooper, (4) Kool-Aid McKinstry (rising due to Pro Day performance), (5t) Ennis Rakestraw and Nate Wiggins.

3. Is there an OT who could drop to No. 19 and tempt me? While the Rams like AJ Jackson enough to tender him, they have not locked him in long term. If, say... a Troy Fautanu drops to No. 19, could the Rams (at the risk of making fans expecting defense scream "no!!!!") add another piece to the OL?

4. Same question for WRs. If, say, Brian Thomas, Jr., is still there at No. 19, could the Rams add another weapon?

5. The only other guy I see as a possible No. 19 target is Byron Murphy, II. My question is, do the Rams feel (as I do), that he's unlikely to be the BPA and taking him would be more of a knee-jerk reaction to Aaron Donald's retirement?

6. Back to the WRs... with such a deep class, will the Rams use one of their Day 2 picks to secure the long-term strength of the position?

7. At RB, I think the question isn't will the Rams take one. The questions are when and who? I'm hoping for Dylan Laube in Round 5.

8. Are the Rams targeting an ILB to supplant Christian Rozeboom? There are some Day 2 prospects I like (Edgerrin Cooper, Junior Colson), but I could see this being a spot that is addressed later (maybe Marist Luifau or Jaylan Ford).

9. Will we solve the PK issue in the draft?

10. Who is this draft's sleeper? My current candidate: Jonah Ellis, EDGE, Utah.

 

[Londoner]

Some good questions there.

As far as 19 goes, I would say the preference is for one of the top three edge rushers (I would say Turner, Verse, Latu in order) and then one of the top three cornerbacks (my order is Mitchell, Arnold, Wiggins).

Latu and Wiggins are the most likely to be available when the Rams are on the clock, and I think that there is a good chance that the UCLA edge is the pick… if he clears medical procedures.

There are rumours that his injury and withdrawal from the Combine may cause Fashanu to slide a bit, but whether or not he will make it as far as 19 is doubtful. If he is there, he has to be the pick.

Other than Alt and Fashanu, none of the OT prospects are worth pick 19- they are all either RT or G prospects going forward.

None of the WR prospects outside the big three are worth 19. I could see us taking a WR in the later rounds.

I would expect both our first two selections to be defensive players, unless there’s an unexpected slide.

Running back is another position that can be addressed later in the draft- I hope that Estimé’s pedestrian 40 time means he’s still available in round five.

A competent kicker is a priority: hopefully we grab our guy with one of our compensatory picks at the end of round five.

My sleeper is Kiran Amegadjie. If we don’t get Alt or Fashanu, I would love to see us draft him but I doubt he lasts to 83.

 

[Ramstien]

I'm looking for the Rams to take the top DT with their first round pick.

 

[AvengerRam]

I'm looking for the Rams to take the top DT with their first round pick.

Okay…who do you think that is (Murphy? Newton?) and do you say this because you think he’ll be the BPA, or is it purely a need pick?

 

[Badfinger]

Subject to change, but right now I say if either Latu or Verse drop to 19, you take em. I feel like Verse will be there, and be a Ram.

If they're both gone, and BTJR is there, you take him. In an ordinary year, he's a top-10 talent.

If all three are gone, and the top 2 corners are as well, trade down. Wiggins is too light in the ass. DeJean is interesting...

Outside of the top 2, none of the tackles move the needle for me. You can get one later without too much drop off.

There are several intriguing RBs, 3rd-5th rounds. Rams should get one. Kyren gets dinged up.

My sleeper is Omar Speights, MLB LSU

 

[PhillyRam]

I'm looking for the Rams to take the top DT with their first round pick.

Hopefully only after a trade down.

 

[Ramstien]

Okay…who do you think that is (Murphy? Newton?) and do you say this because you think he’ll be the BPA, or is it purely a need pick?

I'm not sure which one would be the best fit and this is a need pick.

 

[snackdaddy]

Before Aaron Donald's retirement my first choice was edge rusher. Whoever the best available. Latu was who I hoped for. If not edge then CB. Someone like DeJean.

Now I'm thinking I'd like to see Byron Murphy. There will never be another Aaron Donald. But Murphy seems to be the best bet to play that position. Newton would be another guy. I've read that some think Newton has the higher ceiling but Murphy might be the safer pick.

Whatever the case I really hope its one those 3 positions. DT, edge or CB.

 

[Flatlyner]

Here are 10 questions I'm contemplating as we approach the draft:

1. The Laitu Latu question(s). Really a two-parter: (a) will he be there at #19, and (b) if so, will it be because of medical red flags? If the answers are (a) yes, and (b) no (and the other two top EDGE rushers, Dallas Turner and Jared Verse are, as I expect them to be, gone), he's my guy.

2. If the three top EDGE rushers are gone, I'm leaning toward a CB. The question here is, which of the top guys will make it to No. 19? My top guys are (1) Quinyon Mitchell, (2) Terrion Arnold, (3) DeJean Cooper, (4) Kool-Aid McKinstry (rising due to Pro Day performance), (5t) Ennis Rakestraw and Nate Wiggins.

3. Is there an OT who could drop to No. 19 and tempt me? While the Rams like AJ Jackson enough to tender him, they have not locked him in long term. If, say... a Troy Fautanu drops to No. 19, could the Rams (at the risk of making fans expecting defense scream "no!!!!") add another piece to the OL?

4. Same question for WRs. If, say, Brian Thomas, Jr., is still there at No. 19, could the Rams add another weapon?

5. The only other guy I see as a possible No. 19 target is Byron Murphy, II. My question is, do the Rams feel (as I do), that he's unlikely to be the BPA and taking him would be more of a knee-jerk reaction to Aaron Donald's retirement?

6. Back to the WRs... with such a deep class, will the Rams use one of their Day 2 picks to secure the long-term strength of the position?

7. At RB, I think the question isn't will the Rams take one. The questions are when and who? I'm hoping for Dylan Laube in Round 5.

8. Are the Rams targeting an ILB to supplant Christian Rozeboom? There are some Day 2 prospects I like (Edgerrin Cooper, Junior Colson), but I could see this being a spot that is addressed later (maybe Marist Luifau or Jaylan Ford).

9. Will we solve the PK issue in the draft?

10. Who is this draft's sleeper? My current candidate: Jonah Ellis, EDGE, Utah.

1. IMO, if he is there at 19 it means several teams have red flagged him due to medicals and he might be a high risk pick. A shame because he is excellent and perfect for us.

2. I'm only leaning CB if Arnold or Mitchell are there. I still love DeJean but his injury has me waffling a bit and thinking his value is in the 20s. Outside of those 2, Murphy is high on my list.

3. Outside of Alt, no OT tempts me at 19. Ajax is fine for this Superbowl run season.

4. I'd pass, but I'm pretty much dying on the hill for defense in 1st round.

5. I feel he is BPA at 19 and I think the NFL will agree with me, as he gets picked before 19

6. I wouldn't be against taking one in the 3rd. Its a ridiculously deep WR class, can't say the same about several positions of need we have. The later 3rd preferably.

7. I'm hoping for Lloyd, would hope we could somehow get him in 4th (if we acquire a pick that is)

8. I'm honestly more and more intrigued by taking Cooper in the 2nd and using him on edge and inside. I know its been referenced a bunch, but, why couldn't we use him like Parsons? He might be the best edge on the board in the 2nd. He might be a better edge then Robinson, in fact I think it likely.

9. Yes please. With no movement on PK in free agency, you have think we address it here.

10. TBD. I haven't finished looking through the full class.

 

[8to12]

Regarding #1 and few others ...... I have noticed some guys like Joel Klatt say that as long as they have been covering the Draft, this may be the most dominant Offensive 1st round he has ever seen. With that said, I have seen maybe 9-10 mocks where Latu is available @ 19 and a couple of times where both Verse and Latu are there @ 19. I think Klatt's latest mock doesn't even have Latu in the first round. 22 of the 32 picks are offense.
7) RB: I'm hoping the Rams shoot for Jaylen Wright in the 3rd round. If not, Kendall Milton or Frank Gore Jr in the 6th would be great. I think both are capable of carrying the workload if Williams goes down for a couple of games ; they are stout runners that can pass protect.
5) #19 ?? If Latu is not available, I'm hoping for the BPA on either D_line or O-line. I'm hoping they hold off on CB or WR in the First round.
8) ILB: I'm hoping for a good Coverage LB ..... there should be a few good ones in the 5th or 6th round. Steele Chambers (Ohio St), Edefuan Ulofoshio (Washington), Jordan Magee (Temple)
10) Draft Sleeper?
Defense: CB Jarrion Jones - Florida St
Offense: WR Jaxon Janke - So Dakota St ........ promoting a couple of players for my next Mock

 

[Loyal]

I watched some Latu highlight plays at UCLA and he looks like just what we need. Don't know about the health issues but he was cleared to play last year. The additions at Safety and CB won't matter a whole lot if there is no pressure on the QB. There is no replacing AD this year that I can see, but we need pressure on the QB and an elite edge can do that where a run stuffer at DT won't matter nearly as much. IMO

 

[El Chapo Jr]

I know that replacing AD is very tempting, but it ain't gonna be easy. Not sure that we'll go after a DT before edge or cornerback since those are more premium positions. The one guy I'd wanna get as my sleeper if we don't pick one early at the DT position is Khristian Boyd from UNI. Apparently has good burst and used his hands well. He did extremely well at the Senior Bowl too. I've noticed that good hand usage goes a long way in the NFL vs raw talent.

 

[Merlin]

I watched some Latu highlight plays at UCLA and he looks like just what we need. Don't know about the health issues but he was cleared to play last year. The additions at Safety and CB won't matter a whole lot if there is no pressure on the QB. There is no replacing AD this year that I can see, but we need pressure on the QB and an elite edge can do that where a run stuffer at DT won't matter nearly as much. IMO

It will kill me a little inside if he's there and we pass on him. Just like it will if he goes to Seattle just some picks up the board because he's one of those guys I expect to have a fine career in the NFL. But I think we may see 5 QBs go off the board. Probably a run on tackles. So who knows maybe the Rams have a choice which edge they want and take one who doesn't have a medical concern.

Edge would be great to fill right at the outset, either way. Then CB and DT hopefully in those remaining 3 picks we have up top and we're looking at a much improved defense. If they want to really get crazy then another safety for the mix and maybe an ILB upgrade for next to Jones. I want to see big investment in that side of the ball. I'm a fan who favors having a strong defense, I hate getting run on and love three 'n outs to give Stafford more looks at the opposing defense.

 

[gogoat1]

No need pick its BPA. Rams are in a good enough place to take the best player.

 

[Ramstien]

Pick the BPA based on needs not just the BPA!

 

[Haden]

I am all onboard with getting a quality kicker

 

[AvengerRam]

Pick the BPA based on needs not just the BPA!

If the best player isn’t at the top position of need, you have to decide which approach to utilize.

Aye…there’s the rub.

 

[PARAM]

Okay…who do you think that is (Murphy? Newton?) and do you say this because you think he’ll be the BPA, or is it purely a need pick?

I don't know if he would be BPA....certainly has a chance to be.....but I don't know if he's not BPA and they take him, he's "purely" a need pick. Sure he would be a "need pick" but he may be in the top 3 or 4 left on their list. And let's say, for shits and giggles, the other 2 or 3 are WR, QB, OL. It might be called a "need pick" but it would be a wise one (IMHO). The best way to avoid taking somebody #3 on your remaining list, resulting in experts calling it a need pick, is trade down a couple slots. I've always been of the mind take who you like, no matter what slot it happens to be.

There are 32 NFL Big Boards, Mel Effing Kiper and another 20 in the media. I feel it's pretty safe to say, none are duplicates of another. "Reaches", "Need picks" and "BPA" are all labels used to criticize or defend a choice. If I were a GM (and thank god I'm not) I would take 1 of the top 5 ranked players on my board who fills the biggest need. And that varies from team to media to fans. We all believe Edge and CB are our top needs. Are they? Many years we thought OL was our biggest need (C in particular) and for a few years they said, "no we have him in house". I can't argue with success.

 

[AvengerRam]

I don't know if he would be BPA....certainly has a chance to be.....but I don't know if he's not BPA and they take him, he's "purely" a need pick. Sure he would be a "need pick" but he may be in the top 3 or 4 left on their list. And let's say, for shits and giggles, the other 2 or 3 are WR, QB, OL. It might be called a "need pick" but it would be a wise one (IMHO). The best way to avoid taking somebody #3 on your remaining list, resulting in experts calling it a need pick, is trade down a couple slots. I've always been of the mind take who you like, no matter what slot it happens to be.

There are 32 NFL Big Boards, Mel Effing Kiper and another 20 in the media. I feel it's pretty safe to say, none are duplicates of another. "Reaches", "Need picks" and "BPA" are all labels used to criticize or defend a choice. If I were a GM (and thank god I'm not) I would take 1 of the top 5 ranked players on my board who fills the biggest need. And that varies from team to media to fans. We all believe Edge and CB are our top needs. Are they? Many years we thought OL was our biggest need (C in particular) and for a few years they said, "no we have him in house". I can't argue with success.

The terms “best” and “need” are both subjective and speculative, and differ from team to team.

The question is…what is the primary motivation when making a selection? If a team takes the top guy on THEIR board, regardless of position, that’s a BPA pick. If they skip over their top guy and prioritize another position, that’s a need pick.

My personal view is that, at pick #19, there will likely be prospects (particularly at CB) who I rank higher than any DT in this draft. If it were my choice, I’d just take the best guy and revisit DT (and other need positions) on Day 2.

 

[PARAM]

The terms “best” and “need” are both subjective and speculative, and differ from team to team.

The question is…what is the primary motivation when making a selection? If a team takes the top guy on THEIR board, regardless of position, that’s a BPA pick. If they skip over their top guy and prioritize another position, that’s a need pick.

My personal view is that, at pick #19, there will likely be prospects (particularly at CB) who I rank higher than any DT in this draft. If it were my choice, I’d just take the best guy and revisit DT (and other need positions) on Day 2.

And may differ from round to round.

I don't know what the primary motivation is for any selection. BPA has become somewhat of a fallacy since the rookie cap. BPA by who's standards? After QB, the most important position in the NFL, I don't believe that you can truly determine BPA between a WR and a DE/Edge or between a DT and a RB or a CB and ILB. People may "say" they can but I'd like to see the process explained as to why.

Who's the BPA....Harrison or Latu? Nabers or Latu? Nabers or Fashanu? When you're talking about different positions doesn't the impact of those positions come into play? And a team, like Tennessee (ala Vrabel era) who want to grind and pound the ball on the ground, WR and LT might not be as impactful as C, G or RB. And a team like Miami, right now....WR and LT are probably 1 & 2 behind Tua. New England under Belichick put a premium on defensive players. They acquired their WRs via trade or free agency, often trading down or out of round 1.

How do teams "stack their board"? Is there truly a difference between those top guys or is it like Snead said, "buckets of players"? I think we get hung up on BPA. Not only the similarities in talent but scheme fit and need, not to mention the extreme differences between positions. Like it or not, need plays a huge role in the selection, as it should.

I find it difficult to believe anybody can rank a CB over a LT or an Edge over a WR. Especially the deeper you get in the draft. What I find particularly amusing is there's a BIG BOARD.....but the mocksters assign selections based on need. Everybody says Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison, Jr are 1 and 1a on everybody's board. So why do they mock QB going off the board from 1 to 3? Isn't Harrison better than the next 2 QBs? Because they "need" a QB. And somebody may "need" a LT over a WR. And somebody else may "need" a C over LT or Edge.