The 2025 NFL Pre-Draft General Talk

[Ram_Rally]

I don’t think Burden goes in round one.

I think his range is maybe the widest in the draft. Talent wise I think he's WR2 in The class. Then there's questions about why he was used at Missouri the way he was, why he wasn't engaged when not getting the ball, so on and so forth.

 

[Ram_Rally]

Lots of rumblings about media types being higher on him than teams. Lack of effort down to down, lack of route tree, poor performance outside of slot, manufactured touches, no blocking, 2023 tape better than 2024, and one needs to ask why.

But his YAC and speed is undeniable.

Maybe it's all BS. With a class that's more fat at WR in the mid rounds than long with depth, it will be curious to see where he lands but I struggle to mock him in the 1st with superior players at multiple positions including WR available.

Yeah I agree with all that you said. It's a hard draft to get a feel for. But it's all about upside for me. His 2023 tape was top 10 pick level. The 24 stuff was hit or miss, but that QB was horrible and it changed his usage.

 

[Ram_Rally]

I'm not worried about the top two. I already figured Warren is off the board due to the weakness at the top of this class. The Michigan kid I could care less about, as I think he's more Ed McCaffrey than anything else.

But what irks me is the guys who should be available to the 20-40 range might be overdrafted, that maybe we can't even perform a slight reach on Taylor because maybe some other dipshit team reaches for him higher.

Of course we are in good shape because our decision makers have a good handle and vision on these guys. But it just irks me that we may get steered away from a position once again that we never get to see filled with a stud option. It's always projects and middling draft pick bullshit additions that fail to pan out.

McVay has not shown an ability to draft TE well. So I would prefer he gets a dude like Taylor or Ferguson in the 20s or after a slight drop down than taking one of the more project types later on.

I'm also concerned how Mcvay uses them. Doesn't seem he prioritizes them much. Which is fine. He's had top offenses without a consistent tight end. But it makes you wonder if he should prioritize drafting one if he doesn't typically use them.

 

[Mojo Ram]

I am so fucking tired of being on the outside looking in with the top TE options. Every fucking year man.

I know you are are, lol. I am as well. You’ve been wanting an elite TE for years dude.

For me, I feel like I could make an argument that many of the players we have on defense have a better chance of turning a turnover into a house call than ANY of the offensive skill guys we’ve been rolling out there for the last several years.

I’m fucking tired of the overachieving try hard types who aren’t special athletically and need scheme to make a big play.

No offense at all to Nacua who is awesome. I don’t want an entire skill group of Nacua’s though.

I want Emmitt Smith 2.0

 

[WestCoastRam]

I know you are are, lol. I am as well. You’ve been wanting an elite TE for years dude.

For me, I feel like I could make an argument that many of the players we have on defense have a better chance of turning a turnover into a house call than ANY of the offensive skill guys we’ve been rolling out there for the last several years.

I’m fucking tired of the overachieving try hard types who aren’t special athletically and need scheme to make a big play.

No offense at all to Nacua who is awesome. I don’t want an entire skill group of Nacua’s though.

I want Emmitt Smith 2.0

We should probably try to get Golden.

 

[jjab360]

I know you are are, lol. I am as well. You’ve been wanting an elite TE for years dude.

For me, I feel like I could make an argument that many of the players we have on defense have a better chance of turning a turnover into a house call than ANY of the offensive skill guys we’ve been rolling out there for the last several years.

I’m fucking tired of the overachieving try hard types who aren’t special athletically and need scheme to make a big play.

No offense at all to Nacua who is awesome. I don’t want an entire skill group of Nacua’s though.

I want Emmitt Smith 2.0

Idk about that I would love an entire skill group of Nacuas lol. To be fair to Nacua though I think he's proven he doesn't have to be schemed open to make a play.

 

[dang]

Idk about that. I haven't heard any of the usual draft pundits saying this anyway. They seem to agree that he's a first round guy.

Consensus saying very early 2nd round.

 

[Memento]

Yeah I agree with all that you said. It's a hard draft to get a feel for. But it's all about upside for me. His 2023 tape was top 10 pick level. The 24 stuff was hit or miss, but that QB was horrible and it changed his usage.

That quarterback was injured all year, and he wasn't the best when healthy. Burden was hurt all year, and he played through it.

 

[Ram_Rally]

Consensus saying very early 2nd round.

Pretty close

 

[Ram_Rally]

That quarterback was injured all year, and he wasn't the best when healthy. Burden was hurt all year, and he played through it.

We've been on the same page with this one all year it seems.

 

[Memento]

We've been on the same page with this one all year it seems.

Been on the LB3 to the Rams all year, every year.

 

[Merlin]

I'm also concerned how Mcvay uses them. Doesn't seem he prioritizes them much. Which is fine. He's had top offenses without a consistent tight end. But it makes you wonder if he should prioritize drafting one if he doesn't typically use them.

He hasn't had good quality at the position. Everyone goes on about how much he loves 11 personnel, but to me it just is an acceptance our TE position sucks ballsack. Even during our title run the pieces he had to use were subpar as fuck. We were relying on JAGs and to their credit they delivered some contributions, but this offense is lacking at the position and has been for some time.

Higs is an in-line TE who can do some things in the pass game when defenses forget about him. But there is going to be a need this year for someone to own that middle of the field in possession. Who will that be. Nacua? That's the rumor. But he gets hurt like Kupp did due to his style of play.

I think that role is a big time need for this offense. To the point where I could see the Rams prioritizing it even if it means a slight reach.

 

[DzRams]

...why he wasn't engaged when not getting the ball...

Can there be a good answer to this question?

I've been wrong plenty of times so could be wildly off base here but a player with any degree of non-engagement when not getting the ball seems by definition an anti-McVay player. That characteristic violates the "We Not Me" culture and the "passionately loves football" rule. I'll be shocked if the Rams draft him.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

He hasn't had good quality at the position. Everyone goes on about how much he loves 11 personnel, but to me it just is an acceptance our TE position sucks ballsack. Even during our title run the pieces he had to use were subpar as fuck. We were relying on JAGs and to their credit they delivered some contributions, but this offense is lacking at the position and has been for some time.

Higs is an in-line TE who can do some things in the pass game when defenses forget about him. But there is going to be a need this year for someone to own that middle of the field in possession. Who will that be. Nacua? That's the rumor. But he gets hurt like Kupp did due to his style of play.

I think that role is a big time need for this offense. To the point where I could see the Rams prioritizing it even if it means a slight reach.

The draft is short on stars. If players from 10 to 50 are all similar in quality is there such a thing as a slight reach when drafting at 26?

 

[Ram_Rally]

Can there be a good answer to this question?

I've been wrong plenty of times so could be wildly off base here but a player with any degree of non-engagement when not getting the ball seems by definition an anti-McVay player. That characteristic violates the "We Not Me" culture and the "passionately loves football" rule. I'll be shocked if the Rams draft him.

kind of apples to oranges but Odell Beckham wasn't either.

 

[DzRams]

kind of apples to oranges but Odell Beckham wasn't either.

Not seeing how it's apples to oranges or how OBJ is a good example. OBJ was a diva personality wise but he didn't take plays off. All you got on the field was passion and effort on a down to down basis.

 

[rdlkgliders]

Tight End is a really tough position on this team.
McSnead inherited Higbee, other than that the draft and FA’s have been misses. Albeit we have had little capitol but it just may be the worst evaluated position by the F.O so far

OK LB may give it a run for the money

Point being is the TE position is a real enigma when it comes to this staff

 

[dang]

Pretty close

Close but not ideal. BPA at R1.26 will not be Luther Burden. BPA at R2.35 could be Burden.

 

[Ram_Rally]

Not seeing how it's apples to oranges or how OBJ is a good example. OBJ was a diva personality wise but he didn't take plays off. All you got on the field was passion and effort on a down to down basis.

Oh okay I wasn't sure if that example wouldn't count haha. But Odell did quit on the browns. Which would seem to be the opposite of 'we not me'

 

[Ram_Rally]

Close but not ideal. BPA at R1.26 will not be Luther Burden. BPA at R2.35 could be Burden.

Well that I don't necessarily agree with. If Burden ends up in the second round it will be due to anything but his ability. In terms of pure BPA he's one of the 10 best players in the class.