The Los Angeles Rams took a very sensible approach to the 2024 NFL draft, similar to the way they did last year. They didn’t reach for flashy picks at skill positions outside of the selection of Blake Corum, instead targeting players in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
There’s a clear motivation to become a more physical team rather than a finesse one, and this draft class certainly accomplishes that. It’s also interesting that the Rams didn’t draft a quarterback, cornerback or left tackle, nor did they take a tight end. Those were viewed as fringe needs for Los Angeles, but the team clearly feels good about all four spots.
Here’s what we took away from the Rams’ draft class, which featured 10 picks.
There was a common theme with the majority of the Rams’ picks. They clearly targeted experienced, high-character players who were either seniors, team captains or showed leadership qualities in college. Most of their picks were at least 23 years old, too, so they see those prospects as guys who can be early contributors as rookies in 2024.
This isn’t to say the Rams ignore talented players who aren’t captains or seniors, but they put an emphasis on finding the right types of prospects who fit their culture – a culture epitomized by the phrase, “we not me.”
The Rams lost Aaron Donald this offseason, which hurts badly, but they aren’t going to lose the mentality of being tone-setters up front on defense. In fact, the entire defense is full of players who will come up and lay the wood, playing with great physicality on that side of the ball. All of the defenders they drafted this week fit that mold, too.
Jared Verse plays with a motor that never stops, using his speed to generate power on the edge when taking on blockers. Brennan Jackson plays with a similar style, never giving up on a play and blowing up ballcarriers in the run game. The same goes for Braden Fiske and Tyler Davis on the interior of the defensive line.
The Rams are going to be an aggressive defense that plays hard and rallies to the ball.
Shula is replacing Raheem Morris as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, which are some big shoes to fill. The Rams helped him out a bit by spending five of their 10 picks on defensive players, including four guys along the front seven.
While not all of them will be starters from the jump, they’ll all have a chance to compete for reps and supplant the veterans ahead of them – except for possibly Brennan Jackson. Verse should start right away, Fiske should get a lot of snaps alongside Kobie Turner and Kamren Kinchens could from Day 1 next to Kamren Curl.
Shula is behind the eight ball with Donald out of the picture, but the Rams made sure to give him young playmakers who can not only contribute early on, but for the next few years.
The selection of Blake Corum at No. 83 overall came as somewhat of a surprise, given the team’s more pressing needs outside of running back. However, that pick signifies the Rams’ goal on offense: to be a run-heavy group that leans on the ground game rather than airing it out.
We already saw some semblance of that last year when Kyren Williams was healthy and getting 20-plus touches a game, and it’ll be even more evident next year with Corum in the mix and the offensive line filled with maulers like Jonah Jackson, Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson.
It’s not that the Rams don’t trust Matthew Stafford or want him to throw it 50 times a game. They just want to be a balanced offense that can set the tone and beat teams in multiple ways. Like the pick or not, Williams and Corum is a solid tandem.
Whether it’s because Stafford wants more guaranteed money in the next few years or because the Rams are supremely confident he can stay healthy for the foreseeable future, drafting a quarterback was not on the team’s to-do list. The Rams left the draft without a rookie quarterback, which is perfectly fine.
We don’t know if there were players they loved but didn’t get the chance to draft, but they weren’t motivated enough to trade up for a passer, so that should give you an idea of how they feel about their quarterback group. It’s also a good sign for Stetson Bennett, who’s back with the team.
Though the Rams took two offensive linemen, both of them are interior players. They didn’t take an offensive tackle, which is good news for Jackson, Joe Noteboom and even Rob Havenstein.
Jackson is projected to remain the starting left tackle for the second year in a row, and as long as Noteboom doesn’t beat him out in camp, he should be in the starting lineup come Week 1. He’s on a one-year deal so the Rams may need a new left tackle next year, but for now, they’re rolling with Jackson.
After signing Tre’Davious White and Darious Williams in free agency, the Rams opted not to select a cornerback in the draft. Cobie Durant, Tre Tomlinson and Derion Kendrick should be happy because it gives them a much better chance to make the team. None of the three is projected to be a starter right now, which means White and Williams will start outside with Quentin Lake likely in the slot.
At safety, it’s looking like Kamren Curl and either Kamren Kinchens or Russ Yeast will be the starters. The secondary is just about set as of now, though things could change once the pads come on.
After finding no consistency or reliability at kicker with Brett Maher and Lucas Havrisik, the Rams are doing what they can to make sure they have some stability at that all-important position on special teams in 2024. They drafted Joshua Karty in the sixth round, the second kicker off the board this year.
Karty was accurate from 40-plus yards, making 24 of 27 attempts since 2022, and he also has a career-long of 61 yards. There’s no guarantee he’ll pan out in the NFL, but the Rams are making a much greater effort to find a kicker this year than they did in 2023.