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Fifth time’s the charm, right? Not for the Rams when it comes to addressing their shaky offensive line and linebacker group.
They’ve made five picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, and not one of them has been an offensive lineman or linebacker. There were options available every step of the way, including Troy Dye, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Matt Hennessy, Josh Jones and Lloyd Cushenberry, but the Rams passed up those options in favor of skill-position players – like the one they took at No. 136.
After trading down 10 spots with Dye still on the board, the Rams selected Purdue tight end Brycen Hopkins with the 136th overall pick. After the pick was announced, the overwhelming reaction from Rams fans was: “Why?”
It’s hard to make sense of the Rams trading away from Dye and passing on Tyler Biadasz in the fourth round, but Hopkins is an intriguing prospect. He has great size at 6-4, 245 pounds,but also excellent movement skills after running a 4.66 40-yard dash.
Compared to the other tight ends in this class, he’s got as much potential as any. Pro Football Focus called him the “most fun to watch” tight end in the draft, showcasing explosiveness and making great catches downfield – something not all tight ends can do.
But there is one big concern with Hopkins’ game: His hands are questionable, at best. He dropped 22 passes on 152 catchable targets, which is an atrocious rate, to say the least.
I debated not including this category at all because it’s not a particularly fun tight end group to watch. However, Hopkins is fun to watch because he’s a wild card. He’ll alternate spectacular catches and downfield grabs with shockingly easy drops. If drops weren’t an issue, he’d likely be at the top of the PFF board, but who wants a tight end they can’t rely on? His 22 drops on 152 career catchable are massively concerning.
There’s no denying Hopkins’ potential, but his immediate fit in the Rams’ offense isn’t great. They already have two starting-caliber tight ends with Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett. So how exactly will Hopkins carve out a role as a rookie? Most likely, he won’t.
Instead, he’ll be a replacement for Everett, who’s a free agent in 2021. It seems highly unlikely that the Rams will re-sign him after extending Higbee last year and drafting Hopkins on Saturday.
So while the Rams need immediate help on the offensive line and at linebacker, they selected a player who won’t contribute much until 2021. That’s the issue with the pick, not the player.