On paper, the Rams’ 2023 draft class looks pretty good. They bolstered the offensive line, added a trio of pass rushers, as well as three playmakers on offense. There’s still a lot to sort out on their roster before the season begins but at least the depth improved considerably thanks to their 14 drafted rookies.
Experts mostly like what the Rams managed to do in the draft, giving them grades that range from a C+ to an A-. USA TODAY’s Nate Davis graded every draft class and ranked them from best to worst and he put the Rams in the top half of the league.
He gave the Rams a B grade and ranked them 12th in the NFL.
Bad as last season was, the 2021 trade for QB Matthew Stafford was worth it – and the Super Bowl 56 champs are now scheduled to make their first Round 1 pick since 2016 … next year. This draft was mostly about replenishing needed depth, though second-round G Steve Avila should be a plug-and-play starter. Should be fun watching fourth-round QB Stetson Bennett, a UGA alum like Stafford, proving he can play at this level during the preseason.
At the very least, the Rams need to get two starters from this draft class. Steve Avila should be one, and either Byron Young or Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson could be another. Players such as Kobie Turner, Warren McCLendon Jr. and Ochaun Mathis might need to wait before getting significant playing time, but the Rams’ draft haul was more about 2024 and 2025 than it was this season.
They’re in rebuild mode, even if they won’t say so, looking ahead to the following two-plus years when they’ll have a much better chance to compete for a championship again.
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