The NFL draft is one of the most unpredictable events in sports, which is part of the reason it’s so popular each and every year. The Rams have a lot of options with 11 total picks in the 2024 draft, so they could move up from No. 19, pick the top prospect available or move down to accumulate more picks.
In Chad Reuter’s new four-round mock draft for NFL.com, the Rams get a little crazy. He has them trading back from No. 19 to 32 in a deal with the Chiefs, which nets Los Angeles an extra second-round pick .
From there, the Rams draft Illinois DT Johnny Newton at No. 32, a viable fill-in for Aaron Donald on the interior of the defensive line. As one of the top defensive tackles in the class, this would be a terrific pick by the Rams following Donald’s retirement.
General manager Les Snead stated on The Season with Peter Schrager podcast that there’s no one “on the planet” like Aaron Donald, who retired last week. No one expects Newton — or anyone else — to replace Donald. The Illinois product just needs to be his disruptive self. And don’t be surprised if the Rams trade out Round 1, making it eight straight years without a first-round pick for the franchise.
At No. 52, the Rams take Georgia safety Javon Bullard, followed by Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace at No. 64 to finish out Round 2.
Here’s where things get really wild. In the third round, the Rams take Arkansas kicker Cam Little at No. 99 overall. Yes, a kicker in Round 3. Even for a team desperate to find a reliable kicker, that’s extremely early to draft a specialist, no matter how accurate he was in college. Earlier in Round 3 (No. 83), they took Jalyx Hunt, an edge rusher out of Houston Christian University.
So here’s the full haul in NFL.com’s mock.
- Round 1, No. 32: DT Johnny Newton, Illinois
- Round 2, No. 52: S Javon Bullard, Georgia
- Round 2, No. 64: LB Trevin Wallace, Kentucky
- Round 3, No. 83: OLB Jalyx Hunt, Houston Christian University
- Round 3, No. 99: K Cam Little, Arkansas
While the selections of Newton and Bullard would probably make fans happy, the picks later in this mock would not. It’s hard to imagine the Rams taking a kicker in the third round, especially with their needs at wide receiver, offensive tackle, cornerback and multiple other positions.
Stranger things have happened, but fans should not expect the Rams to take a kicker that early.