Tag: rams draft

What does Rams’ interest in TEs mean for Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee?

The Rams are meeting with tight end prospects, which could spell bad news for Everett or Higbee.

Hints can always be taken based on which prospects teams are meeting with leading up to the NFL draft. For the Los Angeles Rams, two positions have stood out as somewhat surprising.

Not only did they meet with a handful of running backs at the combine last month, but they’re also showing a clear interest in tight ends. In recent months, they’ve met with several players at the position, both draft prospects and free agents.

The Rams reportedly discussed signing Jordan Reed, who was released by the Redskins this offseason after clearing the league’s concussion protocol. They met with Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins at the Senior Bowl before he put together an impressive performance at the combine. And just this week, they met with two more tight ends in the Pacific Northwest: Oregon’s Jacob Breeland and Oregon State’s Noah Togiai.

It’s obvious the Rams are interested in adding reinforcements to the tight end room, even if not for a high cost in free agency or early in the draft. So what does this all mean for their current group of tight ends? That’s a good question.

Tyler Higbee finished the 2019 season with a stunningly productive stretch of five games, topping 100 yards in four of them. In total, Higbee caught 69 passes for 734 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Gerald Everett ended the year in a very different way. After injuring his knee in Week 11 against the Ravens, Everett didn’t catch a pass the rest of the season. He missed three games and played just four offensive snaps in the final two weeks as the Rams kept him on the sidelines. His final tally? In 13 games, he caught 37 passes for 408 yards and two touchdowns.

Higbee and Everett entered the 2020 offseason in polar opposite ways. Higbee finished on a high note, while Everett’s 2019 season couldn’t have ended much worse. Higbee just signed a four-year extension in September, while Everett has just one year left on his rookie deal.

On the surface, the Rams’ interest in tight ends would seem to put Everett’s future with the team in jeopardy. He’s younger, has a more intriguing skill set and is entering the final year of his contract. And given the way the Rams handled the position at the end of the 2019 season, it’s clear they feel good about Higbee.

But if the Rams are determined to free up cap space, there’s no mistaking which players offers more potential savings by being cut or traded.

If the Rams trade Higbee, they’ll save $6.2 million in cap space this year. If they deal Everett, the savings will only be $1.3 million. The Rams would save the same amount by cutting Everett, but releasing Higbee would only save them $200,000; that’s not really an option.

Could it be possible that the Rams featured Higbee so heavily late in the year to drive up his trade value? Two years ago, the were reportedly trying to get a sixth-rounder for him. Surely, the price has gone up after his breakout season. The Rams could probably get a fifth-rounder for Higbee now, if not a fourth.

As for Everett’s trade value, it’s difficult to gauge. He’s younger and a former second-round pick, but a team will only be getting one season out of him if he doesn’t sign an extension.

The Rams’ interest in tight ends doesn’t mean either player will be traded or cut. It could just be them doing their due diligence ahead of the draft in the event that one of their targets slides on Day 3.

But it’d be silly to ignore their interest in the position, given the number of players they’ve looked at.

Rams met with athletic Oregon State TE Noah Togiai

The Rams are looking into this year’s group of tight end prospects.

The Los Angeles Rams announced on Thursday that they won’t be meeting with any prospects before the draft, nor will they host any as part of their 30 allotted pre-draft visits. This, of course, in response to the coronavirus outbreak, which has halted just about every sporting event in the country.

However, the Rams met with a pair of tight ends in Oregon on Wednesday before that change was made, including one who played two sports in college. On the same night they visited Oregon tight end Jacob Breeland, the Rams also met with Oregon State’s Noah Togiai.

Togiai went through a workout Thursday as part of the school’s pro day and he posted some impressive numbers, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Toiai was a guard at Oregon State as a freshman in 2015-2016, though he only played two games. In February 2016, he committed to football and left the basketball team that he walked onto.

It wasn’t until his redshirt sophomore year in 2017 that he got significant playing time, catching 34 passes for 461 yards and two touchdowns, leading the team in receptions and yards. In 2018, he caught just 10 passes for 77 yards, but last season, he played 12 games and caught 44 passes for 406 yards and three touchdowns to put himself on the draft map.

Though he didn’t attend the combine, Togiai is an intriguing prospect leading up to the draft, showing good explosiveness and an ability to work the seam.

He does need to work on his hands, quickness and blocking, but as a developmental prospect, his skill set has potential.

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With only 6 picks, Rams are once again poised to trade down in draft

Laying out a few trade-down scenarios for the Rams in the draft.

Rams general manager Les Snead has never been shy about his infatuation for third- and fourth-round picks, once again emphasizing the value of them this year when discussing the compensatory pick formula. With the Rams set to lose at least two or three starters in free agency, he knows third- and fourth-round compensatory picks are coming their way in 2021 – which elicited this comment from the GM.

“Third-rounders can lead to John Johnsons and Cooper Kupps and last year, Bobby Evans was a third-rounder and ended up helping us late. I always say, extra third- and fourth-rounders can be very beneficial,” he said recently.

The Rams come into the 2020 draft with only six total picks, three of which are in the top 105: 52, 84 and 104. The 104th overall pick is a compensatory selection at the end of the third round, a bonus after the team was projected to only get a fourth-rounder.

The rest of L.A.’s picks come at Nos. 126, 199 and 234, the latter two of which won’t be much help to the team in 2020. The Rams’ six total picks are tied for the second-fewest in the NFL, only one more than the Chiefs’ and Saints’ five.

With limited draft capital this year, Snead is poised to work his magic again, waving his wand and turning six picks into nine or 10. Just last year, the Rams went into the draft with seven picks, including just one in the top 90. After it was all said and done, they made selections at No. 61, 70, and 79, leaving the draft with eight picks.

In 2018, they had eight picks. Snead turned those eight selections into 11 rookies, including five in the first five rounds. The return has been minimal on the 2018 draft class, but the more darts you have to throw, the more likely you are to hit.

Given their recent history, it seems probable that the Rams are going to trade down from the 52nd overall pick in order to add more picks. But what are some possible scenarios? Let’s lay a few out, based on the trade value chart.

Rams trade No. 52 to:

  • Dolphins for picks 56, 154 and 185
  • Seahawks for picks 59, 133 and 162
  • Ravens for picks 60 and 106
  • Chiefs for picks 63 and 96

Obviously, these aren’t the only scenarios, but they are possible ones. The Dolphins are the most likely team to come up, holding 14 picks in the draft, which is probably more than they’ll be able to fit on their 53-man roster.

The Seahawks are usually like the Rams in the fact that they prefer to trade down rather than up, but with two picks in each of the second and fourth rounds, perhaps a move up is in the cards.

The Ravens and Chiefs already have loaded rosters, so going up to get a player they covet in the second round could be worth the price it’ll cost to make it happen.

If you’re banking on the Rams making a pick at No. 52, you should probably rethink it. A trade down is likely in order.

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Complete order of Rams’ picks in 2020 NFL Draft

The Rams will have three picks in the top-105, but none in the first or fifth rounds.

The NFL handed out compensatory picks to 15 teams on Tuesday, giving those franchises extra draft selections for their losses in free agency last year. The Rams were among the 15 teams to receive compensatory picks, being awarded one in the third round.

With no other picks coming the Rams’ way, their full order of picks has been set for the 2020 draft. Here’s where they will pick in Vegas when the big weekend takes place from April 23-25.

  • Round 2, No. 52
  • Round 3, No. 84
  • Round 3, No. 104 (compensatory)
  • Round 4, No. 126
  • Round 6, No. 199
  • Round 7, No. 234

The Rams don’t have their first-round pick this year as a result of the Jalen Ramsey trade they made in October. That pick would have been at No. 20 overall, which is where the Jaguars are picking.

They’re also without a fifth-rounder after they made several trades involving picks in that round. Their original fifth-round pick (No. 165) went to the Jaguars in the Dante Fowler Jr. trade from 2018. The fifth-rounder they got from the Ravens for Marcus Peters was then traded to the Dolphins in the Aqib Talib deal.

In total, the Rams have three top-105 picks and six total. Given Les Snead’s willingness to wheel and deal, though, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rams move down from No. 52 to add more picks in the middle rounds.

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Rams awarded 3rd-round compensatory pick in 2020 NFL Draft

The Rams will have an extra pick in the third round this year.

The Los Angeles Rams will have one extra pick in the 2020 NFL Draft thanks to the departures of their free agents last offseason. The NFL announced Tuesday that the Rams have been awarded one compensatory pick in this year’s draft.

The pick will be at the end of the third round, 104th overall in the draft.

The Rams now have picks at No. 52, 84 and 104 in the first three rounds, as well as one fourth-round pick and selections in the sixth and seventh rounds. They don’t have any first- or fifth-round picks.

The Rams lost Rodger Saffold and Lamarcus Joyner in free agency last year, both signing lucrative contracts with the Titans and Raiders, respectively. They factored into the NFL’s compensatory pick formula, but Ndamukong Suh – who signed with the Bucs – did not. Suh signed his contract too late into the offseason to count in the equation.

According to Over The Cap, the Rams’ signing of Clay Matthews canceled out the loss of Joyner, who would’ve brought in another fourth-round compensatory pick.

Last year, the Rams were awarded three compensatory picks in the draft, two coming in the third round and one in the seventh. Those were for the losses of Trumaine Johnson, Sammy Watkins and Cody Davis the year prior. They did not receive any in the 2018 draft.

Rams add Alabama pass rusher, Ohio State lineman in 3-round mock

The Rams address their pass rush and O-line in Chad Reuter’s latest mock draft.

The Los Angeles Rams have done most of their work between the second and fourth rounds of recent drafts, finding players such as Taylor Rapp, John Johnson, Cooper Kupp and Gerald Everett on Day 2 and early on Day 3.

They’ll have to nail those picks again this year, being without a first- and fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft. Inside and outside linebacker, as well as the offensive and defensive lines are among the Rams’ biggest roster needs, and they’re expected to take a few players at those spots next month.

In Chad Reuter’s latest three-round mock draft for NFL.com, he addresses two of those needs with prospects from powerhouse programs. In Round 2, Alabama edge rusher Terrell Lewis is the pick.

He’s a potential first-round prospect who would immediately upgrade the Rams’ pass rush. He has excellent size (6-5, 262 pounds) for the position, but there are major injury concerns that come with drafting him. He played just four games in 2017 and missed the entire 2018 campaign before recording six sacks in 2019.

In the third round, Reuter has the Rams taking an offensive lineman who can help on the interior. He mocked Jonah Jackson out of Ohio State to the Rams at No. 84 overall – a good value for him.

He can play guard or center in the NFL, but he needs work before he becomes a quality starter. That’s the case with most third-round picks, though. At the very least, he would bring more competition to the offensive line, which is hardly settled right now.

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Small-school OL prospect Danny Pinter named best fit for Rams

Pinter is a prospect for the Rams to keep an eye on later in the draft.

Based on the way the offensive line played last season, it seems highly likely the Rams will address that unit this offseason. Whether that’s by re-signing Andrew Whitworth and Austin Blythe, adding an outside free agent or drafting a player or two in April, reinforcements should be coming the Rams’ way.

With no first-round pick, the Rams will have to wait a bit longer to add a rookie lineman. However, Pro Football Focus has a name for Los Angeles to watch in the later rounds as a good fit up front.

PFF named the best prospect fit for each team coming out of the combine and for the Rams, it was Ball State lineman Danny Pinter. The small-school lineman ran a 4.91 in the 40-yard dash and posted an impressive 91.2 overall grade from PFF last season. His combination of athleticism and strong play in college make him an intriguing prospect.

With how much outside zone the Rams run, Pinter’s athleticism seems to play naturally into what they like to do. The offensive line is a pretty clear area of concern after what was a solid group in 2018 fell apart last year, exposing some of Jared Goff’s limitations. They don’t have a first-round pick to go after one of the higher-ranked offensive linemen in the class, but Pinter could be an interesting target later in the draft. The only Rams offensive lineman to record an overall grade above 65.0 last season was 38-year-old Andrew Whitworth. They can use all the help they can get. 

This is a top-heavy offensive tackle class with a lot of quality prospects set to go in the first 15 picks. After that, the pickings become a bit slimmer, but there are still developmental prospects to be had later on.

Prince Tega-Wanogho, Matt Peart and Ben Bartch are among those players, with PFF suggesting Pinter should be included in that group, too.

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Rams pre-draft meetings tracker: Davis-Gaither, Ruiz on L.A.’s radar

The Rams have their eye on one of the top centers in the draft in Cesar Ruiz.

The Los Angeles Rams may not have sent their usual group of talent evaluators to the NFL combine last week, but the front office and scouts got a good look at the top prospects in this year’s draft class. The team conducted interviews with prospects at several positions, though they were limited to 45 formal meetings in Indianapolis.

The list of reported meetings was relatively short coming out of the combine, making it difficult to discern which positions the Rams are looking at closely. They did meet with a pair of running backs, as well as a wide receiver, pass rusher, linebacker and center.

Below you’ll find our pre-draft meetings tracker for the Rams, which will be updated as visits are reported ahead of April’s big event.

Appalachian State LB Akeem Davis-Gaither

Florida WR Van Jefferson

Michigan C Cesar Ruiz

Utah RB Zack Moss

Appalachian State RB Darrynton Evans

Syracuse DL Kendall Coleman

Rams take CB in 2nd round of new Bleacher Report mock draft

The Rams go in a different direction in this mock draft from Bleacher Report.

There are three general positions of need for the Los Angeles Rams this offseason: linebacker, offensive line and defensive line. There are other spots that will undoubtedly be addressed in the draft and free agency, but most analysts have the Rams taking players from those three groups in mock drafts.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, however, went a different direction in his latest mock draft following the NFL combine. He had the Rams selecting a cornerback at No. 52 overall before taking an offensive tackle in the third round.

The pick at No. 52 is Auburn cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, who’s pegged as a Day 2 pick right now. He had a strong showing at the combine with a 4.48 40-yard dash, 37-inch vertical and 128-inch broad jump, showing good athleticism for the position.

The problem with this pick is that the Rams don’t necessarily need cornerback help right now. Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill and Nickell Robey-Coleman are all expected to be back as the starters in 2020, giving the Rams a quality trio of corners.

The problem is, all three will be free agents after next season unless Los Angeles signs them to extensions. That’s Miller’s thought process behind the pick, given the uncertainty at corner for the Rams in 2021.

At No. 84 in the third round, Miller has them taking Georgia tackle Isaiah Wilson. He primarily played right tackle in college and has outstanding size for the position (6-6, 350 pounds), also boasting good athleticism after a decent performance at the combine. He needs time to develop, which is OK for the Rams because Andrew Whitworth is expected to return and Rob Havenstein was a top right tackle in 2018.

This is an interesting approach for the Rams, and given their unpredictability in the draft as of late, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if they do take a cornerback with their first pick in April.

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Rams 7-round post-combine mock draft: Defense first, O-line second

The Rams address their biggest positions of need following the NFL combine.

The Los Angeles Rams took a different approach to the NFL combine this year, not sending any coordinators to Indianapolis with Sean McVay, who only spent one night at the big event. Les Snead and the Rams’ other talent evaluators were in charge of scouting the 330-plus prospects at Lucas Oil Stadium, vetting them in the interview room and watching them on the field in drills.

With the festivities in Indianapolis wrapped up, we put together a new mock draft using The Draft Network’s mock draft machine. Going seven rounds, we addressed the Rams’ biggest needs with their limited stockpile of picks; Los Angeles doesn’t have a first- or fifth-rounder.

Here’s who we came away with in this post-combine haul.

52. EDGE Joshua Uche, Michigan

84. OT Matthew Peart, UConn

116. LB Jacob Phillips, LSU

179. DE Raequan Williams, Michigan State

211. QB Cole McDonald, Hawaii

Analysis

It was a toss-up at No. 52 in this simulation. Ohio State guard Jonah Jackson, Auburn tackle Prince Tega Wanogho and Boise State edge rusher Curtis Weaver were all available – as was combine standout Justin Madubuike – but Uche fits the mold of what the Rams need the most. He fills a position of need at outside linebacker, bringing versatility and explosiveness off the edge. Uche didn’t do much at the combine, but his tape shows a promising edge rusher with good production at a big-time program.

In Round 3, Peart is the pick as a developmental left tackle prospect. With all indications pointing toward Andrew Whitworth coming back, Peart is a perfect fit. He can take the year to learn behind Whitworth, improving his technique and the mental aspect of the game to go along with his intriguing physical attributes. He performed well at the combine, running a 5.06 40-yard dash with 26 bench-press reps at 6-foot-7, 318 pounds.

Phillips is another player who shined in Indianapolis. He ran a 4.66 40-yard dash at 229 pounds, jumping out of the gym with a 39-inch vertical and 126-inch broad. His 4.33 short shuttle and 7.38 three-cone drill put him in the top half among linebackers and edge rushers, showing why he’s a rising prospect in this class. While he’s not a turnover machine like Cory Littleton, Phillips is a good run defender and could contribute right away.

In Round 6, Williams is the pick as a potential replacement for Michael Brockers. He ran a good 5.04 40-yard dash at 308 pounds and has the requisite length (33 3/8-inch arms) to play 5-technique in the Rams’ scheme. His 17 reps on the bench didn’t open any eyes, but his agility times were respectable for a Day 3 pick.

Finally, we address a position that doesn’t get talked about much as one the Rams need to look at. Blake Bortles is a free agent and John Wolford probably isn’t ready to back up Jared Goff. So, we took Cole McDonald out of Hawaii as a developmental quarterback. He’s a terrific athlete with enticing tools at the position, but he needs coaching in an NFL system. Still, the potential is there as a seventh-round pick, coming with very little risk but some reward if he turns into a QB2.

Passing on interior linemen in this mock will cause some uproar among fans, but with only five picks to work with and a lot of holes to fill, the opportunity simply wasn’t there to take one instead of a quality defender. The Rams will get a compensatory pick for the loss of Rodger Saffold or Lamarcus Joyner – like a third- or fourth-rounder – so that’ll help their cause, but that wasn’t reflected in this mock.