Tag: rams draft

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.

Rams 7-round mock draft: Pre-combine offensive line makeover

The Rams need help on the offensive line, which comes in this mock draft.

The NFL combine gets underway next week in Indianapolis, which will give scouts, personnel evaluators and coaches another piece of data when it comes to building their draft boards. Prospects will rise and fall as a result of their work and weigh-ins at the combine, whether it’s fair or not.

The Rams will have a smaller contingent of coaches at the combine this year with their new coordinators staying back in L.A., as well as Sean McVay spending just one night in Indianapolis. But before the event begins, we put together a fresh seven-round mock draft for the Rams.

In this exercise using The Draft Network’s mock draft machine, the assumption is that Dante Fowler Jr. leaves in free agency, but Cory Littleton and Andrew Whitworth return. With that in mind, we rebuilt the interior of the offensive line after adding a starting-caliber edge rusher with Los Angeles’ first pick.

52. EDGE Julian Okwara, Notre Dame

In Round 2, the Rams take edge rusher Julian Okwara out of Notre Dame. He’s a perfect fit for a 3-4 defense, with good height (6-foot-4) and a solid build. His athleticism pops off the tape and getting him with defensive coordinator Brandon Taylor, who’s coached outside linebackers with the Broncos and Bears, would help extract Okwara’s potential early on.

84. C Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin

In the third round, the Rams select another Wisconsin offensive lineman, taking center Tyler Biadasz. He played with David Edwards in 2018 and was one of the best centers in college football two seasons ago. He regressed a bit in 2019, but he would be an upgrade over Brian Allen and Austin Blythe.

116. G Damien Lewis, LSU

At No. 116 in the fourth round, the Rams go back to the well of interior offensive lineman and select LSU guard Damien Lewis. He’s a powerful blocker who thrives in the running game, which is something the Rams sorely missed when Rodger Saffold left. Taking Lewis would give the Rams options, allowing Bobby Evans, Joseph Noteboom and even David Edwards to focus on playing tackle in the near future.

179. LB Mohamed Barry, Nebraska

The Rams are without a fifth-round pick after the trades involving Aqib Talib and Dante Fowler Jr., so in Round 6, they take a linebacker. Mohamed Barry out of Nebraska is the pick, bringing elite athleticism to the position next to Littleton. He might not be a hulking run defender with prototypical size, but he’s physical and fast – two traits that typically earn linebackers snaps in sub-packages.

211. DE Mike Panasiuk, Michigan State

Finally, the Rams address the defensive line by adding Mike Panasiuk out of Michigan State. He’d be a viable replacement for Michael Brockers, should he leave in free agency, providing immediate depth to a unit that needs it.

It might seem like overkill to double-dip on the interior of the offensive line and pass on a tackle, but passing on Biadasz and Lewis was too hard to do. There were no better tackles available at the time, either.

Keep in mind the Rams are in line for an additional compensatory pick in the fourth round, which will make addressing their needs easier.

Sean McVay is only spending 1 night at the NFL combine. Is it a big deal?

Sean McVay is skipping the bulk of the NFL combine, but this isn’t a huge deal for the Rams.

If you’ve ever watched the NFL combine broadcast, you’ve probably noticed how many coaches and general managers are sitting together in the seats at Lucas Oil Stadium. Just about every team’s head coach and top personnel evaluators spend the week evaluating the draft’s best prospects in Indianapolis as they go through on-field drills.

If you watch this year’s combine, though, you won’t see Sean McVay seated next to Les Snead as offensive linemen run the 40-yard dash – or as wide receivers snag deep passes from the quarterbacks in attendance. That’s because McVay is reportedly only spending one night in Indianapolis this year, fulfilling his media obligation before heading back to Los Angeles, according to NFL Media’s Mike Silver.

The reasoning? He wants to continue working with hew new coordinators, of which he has three.

Offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, defensive coordinator Brandon Staley and special teams coordinator John Bonamego will all stay back at the Rams’ headquarters, too, preparing for the upcoming season – their first in Los Angeles.

It was previously reported that McVay would only attend the opening days of the combine, but spending just one night in Indianapolis is certainly out of the ordinary for a head coach. It may seem like a big deal to some, but it says two things.

One, McVay is putting a big emphasis on the Rams’ scheme and preparation for the 2020 season. And two, it shows just how much trust Snead and McVay have in each other.

Here’s what Silver said about the decision, saying it shows a level of urgency by McVay and the Rams as they look to bounce back from a disappointing 2019 campaign.

“Sean McVay is only popping in for one night, as I understand. He’s going to show up, do his media obligation and head back to Southern California to grind it out with his coordinators,” Silver said. “I think this gives you an idea of how urgent Sean thinks this situation is. Obviously the 49ers have become the juggernaut in that division. We’ve talked already about Seattle and going and getting Greg Olsen and what they believe they have going there. Kyler Murray gives the Cardinals some juice, and the Rams – who were coming off a Super Bowl going into last season – are suddenly having to rev it up and figure out a way to compete in the NFC West.

“There are a lot of ideas being exchanged and the environment’s been really good – a lot of coaches speaking very freely of how they view things. But as far as the combine, when the rest of the NFL is stuck in Indianapolis in a cesspool of energy and conversation, the Rams are going to be hunkering down – Sean McVay, at least, and his two new coordinators.”

Seeing prospects live at the combine certainly helps the evaluation process. However, it’s not essential to be there to watch the 40-yard dash or to see a cornerback run the three-cone drill. McVay and the coordinators can watch all of that on TV back in Los Angeles without missing so much as a single drop by a running back on a wheel route.

What McVay will miss out on, though, is the all-important interview process. Meeting with prospects at the combine is one of the great benefits of being in Indianapolis, and McVay’s opportunities to sit down with some of the Rams’ top targets will be limited. Front office members, scouts and assistant coaches will presumably be handling the bulk of that work this year for L.A.

Of course, the Rams will still have the chance to meet with 30 prospects of their choice leading up to the draft – often called “top-30 visits.” That’s when coaches and personnel evaluators learn the most about a prospect, rather than the 18-minute interviews teams are allowed to hold with a maximum of 45 players at the combine.

So is it bizarre that McVay is essentially skipping the combine? Sure. But is it something to be concerned about? No, not really. He’ll still meet with prospects before the draft, he’ll still see them go through drills on the combine broadcast, and he’ll still share some insight on the Rams during his press conference in Indianapolis.

McVay just feels it’s more important to spend the week working with his new coordinators on developing a game plan for 2020, leaning on Snead and the rest of the team’s talent evaluators to handle the duties in Indianapolis.

4-round mock draft: Rams gamble on promising but risky OT prospect

The Rams need immediate help on the O-line, which this mock draft wouldn’t necessarily provide.

The Los Angeles Rams will have to play the waiting game in the draft once again this year, not having a pick until No. 52 overall. It’s the price they’re paying for acquiring Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars, also being without a first-round pick in 2021, too.

As a result, the pickings will be much slimmer at 52 than at No. 20 overall, which is where they would’ve been picking had they not acquired Ramsey. Finding a Day 1 starter in the middle of the second round will be difficult, but it’s not impossible.

In the latest mock draft at Draft Wire, Luke Easterling has the Rams addressing the offensive line in Round 2, which comes as no surprise. He mocked Washingon left tackle Trey Adams to the Rams at No. 52, a high-risk, high-reward pick.

Adams had a solid 2019 season, but he played just three games combined in 2017 and 2018. He missed significant time due to ACL and back injuries, putting his status as a potential first-round pick in question.

Adams might just be the perfect prospect for the Rams, though. Andrew Whitworth seems poised to return for another season, which would give Adams the chance to sit and learn for a year before potentially taking over as the starting left tackle in 2021 – similar to the way the Rams handled Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen in 2018.

In the third round, Easterling has the Rams taking Missouri defensive lineman Jordan Elliott. He can play multiple positions up front, but at 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, he probably fits best as a defensive tackle. That role is currently occupied by Aaron Donald, which would push Elliott outside to defensive end. It’s not a terrible fit, but also not an ideal one given his lack of length.

Finally, with the Rams’ last pick in this mock draft, they select offensive lineman Darryl Williams. He can play either guard or center, but he’s a developmental prospect with very little starting potential in Year 1. The Rams need immediate help on the interior, which Williams wouldn’t help with much as a rookie.

Here’s how the final mock draft shook out.

  • 52. Trey Adams, OT, Washington
  • 84. Jordan Elliott, DL, Missouri
  • 116. Darryl Williams, OL, Mississippi State

Report: Rams not sending coordinators to NFL combine

Sean McVay is keeping his new coaches back as they won’t attend the 2020 combine.

Sean McVay has only been a head coach for three years, but he’s already established himself as someone who bucks the trend every now and then. Whether it’s by hiring a coaching staff full of guys in their 30s or sitting his starters for just about the entire preseason, McVay approaches things differently.

His plan for the 2020 NFL combine will be out of the ordinary, too. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Rams’ new coordinators – Brandon Staley and Kevin O’Connell – will not attend the combine in Indianapolis because the team “would rather have them in Los Angeles, implementing the team’s new offensive and defensive schemes.” The Broncos aren’t sending their assistants to Indy, either.

Additionally, McVay’s time at the combine will be limited, too. He will attend the first few days in Indianapolis to speak to the media, but he’ll then return to Los Angeles and continue working on “implementing his systems with his two new coordinators.”

The rest of the Rams’ coaching staff, as well as their scouts and personnel evaluators such as GM Les Snead, will be in attendance at the combine.

This is an interesting move by the Rams, but one that does make some sense. It’s the first time McVay will have a mostly new coaching staff, so there is a lot that needs to be done with regards to their scheme on both sides of the ball. And given the fact that they won’t be making personnel decisions in the draft, their attendance in Indianapolis isn’t exactly required.