Tag: rams draft

Fantasy football: How 2021 draft class impacts Rams veterans

Matthew Stafford’s stock is trending up after the draft, but can the same be said for Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods?

Although the Los Angeles Rams did add plenty of help on defense, a big story coming out of the 2021 NFL draft is that they spent four picks on offensive skill players – including their first selection at No. 57 overall. Jake Funk and Ben Skowronek don’t figure to contribute much on offense as rookies, and Jacob Harris probably won’t either.

However, Tutu Atwell is a speed demon who will get on the field and contribute in a variety of ways.

So how does the incoming draft class impact some of the Rams’ veterans? We break that down below, looking at Matthew Stafford, Cam Akers and others who figure to play key roles.

Peter Schrager: Jake Funk was a top pick on Day 3, could be Rams’ 3rd-down RB

Peter Schrager is high on Jake Funk, who the Rams drafted in the seventh round. He says Funk could be the team’s 3rd-down back.

When the Los Angeles Rams went on the clock at No. 233 overall in the seventh round of the draft, fans everywhere thought that was going to be the pick used to address the offensive line. So when they announced Maryland running back Jake Funk as their selection, there was a lot of head-shaking and surprised Rams fans.

But Funk is going to be a player they grow to love this year. He went much later in the draft than he could have due to two torn ACL injuries suffered in college, but those didn’t impact his pro day testing – which was off the charts, if you haven’t already heard.

NFL Network’s Peter Schrager has close ties to the Rams and is friends with coach Sean McVay. He was on “Good Morning Football” this week breaking down his five favorite picks from Day 3 and Funk was No. 5.

He sounds confident McVay will find a way to use Funk, whether it’s on offense or as a return specialist. And he wouldn’t even rule out Funk being the team’s third-down back behind Cam Akers.

“I assure you this: The Rams are not taking offensive players in the seventh round if they don’t plan on using him in some way,” Schrager said. “You could be looking at your third-down back in that Rams offense. With Cam Akers playing running back, you always have to have that yin and the yang. That could be Jake Funk. Furthermore, special teams. This guy made his pitch on ‘Good Morning Football’ and said ‘I can do it on coverage teams, I can return kicks, I can return punts.’ Guess what? He’ll do just that for the Los Angeles Rams. I don’t know what number he’s going to wear – maybe 34 – I think we’re going to be wearing that jersey.”

That’s some seriously high praise from an analyst who’s in frequent contact with McVay. Funk will still have to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, likely as a special teams contributor, but his athleticism could also allow him to impact the game on offense.

He’s a determined player, too, and has shown impressive resiliency to come back from two serious knee injuries and still get drafted. Funk is a name to watch this summer.

Post-draft power rankings: Rams come in lower than expected

The Rams checked in at No. 16 in Touchdown Wire’s post-draft power rankings.

It’s been an up-and-down offseason for the Los Angeles Rams, who kicked things off by acquiring Matthew Stafford from the Lions before eventually suffering a number of key losses in free agency – including John Johnson, Troy Hill and Austin Blythe. On paper, they look like a better team with Stafford under center, but there’s still plenty for them to prove.

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar ranked every team in the NFL coming out of the 2021 NFL draft and while it’s still early in the offseason, we now have a better picture of how each roster will look come Week 1.

The Rams were slotted surprisingly low, barely cracking the top half of the league. They were ranked 16th, one spot behind the San Francisco 49ers. Here’s part of what Farrar wrote about the Rams.

There’s no question that Jared Goff held the Rams back in ways that Stafford will not, and that may be enough for a deeper playoff-run, but if not, Stafford could find the second half of his career as mixed with personal success and team failure as the first half with the Lions was.

The Rams are tied for the third-best odds to win Super Bowl LVI, so Farrar is significantly lower on them than the oddsmakers are. Looking at the construction of their roster, with stars such as Stafford, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and key role players like Darious Williams, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Cam Akers, the Rams seem like a Super Bowl contender.

But they have a couple of spots on the offensive line to sort out and they did suffer some major losses on defense.

Elsewhere in the NFC West, the Seahawks were the highest-ranked team in the division at No. 12, followed by the 49ers (15), Rams (16) and Cardinals (21). The Buccaneers were predictably No. 1, but the rest of the top five was rounded out by the Bills, Chargers, Packers and Ravens in that order. The Chiefs were ranked sixth, surprisingly.

Whether on offense or special teams, Jake Funk just wants to make plays for the Rams

Jake Funk is willing to do whatever the Rams ask to help the team, whether it’s on offense or special teams.

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It’s rare for a seventh-round pick to make a big impact on offense or defense as a rookie. But for running back Jake Funk, he isn’t just focused on helping the offense. He prides himself on making game-changing plays on special teams.

The Rams’ seventh-round pick is determined to help his new team however he can, whether it’s in the return game, on the coverage team or any other phase of special teams. After being drafted by Los Angeles, Funk explained what his mindset is when it comes to playing special teams.

In the end, it comes down to making plays to help the team.

“You just have to be excited to make a play. Like, football is about making game-changing plays no matter when you’re on the field,” he said. “If you can run down on a kickoff, pin somebody inside the 20, create a big hit that gets the defense fired up and ready to go, it helps the team win. It’s all about the team. So for me, that’s just been my core, where it’s like I’m going to do whatever it takes to help our team win. And if that’s being a cover guy on special teams and going down there and getting a tackle or a big hit inside the 20, I’m going to do it. If that’s a contributing role on offense, I’m going to do that. Whether that’s first, second-down back, third-down back, doesn’t matter. Whatever opportunities you get on the field, you have to be able to take advantage and be that ballplayer that goes out and just makes a play when the team needs it.”

Funk showed remarkable resilience at Maryland. He tore his ACL twice and played just 10 total games in his last three seasons, carrying the ball only 77 times since 2018. He was highly productive in those limited opportunities, averaging 7.2 yards per carry in his college career, but injuries held him back with the Terrapins.

The two knee injuries certainly caused his draft stock to drop because athleticism isn’t a question whatsoever with Funk. He ran a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash with an elite-level 10-yard split of 1.5 seconds. He also jumped 38 inches in the vertical and posted a 6.71-second time in the three-cone drill, all of which were near the top of this running back class.

Bouncing back from two season-ending injuries like Funk did is difficult, but he blocked out his doubters and remained focused on his goal of playing in the NFL.

“Just to not give up. I mean, a lot of people counted me out, especially through the injuries,” he said of how he responded to the injuries. “I would just go back and tell myself that it was all worth it in the end. All the tears, all the worry, all the doubt, it was all worth it in the end. I mean, you just continue to persevere through hardship and it’s something that I’ve learned just about life in general, through the ACLs. But would just tell myself to just never give up.”

With Funk’s determination and willingness to do whatever necessary to make the team, he should become a fan favorite this summer as he battles for a roster spot.

Rams projected to receive four compensatory picks in 2022 after deadline passes

The Rams lost several starters in free agency and they’ll be compensated in the draft next year.

The list of free-agent departures suffered by the Los Angeles Rams this offseason is reminiscent of a CVS receipt. Their biggest losses were John Johnson, Troy Hill, Austin Blythe, Gerald Everett and Samson Ebukam, all of whom were starters in 2020. Josh Reynolds, Morgan Fox and Malcolm Brown also left as free agents.

But fortunately for the Rams, they’ll be compensated for their free-agent losses in next year’s draft. Thanks to the NFL’s compensatory pick system, the Rams will receive a handful of selections in the 2022 draft based on the value of the contracts signed by their free agents this offseason.

The deadline for free agents to count toward the compensatory pick formula passed on Monday afternoon, which means any players signed by the Rams (or the other 31 teams) will dock them a comp pick, no matter the value of the contract.

According to Over The Cap, the Rams are projected to receive four compensatory picks for their free-agent losses.

  • 4th-round pick for John Johnson
  • 6th-round pick for Samson Ebukam
  • 6th-round pick for Gerald Everett
  • 6th-round pick for Troy Hill

In addition to those four picks, the Rams will also receive another one for Brad Holmes being hired as the Lions’ new general manager. The NFL introduced a new incentive for teams developing minority front office and coaching candidates, rewarding them with a third-round compensatory pick in consecutive years; the Rams got pick 103 this year for losing Holmes and will also get another third in 2022.

Those picks are counted separately from the traditional compensatory picks, according to Over The Cap

So in total, the Rams stand to add five picks in next year’s draft, though they probably would’ve liked for their compensatory selections to come a bit earlier than the three sixth-rounders will.

5 things to know about Rams 5th-round pick Earnest Brown IV

Get to know the Rams’ new defensive end, Earnest Brown IV out of Northwestern.

With Michael Brockers being traded and Morgan Fox leaving in free agency, the Los Angeles Rams were in search of a replacement at defensive end. They found one in Earnest Brown IV, who they drafted in the fifth round at No. 174 overall.

The Northwestern product will try to carve out a role along the Rams’ defensive line as a rookie, and there’s an opening for him at defensive end as  a situational pass rusher like Fox was.

Get to know the young defender with five facts about him below.

Rams salary cap update: How much space does L.A. have and need for 2021 draft class?

The Rams need about $1.25 million in cap space for their draft class, which is on the lower side compared to other teams.

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One of the benefits of not having a first-round pick is the lower cost to sign the draft class. The Los Angeles Rams have realized that in the last five years and will continue to have one of the cheaper classes in each of the next two years, too.

For this year’s draft, the Rams’ top draft pick was at No. 57 overall, which is when they selected wide receiver Tutu Atwell. But after entering the draft with six selections, the Rams wound up with nine total draft picks thanks to three trades.

They won’t need a ton of space to sign their draft class, fortunately, because they don’t have an abundance of cap space to work with.

According to Over The Cap, the Rams have $7.39 million in cap space for 2021. That actually ranks higher than some would expect, putting the Rams 22nd in the NFL, slightly behind the Vikings, Cowboys and Seahawks.

OTC also estimates that the Rams will need $1.25 million in cap space for their incoming draft class. The team’s total rookie pool is valued at $7.19 million, but because of the top-51 rule – which makes it so a team’s 51 highest cap hits are the only ones that count – the space needed to sign the draft class is significantly lower.

Atwell’s cap number will be $1.1 million in 2021, according to OTC, the highest of any Rams draft pick this year. The other rookies will have cap hits ranging from $680,529 to $870,154 this season.

So if you subtract the $1.25 million needed for the draft class from the Rams’ current cap space of $7.39 million, that puts them at about $6.14 million. That’s plenty of space to make it through the season, and while it’s possible the Rams will sign a free agent or two between now and Week 1, they’d also probably like to carry over some cap space to 2022.

Ranking Rams’ rookies by potential impact in 2021

Which of the Rams’ draft picks will have the biggest impact as rookies in 2021?

Drafting for immediate need isn’t something Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead does often. Particularly in the last five years, he and Sean McVay have drafted based on value rather than reaching for players who might fill a hole on the roster.

That sometimes leads to limited roles for the Rams’ rookies before they get bigger opportunities two or three years down the road. Sebastian Joseph-Day, Joe Noteboom, Brian Allen, Darrell Henderson Jr. and David Edwards are all examples of that.

This year could be a similar story for the Rams’ rookies, with no draftees looking like locks to start in Year 1. There will be contributors, of course, and we ranked the all nine players in order of their potential impact for this coming season.

7 questions for the Rams following the 2021 NFL draft

aThe Rams filled some holes in the draft, but they still have questions to answer this offseason.

Even after coming away with nine players in the 2021 NFL draft and having a roster filled with top-tier players such as Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, the Los Angeles Rams have a lot of questions to answer this offseason.

Their refusal to address the offensive line has left a hole at center, as well as uncertainty behind Andrew Whitworth at left tackle. Their dedication to building out the deepest receiving corps in the NFL has made some wonder how Stafford will possibly get everyone involved.

The Rams may not have answers to those questions right now, but they will certainly need to find them in the near future. So let’s get into the biggest questions Los Angeles is facing after the draft.

Versatile OL Alaric Jackson is the undrafted rookie to watch for Rams

The Rams prioritized Alaric Jackson after the draft and he’s an undrafted rookie to watch this summer.

Only a few days removed from the end of the 2021 NFL draft, everyone’s been talking about the Los Angeles Rams’ draft class – and rightfully so. There’s a lot to digest, especially after they came away with zero offensive linemen and four skill position players.

But fans shouldn’t be overlooking who the team signed after the draft, specifically a player the Rams clearly prioritized as an undrafted rookie. Iowa offensive tackle Alaric Jackson is the UDFA to watch in Los Angeles this summer, and the Rams aren’t hiding how highly they think of him.

Les Snead said immediately after the draft that the Rams already had a handshake agreement with Jackson to sign with them, which became official a little while later.

“This isn’t official yet, but I know we got a handshake agreement with a kid from Iowa, Alaric Jackson, who’s a very talented kid and because of the Big Ten, didn’t have as good a year, a little bit probably similar to David Edwards types, where he didn’t have as good a year as the year before and he fell out of the draft,” Snead said. “He was a kid that was down at the Senior Bowl, but he’s definitely got to make a team and contribute talent, so we’ll see if we can officialize that and go to work.”

The Rams clearly didn’t want to let Jackson get away, either. According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, they gave him a $20,000 signing bonus, which is a fairly large number for an undrafted free agent.

When discussing the Rams’ offensive line situation and not drafting a single big man up front, Sean McVay mentioned Jackson as being someone who will add competition to the group they already have.

“I think we feel really good about the depth, but there are some spots when you look at offensive linemen, guys that we feel really good about in place, but then being able to add in Alaric Jackson, like Les mentioned, those are the things that we’re looking to try to create the most competitive roster to really solidify our football team in all three phases,” he said.

So who is Jackson? He was a four-year starter at left tackle for the Iowa Hawkeyes, starting all 42 games he played since 2017. He redshirted his freshman year in 2016, but the year after that, he became a cog on the offensive line and immediately earned Freshman All-American honors and was a Big Ten All-Freshman.

In 2018, he was a second-team All-Big Ten selection. The following year, third-team All-Big Ten. And finally, he was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2020, playing arguably his best football as a senior.

He’s not exclusively a left tackle, either. In an interview with Justin Melo of The Draft Network, Jackson said he played right tackle and guard at the Senior Bowl, where the Rams were in attendance. He’s open to playing all four positions except for center, doing whatever he can to make it in the NFL.

“I actually went down to the Senior Bowl and played right tackle and guard,” he said. “My whole mindset was to prove that I’m versatile. I didn’t want anybody to pigeonhole me into just one position. I wanted to keep my options open. I’m staying open-minded throughout this process.

“I don’t mind playing either tackle or guard position. I think I can play all four positions. I just don’t see myself as a center. I’m open to whatever. I’m not worried about being that marquee left tackle or whatever. I can play anywhere. I wanna be a versatile guy. If somebody goes down, you can move me to one of those positions.”

There are few teams in the NFL that appreciate and covet offensive line versatility more than the Rams do. That was a big part of Aaron Kromer’s evaluation when he was the Rams’ offensive line coach, and that should continue in L.A. despite him no longer being on the staff.

Jackson has the size and length to play pretty much any position he wants. He’s 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds with 33 7/8-inch arms and a massive wingspan of 82 3/8 inches. He didn’t test all that well at his pro day, but Jackson has the movement skills to hold up at either guard or tackle in the Rams’ zone scheme.

He’s nowhere near a lock to make the 53-man roster, but of the 10 undrafted rookies the Rams signed, he certainly has the best chance. Dane Brugler of The Athletic had him 221st on his big board with a sixth-round grade. Luke Easterling of Draft Wire ranked him 287th with a seventh-round grade. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com gave him a sixth-round grade, too.

Jackson should’ve been drafted. It’s a surprise that he wasn’t. His two one-game suspensions in 2017 and 2018 for violating team rules shouldn’t have been enough to push him out of the draft, nor should have his poor pro day testing.

Don’t be surprised if he makes the Rams or at the very least spends a year learning on the practice squad before competing for a spot in 2022.