Tag: rams draft

Rams select DL Earnest Brown with 174th pick in 2021 NFL draft

Earnest Brown gives the Rams another big defender up front.

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The Los Angeles Rams continue to bolster their defensive front seven in the 2021 NFL draft. At No. 174 overall, the Rams selected Northwestern defensive lineman Earnest Brown.

Brown is 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, but he’s not the best athlete. He has the size to play defensive end or outside linebacker in the Rams’ 3-4 scheme, however, giving Raheem Morris another versatile player to work with.

The Rams announced the pick as Brown being a defensive lineman, so the plan might be to play him in Michael Brockers’ spot. But he’s somewhat of a tweener like Morgan Fox was, carrying a similar frame to the former Rams defensive end (6-foot-3, 275 pounds).

Brown had just seven sacks in four seasons at Northwestern, with his sack total decreasing in each of the last two years. However, he had 8.5 tackles for a loss and batted four passes in 2020 alone; he only had one sack in nine games last season, though.

In 2019, Brown missed the final six games of Northwestern’s season with a pectoral injury, but he rebounded to play and start all nine games in 2020. Last year was his only season as a starter.

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Bobby Brown III shares funny quote about wanting to learn from Aaron Donald

Bobby Brown will take anything Aaron Donald will teach him, even if it’s just writing on a piece of paper.

When you’re a rookie defensive lineman on the same team as Aaron Donald, you watch No. 99’s every move. That seems like the plan for Bobby Brown III, who the Rams selected in the fourth round at No. 117 overall.

After being drafted by Los Angeles, Brown shared his appreciation for Donald on a conference call with reporters. He said Donald is one of his favorite players and will take any and all advice he can get from the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

He shared a funny quote, too, saying it doesn’t even matter if it’s just how to write on a piece of paper. If Donald tells him how to do it, he’ll listen.

Brown called it an “out-of-body experience” to be drafted by the team that Donald plays for, allowing him the chance to learn from the future Hall of Famer.

Donald is a helpful veteran, too, often taking younger players under his wing, pushing them in the weight room and teaching them techniques on the field when it comes to getting off blocks, rushing the passer and beating linemen.

Rams Day 3 mock draft: Center first, double-dip at CB

The Rams have five picks remaining in the draft, including three in the fourth round.

We’re coming down the final stretch of the 2021 NFL draft with Rounds 4-7 wrapping up the weekend on Saturday afternoon. The Los Angeles Rams are equipped with five picks today after trading down from No. 88 on Friday night, including three fourth-rounders to start the day.

With plenty of talented players still available and a few needs still to address in Los Angeles, the Rams have a chance to add some impact rookies today. Here’s how we project the day going with a mock draft of the final four rounds.

Chad Johnson endorses Tutu Atwell pick: He’s a ‘sight to see’ in person

Chad Johnson seems to like the Rams’ selection of Tutu Atwell at No. 57 overall.

There are a lot of Rams fans who have been left scratching their heads about Los Angeles picking 155-pound Tutu Atwell with the 57th overall pick in the draft, but perhaps a six-time Pro Bowler can help them understand.

Chad Johnson tweeted on Day 2 of the draft that he thinks it was a good pick after watching Atwell play in person. He says seeing him move on film is one thing, but watching him live on the field is “a sight to see.”

Obviously, Sean McVay really likes the pick, but Johnson expects the coach to love Atwell once the Rams get on the field and the rookie starts to run routes.

Atwell has excellent speed (4.32) and though he’s way undersized at only 5-foot-9, he can still carve out a role as a gadget player and downfield threat for the Rams.

Immediately, he’s a backup to DeSean Jackson and possibly a punt returner, but down the road, he could take over Jackson’s role after learning from him for a year.

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Rams’ 6 biggest needs on Day 3 and potential targets at each spot

The Rams still need a center and cornerback, but there are still quality targets available on Day 3.

Day 3 of the NFL draft has been a critical part of the Rams’ roster-building process, with players such as Sebastian Joseph-Day, Jordan Fuller and Tyler Higbee all coming from the final day of the draft in Les Snead’s tenure.

Los Angeles will need another strong showing on Saturday this year, with five total picks still to come. Although they addressed a couple of their needs on Friday night with Tutu Atwell and Ernest Jones, plenty of holes still remain.

Here are their six biggest needs, with potential targets at each spot.

5 dream prospects for the Rams at No. 57 overall

There’s no way Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will fall to the Rams at No. 57, right?

The NFL draft is part skill and part luck when it comes to picking players. It takes a lot to evaluate a prospect and pick him in the right spot, but there’s also some luck involved when it comes to that prospect falling to you in the draft.

The Los Angeles Rams hope some of the best prospects who are still on the board at the start of Round 2 stay available when they come on the clock at No. 57 overall. It’ll take some luck, but they should have their fingers crossed that five players in particular continue to slide.

Here are five dream prospects for Los Angeles in the second round at pick 57.

7 trade scenarios for Rams on Day 2 of the 2021 NFL draft

Here are seven possible trades for the Rams to make on Friday night, with options to move both up and down the board.

Only one team in the NFL has traded its original draft picks more than the Los Angeles Rams since 2016: the Patriots. That’s evidence of just how often Les Snead likes to trade the Rams’ picks, whether it’s to go up and get a player they covet or to move back when the board doesn’t fall their way.

Heading into Day 2 of the draft, there are several options for the Rams when it comes to trading both up and down the board. Might they jump 10-15 spots for a player they viewed as a first-round prospect? Or could they trade back from No. 57 to the third round in an attempt to add picks?

Here are seven possible scenarios using the Rich Hill trade value chart to gauge the point total of each pick.

Day 2 NFL mock draft: Rams trade back, pick up extra 3rd-round pick

The Rams seem poised to trade back on Day 2 and landing Creed Humphrey after doing so would be a home run.

After seeing the way the first round played out, the Los Angeles Rams should feel good heading into Day 2 when they have three picks. General manager Les Snead has already made it clear the team will consider trading down and expects to field offers for pick 57, 88 and 103, which is exactly what we did in this mock draft.

Using Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator, I traded down with the Buccaneers from No. 57 and picked up an extra third-round pick. At No. 64, arguably the top center in the draft fell into the Rams’ lap, making this an absolutely ideal scenario for Los Angeles.

Let’s run through the picks I made for the Rams on Day 2.

2021 NFL draft: Updated Day 2 pick order for Rounds 2 and 3

The Rams head into Day 2 with three picks. Check out the full second- and third-round order here.

Now the real fun begins – for the Los Angeles Rams, at least.

After sitting out the first round and celebrating their trade for Jalen Ramsey, the Rams join the fun on Friday night with three picks in Rounds 2 and 3. The board fell nicely for them in the first round with many of the top linemen, centers and cornerbacks still available.

And while there were a few trades in Round 1, there weren’t as many as some expected. So the order for Rounds 2 and 3 remain somewhat unchanged on Friday night.

To get you prepared for Day 2, take a look at the full pick order for the second and third rounds below.

Rams share perfect tweets celebrating Jalen Ramsey as their 25th overall pick

The Rams got a good one in Jalen Ramsey, who they traded two first-round picks for in 2019.

With the 25th pick in the draft on Thursday night, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Travis Etienne out of Clemson. But they were only able to do so after trading Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams for a package of picks that included No. 25 overall.

So even though the Rams didn’t have a first-round pick, they still celebrated their All-Pro cornerback Ramsey. They sent a perfect tweet when the Jaguars went on the clock, sharing a photoshopped image of Ramsey and commissioner Roger Goodell holding a Rams jersey on draft night.

They weren’t done, though. After sharing the photo of Ramsey holding up a Rams jersey, the team sent another tweet.

It was a highlight package of Ramsey’s best plays from his first two seasons with the Rams, simply saying: “Worth it.”

Seeing the way Ramsey has locked down No. 1 receivers on a weekly basis, it’s hard to argue against the Rams being the winners of that deal. It worked out well for Jacksonville, too, but shutdown cornerbacks don’t grow on trees.

And Ramsey is the definition of a shutdown corner.