LA Rams News: 22 UDFA complete analysis post-2020 NFL Draft

Rams UDFAs have a real chance to make the roster

The LA Rams are a bit unique in terms of affording opportunities to undrafted free agent signings. While other teams sign talented players, only to release them at the end of training camp, the Rams remain one of the few NFL teams to integrate these overlooked and undervalued football players into the roster each season. While some believe that is a lack of competitive talent on the existing roster, the alternative answer is likely more true.

Of all aspects of adding talent to an NFL team, signing undrafted free agents after an NFL draft is the least regulated and purest true test of a team’s scouting department. After all, free agency is limited to available free salary cap space. And the NFL Draft is limited to the number and round of the draft picks.

Unlike other teams looking for warm bodies to balance out the roster for training camp drills, the LA Rams surgically graft each undrafted rookie into a specific niche role on the team. That may be a special teams’ role, a defender in passing down situations, or a blocker in jumbo running play package, the Rams attempt to align each player in the 90 man roster into a role to determine what is the best makeup for the team’s 55-man playing roster, plus practice squad.

That reputation has gotten around. Similar offers from other NFL teams simply cannot compete with that of the Rams, purely from the perspective that undrafted rookies can successfully compete for a roster spot. And so, the Rams now have confirmed their 22 player UDFA signing list. That means that we can discuss each player briefly:

Defensive tackles

I – Michael Hoecht
One of the first to pique enthusiasm was the unexpected signing of Brown University’s defensive tackle Michael Hoecht. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 290 pounds, while posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.65-seconds. He is a former high school running back, so that fullback position is still a possibility in the LA Rams 2020 offense. He also recorded 23 reps of 225 pounds during his virtual pro day.

Hoecht is listed as a defensive tackle, where he recorded 17 sacks and 158 tackles. That is not his only role, as he clearly has the speed and power to rush a passer as a defensive end in a 3-4 defensive front. Since he has both an offense and defense background, he truly offers the Rams a virtual blank slate to rework his football career in the role that most suits him on the team. He was also drafted by the Canadian Football League, so if he does not land a roster spot on the Rams, he will have other football opportunities in the near future.

II- Sam Renner

The LA Rams signed another he-might-be-special defensive lineman when they inked Minnesota Golden Gopher Sam Renner to a contract. He is a 6-foot 4 275-pound athletic defensive lineman who can play virtually any defensive line position on the Rams’ 3-4 front line. He is a five-year starter, and his senior season with 43 tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss (TFLs), and 5.0 sacks was a career-best. Draft Rite scout Erik Hindenburg was particularly high on Renner. You may recall that Erik gave a third-party perspective about the LA Rams 2020 Draft, as well as an assessment of NFC West rivals heading into the draft.

Renner is technically sound. He uses good leverage and understands how to “go-low” to get his pads under that of his opponent. Despite fighting for position on the line of scrimmage, he maintains his eye on the ball and is seldom fooled by trickery. He needs to improve strength and burst, both of which can be corrected by an NFL strength and conditioning coach. A sound fundamental player.

Linebackers

VI- Daniel Bituli
The LA Rams added just two linebackers to the roster to replace five players who parted ways with the team. That gives Tenessee linebacker Daniel Bituli a pretty solid chance of earning a role on the team, whether on the 55-man roster or the team’s practice squad. Bituli is a solid size for an NFL linebacker, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 246 pounds. He was a fourth-round projection until a medical flag drove him off many NFL teams’ draft boards. That grade was well earned, as he was very active in both the run and pass defense for the Tenessee Volunteers. He is an undervalued prospect who has a good chance of contributing
Read: LA Rams news: Vols LB Daniel Bituli to compete for a role on ST or D

VII – Bryan London II
Another intriguing and versatile linebacker added after the draft is Bryan London II. London is prototypical linebacker addition, standing 6-foot-2 and tipping the scales at 232 pounds. London is a true blue-collar tactician, the type of player who, even as a rookie, is a sponge to video, coaching, tactics, and strategy. He put up 460 tackles in his college career (yes, that’s correct!) and defended 12 passes. He has the range, speed, and power to play any of the Rams linebacker positions, and his Twitter handle @_SteadyGrindin is a huge summary of his football career. He is another solid athletic linebacker who has a good chance of contributing.

VIII- Christian Rozeboom

While the LA Rams did not select multiple linebackers in the draft, their gamble seems to have paid off as the team added a third undervalued linebacker after the draft by signing Christian Rozeboom out of South Dakota State University. Rozeboom was another highly productive defender in college, registering 475 tackles, 29 TFLs, and eight interceptions. We know that the Rams were concerned about defending the pass in the interior of the defense, which makes 6-foot-2 230-pound Rozeboom all the more intriguing. He was a true leader on the Jackrabbit’s defense.

While I will admit that any undrafted player has a steep climb to make an NFL roster, the Rams really hit the trifecta with their three linebacker signings after the draft. We were so impressed, that each linebacker has been featured in his own separate feature article. I can see all three remaining on the Rams’ roster, perhaps as practice squad or special teams contributors. They all have solid value to both coach Joe Barry and Special Teams coordinator John Bonamego.

DB diamond in the rough

The LA Rams were fortunate enough to sign some better than expected players after the NFL Draft. They were the unfortunate players who very much displayed the athleticism and talent to warrant hearing their name called during the draft, but for some random reason of team needs, position depth, or simply random chance, failed to be lucky enough to be drafted. Some players simply did not fit in an NFL box, possessing enough qualities of multiple defensive roles to such an extent that NFL scouts failed to record the player as either role, and the player fell through the cracks. Such is the case for Florida State Seminoles’ defensive back Levonta Taylor.

XII- Levonta Taylor

One of the most talked-about signings after the 2020 NFL Draft occurred when the Rams signed Florida State Seminoles’ defensive back Levonta Taylor. This 5-foot-10 190-pound Florida State standout was on-track to hear his name called early in the 2020 NFL Draft until a 2018 back injury limited him to just seven games. Before that misfortunate injury, he was one of the best college defensive backs per Pro Football Focus, averaging 30.6 snaps between receptions targeting him. By the end of 2017, many scouting reports projected him as a first-round prospect. But his medical history flagged him in the worst possible year, and his draft stock plummeted.

He was a bit of a momentum-changing player, tying for fourth-place for the Florida State Seminoles’ record of returning two interceptions for touchdowns. His return to football was neither rapid nor without incident. He suffered both back and hamstring injuries in 2018 and was clearly impacted by those injuries during his senior season as well when he converted to play at the safety position. He has plenty of experience as both cornerback and safety, and offers a unique class of player should he regain his top form.

On the LA Rams, his elite upside warrants giving him strong looks at the slot cornerback, outside cornerback, and safety roles. If he bulks up significantly, he would be a candidate for a nickel linebacker role as well. Despite his injury history, some draft analysts continue to project Taylor as high as round four in the NFL Draft. He could likely deserve that grade in a redraft if he can live up to his skill set as a hybrid defender for the Rams.

Two Next-Gen passers

One area of particular concern was the LA Rams lack of quarterback depth heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, but failing to address the position despite nine picks. The matter was urgent enough to call for the Rams to address the oversight within 48 hours. The Rams, however, had other ideas and chose to sign two quarterbacks immediately following the 2020 NFL Draft: San Jose State QB Josh Love, and Virginia QB Bryce Perkins. That set up a heated three-player competition for the backup quarterback role, a competition which will likely not be decided until the team pares the roster to the 55 man season limit.

XIV- Josh Love

The LA Rams selection of San Jose State quarterback Josh Love truly excited a number of high-quality draft scouts. After all, he was a player many draft profiles projected as high as round five, and for good reason. The 6-foot-2 205-pound San Jose State University starting quarterback began his collegiate football career as a walk-on recruit. The majority of his collegiate production occurred in his final two seasons when he completed 455 of 770 passes for 5,884 yards and 36 touchdowns to just 17 interceptions. He remains calm in the pocket and can throw to a spot knowing his receiver can get there to make the catch. He has a crisp passing motion and can put some zip on the ball. He is a solid version to support Jared Goff, as both have similar styles even down to not a threat to run. The Rams snagged a quarterback after the draft who many expected to be chosen in round five.

XV – Bryce Perkins

The LA Rams definitely went off-script when the team chose to sign dual-threat Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins. At least, that is what you might initially think until you begin to connect some dots. Perkins was the 6-foot-3 215-pound starting quarterback for the University of Virginia at the same time that offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell was onboarding Washington Redskins dual-threat rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. It was likely that experience and the plays created for Haskins with persuaded new Rams OC O’Connell to pitch for dual-threat rookie quarterback Bryce Perkins. After all, he demonstrated incredible innovation with Haskins in late-season games and likely wishes to repeat that success with the LA Rams

Perkins unlocks entirely new offensive play concepts for the LA Rams, particularly if the team struggles to block effectively in the running game. In just two NCAA seasons, he registered 6,210 yards passing, 47 touchdowns, and just 21 interceptions. But he is doubly dangerous when you factor in his ability to rush for 1,692 yards and an additional 20 touchdowns. He even caught a pass for nine yards. That type of dual-threat from the quarterback is the Achilles heel for defenses like that of the San Francisco 49ers, which depend on a fast rush to the fixed pocket passer quarterback. Since the defense relies upon a hurried throw, they are very susceptible to quarterback scrambles and a passer who can extend plays with their feet. Perkins must improve his deep throws over time, but he has plenty of intriguing potential in the Rams offense to raise some eyebrows.

Barn-burner receiver

The LA Rams definitely sought speed at the receiver position after trading away veteran WR Brandin Cooks. While the debate about just how adequate the speed of either Van Jefferson or Josh Reynolds continues, the Rams signed additional receivers whose speed leaves no uncertainty.

XVIII – Brandon Polk

The LA Rams remained in touch with James Madison University’s wide receiver Brandon Polk during his four-seasons with Penn State University and through his final season at James Madison. He was a seldom-seen player with the Nittany Lions but started his senior season to put up some lofty numbers. At JMU, the 5-foot-9 180-pound speedster caught 74 passes in 16 games for 1,174 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He also returned 14 kickoffs for 360 yards, good for a 25.7-yard average. In an interview by WHSV.com, Polk shared that the Rams had been in constant communication with him weeks before the NFL Draft, and remained in communication with him up to and after the draft.

“Punt returner, kick returner is something they needed as well as a receiver,” said Polk. “They got rid of Brandin Cooks, their speed guy, so it definitely felt like that was the spot to go.”- Brandon Polk

He’s not wrong, as the Rams certainly need competition in all those areas. Oh, did I forget to mention his speed? He registered a 4.28-second 40-yard dash time. That’s .05 seconds faster than 5-foot-10 185-pound Brandin Cooks’ time. Feeling excited yet? Wait, there’s more!

Running backs

The LA Rams added running back Cam Akers with their first pick, the 52nd pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. While we are confident in Akers’s ability to be the featured running back for the offense, the talent pool from the 2020 running back class was too deep to ignore.

XXI-James Gilbert

The LA Rams added 5-foot-9 198-pound Kansas State running back James Gilbert to their competition for playing time. He was a four-year player at Ball State before transferring to the Kansas Wildcats for a final season of NCAA eligibility. His best season statistically occurred in 2016, when he rushed 251 times for 1,332 yards and 12 touchdowns. For his NCAA career, he rushed 744 times for 3,543 yards and 36 touchdowns. His average was 4.8 yards per attempt in his college career.

NFLDraftDiamonds.com Jonathan Joyce interviewed James Gilbert and the result left a reader with a good impression of a focused, work-ethic motivated young football player who is about contributing and being the best version of himself. Our initial assessment of Gilbert is someone who can become a solid contributor, but whose steady as she goes mindset may need some help attracting the attention of his coaching staff enough to get him a chance to earn a role on the team.

XXII – Xavier Jones

The 22nd player signed to the Rams’ roster after the 2020 NFL Draft is Southern Methodist University running back Xavier Jones. Jones is a solid 5-foot-11 208-pound running back who averaged 11.9 points per game to lead the NCAA in scoring. That’s as a running back, which does not happen very often. It was not a fluke, as he put up 45 rushing touchdowns over his career.

You can attribute it to his incredible senior season when he rushed 244 times for 1.276 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also caught 20 passes for 90 yards and an additional two touchdowns. His rushing average of 5.2 yards-per-carry was actually better than his receiving average of just 4.5 yards-per-reception, a statistical anomaly. Despite that sensation senior-season scoring-fest, his draft profile was not very complimentary. Citing “pedestrian burst through the line” and “not much of a third-down factor”, you are almost tempted to ask whether the profile was written for another player altogether.

With expanded roster in 2020, the UDFA signings are more important to the team than ever. And with a surplus of talented players available in the class of 2020, the LA Rams will have a tough time it determining which players will be cut to make the 55-man roster.

When the rosters go from 90 to 80, the undfas get decimated.