media responses to the Rams 2022 draft

The Rams selected four DBs in the 2022 NFL draft and Les Snead made it clear that it wasn’t an accident. https://t.co/02nhRqdzDO

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) May 1, 2022

Breaking down the eight NFL draft picks Rams made and how they fit

Gary Klein examines every NFL draft pick by the team

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2022-04-30/nfl-draft-champion-rams-add-to-thin-secondary-in-round-4

Logan Bruss — Offensive lineman

6 feet 5, 308 pounds, Wisconsin, Round 3, Pick 104

Notable: Bruss played at Wisconsin, which produced Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein and left guard David Edwards.

Last season: Bruss played a lot at right tackle but also has experience at guard.

Why the Rams drafted him: With the departure of Austin Corbett to the Carolina Panthers, the Rams are in need of a starting right guard. Havenstein and Edwards both played as rookies and the Rams are counting on Bruss to be another “player” from the Wisconsin program.

Decobie Durant — Cornerback

5 feet 10, 180 pounds, South Carolina State, Round 4, Pick 142

Notable: This is the second year in a row the Rams selected a cornerback from an FCS school. Last season, they chose Robert Rochell from Central Arkansas.

Last season: Durant intercepted three passes and broke up 12. He and was voted first-team FCS All-American and the MEAC defensive player of the year.

Why the Rams drafted him: The Rams needed depth in the secondary in the wake of Darious Williams’ departure as a free agent to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He joins a position group that includes cornerback Jalen Ramsey, David Long and Rochell.

Kyren Williams — Running back

5 feet 9, 194 pounds, Notre Dame, Round 5, Pick 164

Notable: The Rams traded two picks to the Las Vegas Raiders to move up and select Williams, who grew up in St. Louis as a Rams fan. He said he dressed up as former Rams running back Steven Jackson for Halloween.

Last season: Williams rushed for 1,002 yards and 14 touchdowns, and caught 42 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns.

Why the Rams drafted him: The Rams did not re-sign Sony Michel, so Williams gives the Rams depth behind Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson, who is entering the final year of his contract.

Quentin Lake — Safety

6 feet 1, 201 pounds, UCLA, Round 6, Pick 211

Notable: Lake, who played at Santa Ana Mater Dei High, is the son of former Pro Bowl defensive back Carnell Lake.

Last season: Lake had three interceptions and broke up six passes.

Why the Rams drafted him: The Rams wanted more depth in a position group that includes Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Nick Scott and Terrell Burgess. Rapp and Scott are in the final year of their contracts.

Derion Kendrick — Cornerback

6 feet 1, 194 pounds, Georgia, Round 6, Pick 212

Notable: Kendrick began his career as a receiver at Clemson before switching to cornerback and becoming an All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer. He was removed from the program, reportedly for repeated violations of team rules, and transferred to Georgia before the 2021 season.

Last season: Kendrick intercepted four passes, including two in a College Football Playoff semifinal victory over Michigan.

Why the Rams drafted him: The Rams apparently can’t have enough cornerbacks. On a day when they drafted Decobie Durant and traded for Troy Hill, they added depth to the secondary and special teams.

Daniel Hardy — Defensive end

Notable: Hardy played on a Montana State defense that also featured linebacker Troy Andersen, a second-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons.

Last season: Hardy ranked second in the Football Championship Subdivision with 24½ tackles for losses and 16½ sacks.

Why the Rams drafted him: With the departures of Von Miller and Obo Okoronkwo, the Rams wanted depth opposite Leonard Floyd. Hardy will compete with Justin Hollins, Terrell Lewis and Chris Garrett.

Russ Yeast — Safety

5 feet 10, 192 pounds, Kansas State, Round 7, Pick 253

Notable: Yeast began his career at Louisville, where he played with Rams receiver Tutu Atwell, but played his final season at Kansas State and was selected All-Big 12 Conference.

Last season: Yeast intercepted four passes and led the conference with 14 passes defended.

Why the Rams drafted him: Yeast is expected to help augment special teams and provide the Rams with depth at safety along with fellow draftee Quentin Lake.

AJ Arcuri — Offensive line

6 feet 7, 308 pounds, Michigan State, Round 7, Pick 261

Notable: Arcuri played both tackle spots, which could make him a versatile piece behind Joe Noteboom and Rob Havenstein.

Last season: Injuries sidelined Arcuri early in his career but in 2021 he played every game for a Michigan State team that finished 11-2.

Why the Rams drafted him: Offensive line depth was not a pressing issue, but Andrew Whitworth’s retirement created an opportunity for the Rams to develop more linemen.

What do experts think about the Rams' 2022 draft class? There's no real consensus, with grades ranging from C- to A https://t.co/g4pdzhnKHG

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) May 1, 2022

Thoughts and takeaways from the Rams’ 2022 draft, details and insight on how the new guys (and Troy Hill!) fit and will compete and so much more jam-packed into post-draft column https://t.co/PgZ88kCMNE

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) May 1, 2022

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see link above

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Five takeaways from Rams’ 2022 NFL Draft: Can Logan Bruss earn starting O-line spot?

HOLLYWOOD HILLS, Calif. — Eight picks and a trade for a familiar player later, the Rams wrapped their 2022 NFL Draft as the sun began to set over Los Angeles. As head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead began their press conference on one of the patios that encircled their massive “draft house” overlooking the Sunset Strip, coaches and scouts wrapped up calls with an incoming college free-agent class and began to file outdoors, finding comfy spots to lounge and exhale after their busiest of the three days.

The Rams picked eight times throughout the draft’s three days, beginning with No. 104 and ending with the second-to-last selection in the seventh round, courtesy of one of their two pick trades.

Overall, they brought in five defensive backs (including their trade with Cleveland for Troy Hill, who Snead referred to as a “bonus” pick), a running back, an offensive lineman they expect to start immediately and one with positive developmental traits and a raw edge-rusher with an astounding athletic profile:

The picks

• Logan Bruss, iOL, third round, No. 104, Wisconsin

McVay and Snead expect Bruss to compete “immediately” for the starting right guard position. Bruss was in the top “pod” of players at this pick point for the Rams.

Bruss will project into the Rams’ right guard spot, but he’ll still have to compete with Coleman Shelton and Tremayne Anchrum to seal the role.

• Decobie Durant, CB, fourth round, No. 142, South Carolina State

Durant has outside-inside versatility, which is an important quality in a Rams secondary that bases a lot of its concepts on unlocking Jalen Ramsey in a variety of roles. After the team sent in the pick, defensive coaches jumped out of their seats in excitement. Durant was also the second HBCU player to be drafted in this class.

“I really didn’t know where I would be taken, what round,” said Durant. “Just sitting around and waiting. And then the Rams called and my emotions were through the roof.”

Shrine Bowl director Eric Galko told The Athletic shortly after the pick, “one of the best nickel cornerback prospects in the draft, and his game against Clemson early in the NFL season put him on the map as NFL starter talent. Outstanding, high-character person, too.”

The Rams also added another cornerback not five minutes after drafting Durant — and a familiar face, too. They traded a 2023 fifth-round pick for veteran Troy Hill, who departed in free agency after the 2020 season. Hill has a cap number of $3.75 million in 2022 and a base salary of just $1.5 million on what is technically the last year of the deal he signed with Cleveland. The Rams got a 2022 sixth-round pick for Hill when he departed in free agency, which they put to use later in the draft. Hill will play in the slot and on the outside.

• Kyren Williams, RB, fourth round, No. 164 (via trade with Raiders of Nos. 175 and 238), RB, Notre Dame

The Rams staff considered Williams to be one of the better pass-protectors in this draft class, which is of the utmost importance at the NFL level. Williams should compete to get on the field on pass-catching downs and is a high-character player with sure hands and quickness.

Williams is a St. Louis native and grew up a Rams fan (and stayed one even after they moved back to Los Angeles). He even dressed up as legendary Rams running back Steven Jackson for Halloween one year as a kid.

On his willingness and ferocity as a pass-protector, Williams said, “I think the biggest thing, as a running back in general in pass-pro, is having a mindset. You can’t have a mindset of being shy or timid. You have to deliver the blow first to the linebacker. That’s something I’ve always been taught, growing up. My dad always made me play linebacker on his defense. I had to go stick — go hit — some people.”

• Quentin Lake, S, sixth round, No. 211, UCLA

Oh, the Rams and their knack for finding late-round safeties … Lake is versatile, is still trending toward positive growth in his technical ability and is a very smart player with a high football IQ. Lake’s comparable in the NFL could actually feasibly be Jordan Fuller, their starting safety who they drafted at No. 199 in 2020, but the hometown prospect will obviously still have a long road before he’s competing for starting reps.

• Derion Kendrick, CB, sixth round, No. 212, Georgia

The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler wrote of Kendrick, “Overall, Kendrick’s suspect discipline (both on and off the field) will be an anchor on his draft grade, but he is a fluid athlete with the speed and ball skills to match up with NFL receivers. He has the ability to outplay his draft position.”

Kendrick missed three games while at Clemson for disciplinary reasons and was later dismissed from the program; he also faced and resolved some legal issues according to his draft profile. The Rams historically invest a lot of time and resources into background work on players, and according to Snead, Kendrick was no different in this regard.

“He is definitely a young man that we spent a lot of time with, we visited him a couple of times,” Snead said. “I know I’ve texted and talked to (Georgia head coach) Kirby Smart probably three times today, and he keeps reiterating: ‘Hey, know this, that kid loves football and he’s smart.’ And we have always said that if you love football, that ‘North star’ has got a chance to help you stay on track — if you’re not there yet, as you get there.”

• Daniel Hardy, edge, seventh round, No. 235 (via trade with Tampa Bay), Montana State

Hardy’s measurables are extremely impressive, as was his production in 2021 (even though it was at a smaller-school level). He had 16 1/2 sacks and 24 1/2 tackles for loss last season and even went on a few top-30 visits with teams this spring. He will probably initially compete on special teams, but has high development potential.

His Relative Athletic Score especially stands out:

Hardy said he made a promise to his late father before he passed that he would take care of the family. Of manifesting that promise on Saturday, he said, “the work is not done yet. It’s just getting started …

“The one thing I have going for me is I am absolutely relentless. I am humble, I don’t have a single issue playing special teams. I am just ready to go in there and do whatever the coaches ask of me and ball out.”

• Russ Yeast, S, seventh round, No. 253, Kansas State

Yeast should be a rising contributor on special teams in the spring and in training camp, with a shot at making the roster because of the Rams’ need for safeties in that phase. Scouting reports say he’s a good tackler with solid ball skills, and can play in a two-high scheme, plus has previous experience at cornerback. Yeast made All-Big 12 at Kansas State.

• A.J. Arcuri, OT, seventh round, No. 261 (via trade with Tampa Bay), Michigan State

Arcuri is 6-7 and over 310 pounds and will probably develop toward a reserve right tackle spot. He’s also very athletic and could stand to put on even more weight. By picking him here, there is some indication the Rams would have faced competition to sign him in undrafted free agency.

Best pick

Bruss filled a need for the Rams while also intersecting as one of the top players on their board. For that reason, and the importance of the role he’ll play if he secures the starting spot, he’s the choice here. Runner-up is Lake, as the hometown player who could follow in Fuller’s impressive footsteps.

Biggest surprise

No punters? This position was one the Rams spent a lot of time on, and worked out a large number of prospects pre-draft. Penn State punter Jordan Stout was among the top players on their list, but they understood he wouldn’t likely fall to them. Further, it seemed the board didn’t fall the Rams’ way when other “punter runs” happened. I would be very surprised if the team didn’t bring in at least one player to compete with veteran Riley Dixon, who signed a one-year deal in free agency (although they like Dixon a lot).

Biggest question mark

The battle for the second outside cornerback spot — and the rotation at the nickel and “Star” positions figures to be an intriguing one considering the versatility of the new additions and the players the Rams already had on the roster.

Remaining needs

The Rams could still add some tight end depth (and may look to college free agency to do so), need to bring in punter competition and need a fourth arm for camp.

I also expect the Rams to continue to explore their options at outside linebacker/pass rusher; as we have seen in the past, they have even been aggressive into the season in adding to their roster particularly at premium positions.

Post-draft outlook

The Rams drafted for need and with athletic traits, character, football I.Q. and developmental potential in mind, which was an efficient and productive intersection. This draft seemed methodical in approach, as they filled several key areas (on their offensive line, in their defensive backfield and at running back). I expect their undrafted free agent class, which will likely officialize by Tuesday, to continue to address positions such as tight end, outside linebacker, punter and inside linebacker.