mid-march draft thread

[zn]

I moved some posts here from a different thread.
…

several mock drafts are projecting rams to select jihaad campbell. inside linebacker. that’d be real interesting. he can line up at linebacker but i’ve heard more than one report say that he can line up outside as well. super athletic. would fill a big need. but also versatile enough to justify spending a first round pick.

InvaderRam wrote:

i think the tight end class is stronger. plus mcvay has talked about the offense getting more versatile which makes me think tight end. plus they tried to trade up to get bowers last year so maybe they try that again this year.

IMO? Needs, in alphabetical order:

CB, DL, ILB, TE, WR

with 8 picks, 3 in the first 3 rounds.

It’s a good year for all those positions except LB.

Though I rule out them taking a punter. Especially in the first round.

i wouldn’t mind dl either. i’m guessing they sign a fa corner?

InvaderRam wrote:

i wouldn’t mind dl either. i’m guessing they sign a fa corner?

But it’s a good draft at corner. So why not.

several mock drafts are projecting rams to select jihaad campbell. inside linebacker. that’d be real interesting. he can line up at linebacker but i’ve heard more than one report say that he can line up outside as well. super athletic. would fill a big need. but also versatile enough to justify spending a first round pick.

[zn]

J.B. Long@JB_Long
Coleman Shelton can have an outsized impact on the 2025 Rams offense. Glad to see him back in Royal & Sol.

Rams moves this week did wonders to open up their Draft possibilities. Can very much let it come to them in April. I’m not sure there’s a position group I’d rule out? … but no dire needs (go ahead and reply with iLB), which is a great place to be more than a month out.

Cornerback? They’ll absolutely be adding to this room. But multiple starters in house. DWill, Cobie, DK coming back, and some undrafted rookies from ‘24 they like.

[zn]

Note: I red-bolded “Rams relevant” stuff

***

2025 NFL draft class: Strengths, weaknesses, big questions

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/story/_/id/43955223/2025-nfl-draft-class-better-expected-strengths-weaknesses-questions-prospects

For months, the 2025 NFL draft class has been billed as weak relative to recent years by scouts and media analysts. It has been labeled thin and void of blue-chip talent. And sometimes, it has been called flat-out bad.

But as NFL analysts, scouts and executives dive further into the class ahead of Round 1 on April 24, that narrative is shifting. Thanks to underclassman declarations and a closer look at Day 2 and 3 prospects, this class could be stronger than previously predicted.

How did we get here? After talking to more than a dozen scouts and general managers over the past few weeks, a clear pattern emerged. What started as a quest for historical perspective on the inferiority of the 2025 class became a deep dive into positional value, team-building philosophies and the idea that good players are out there — scouts just need to find them.

“The people saying this is a bad class just haven’t watched enough players yet,” an AFC college scouting director said.

What are scouts saying about this class?

“There are four, maybe five, blue-chip players,” one NFL general manager said. ”After that, it’s 40 guys with a late-first-round or second-round grade.”

Scouts view the 2025 class as light on future All-Pros but strong on starters. “You’re going to see a ton of rookie starters from this class because it’s such an experienced group,” an AFC South area scout said.

Though the class appears to lack high-end, can’t-miss prospects seen as future stars — such as Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. last year — it has fewer players ranked high based purely on potential. As an AFC East area scout put it: ”Player No. 15 on your board might have the same grade as No. 50.”

That’s great for teams selecting in the middle of the first round or later. It also benefits teams with three or more picks in the first two rounds, such as the Chicago Bears, who have three selections between pick Nos. 10 and 41, and the Buffalo Bills, with three selections between Nos. 30 and 62.

This could also mean more trades starting in the middle of Round 1 through Round 2 due to a lack of leaguewide consensus regarding the top players in the draft’s strong middle class. The reverse seems unlikely, as there could be fewer trades into the top 10 because of the lack of blue-chippers and elite quarterback talent.

The narrative change for this draft class was supported by the Philadelphia Eagles’ dominant Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The position groups that fueled Philly’s win — defensive end, defensive tackle and versatile defensive backs — are the strengths of the 2025 draft.

“This is a meat-and-potatoes draft,” one NFL area scout said.

Which position groups have the biggest questions?

The lack of buzz surrounding the class reflects the number of quarterbacks at the top of the board. Miami quarterback Cam Ward is seen by most as the class’ top passer, followed closely by Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. But scouts wouldn’t have ranked them in the top passers drafted in 2024.

“There isn’t a single guy this year you’d take over the six drafted [in the first round] last year,” an AFC scouting director said.

Though scouts are down on the expected first-round quarterbacks, they like the depth at the position. One scout said he likes this group better than 2021, a surprise given there were five QBs selected in the first round that year, including each of the top three picks (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance).

This is also a down year for elite wide receivers after a run of great classes that featured game-changers such as Harrison, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase.

Travis Hunter (Colorado) will likely be a top-three pick, but teams are divided on his primary NFL position after he played wide receiver and cornerback in college. Many evaluators prefer him at cornerback, with receiver being a secondary position, and Hunter is listed as a corner at the combine. If he’s classified as a defensive player, it would greatly diminish the top-end strength of the receiver class.

Scouts are also torn on Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona) and Luther Burden III (Missouri) because of questions about their deep speed. There could be five receivers drafted in Round 1, but none are seen as better prospects than last year’s top three of Harrison, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze.

Which position groups have scouts excited?

The running back class has a chance to be special, as six backs have at least a second-round grade in my pre-combine rankings. There is also depth.

”If you can’t find a starting running back this year, you’re really just not trying,” an NFC West area scout said. “There will be starters coming out of Rounds 5, 6 and 7.”

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty leads the way and has a first-round grade, but teams will find starters in Round 2 in Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson. There’s a good chance this year’s draft will feature the most running backs picked since the draft was reduced to seven rounds in 1994 (30 were drafted in 1998 and 2017).

It’s also another strong year for tight ends. Tyler Warren (Penn State) and Colston Loveland (Michigan) are seen as top-15 players, according to NFL scouts. The depth is strong behind them, with seven more tight ends having a good shot of being selected by the end of Day 2.

“It’s not 2023 good, but this tight end class is stronger than last year’s or 2022,” an AFC South area scout said.

And finally, the defensive line group must be lauded. Penn State edge Abdul Carter anchors the class, followed by Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and Georgia edge Jalon Walker. There are 31 defensive linemen in my top 100 — the most I’ve had at that group.

One NFL general manager said that “a third of the first round might be edge rushers and defensive tackles.”

Is there a recent class comp for the 2025 group?

“It reminds me of the 2015 first round with two quarterbacks at the top and then just a bunch of really solid players,” said an AFC North scout with more than 20 years of experience.

The 2015 draft featured Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as the first two picks, but five future Pro Bowlers were drafted in the top 10. That comparison might be too pessimistic, however.

The 2016 draft might be the best comp. Quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz came off the board at the top, but the rest of the top 10 was dominated by the trenches with Joey Bosa (No. 3), Ronnie Stanley (No. 6), DeForest Buckner (No. 7), Jack Conklin (No. 8) and Leonard Floyd (No. 9). The 2016 class also featured a star running back drafted high (Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4), which could be mirrored in this draft if Jeanty goes in the top 10.

”This class might not have a superstar quarterback, but at the end of the day, it’ll have more [long-term] starters than 2021 or 2022 [one each],” an NFC scouting director said.

[Zooey]

zn wrote:

Rams moves this week did wonders to open up their Draft possibilities. Can very much let it come to them in April. I’m not sure there’s a position group I’d rule out? … but no dire needs (go ahead and reply with iLB), which is a great place to be more than a month out.

Yep. The Rams are smart about this. Going into the offseason, the needs were TE, WR, OT, ILB, CB, DT. The Rams addressed all of those positions, except TE, and so they don’t have to reach out of need. They can take the player they like best at any point in the draft. If they have a cluster of guys ranked more-or-less the same at any point, they can draft for need, but they are about as well-positioned as it’s possible to be.

In addition to those positions above, I think it’s always good to add a RB every year.

[zn]

RamsSteveHam@RamsSteve
@RamsNFL top draft priority needs to be a stud RT n a C in the later rounds. Havenstein WILL miss games this year bc that’s what he does. Corum w/ a season under his belt will show out, but we need to draft RB as well as a CB n LB, in that order.

[wv]

I thought Corum was a bit of a disappointment. I dunno. Didnt show me much.

w
v

[zn]

wv wrote:

I thought Corum was a bit of a disappointment. I dunno. Didnt show me much.

w
v

This is a great draft for RBs.

[InvaderRam]

Zooey wrote:

The Rams addressed all of those positions, except TE, and so they don’t have to reach out of need.

i really wanna see loveland on this team. i realize focusing on one position or player might not be the wisest move. they should go for bpa. but he just would seem to fit this offense so well. a wr/te with size and speed. but it also depends on who else is available at that spot. or if he is even available at that spot.

would the rams try to move up to get him like they tried to with bowers?

i like warren too, and he’d bring a different skill set than loveland, but he’s probably out of reach.

[InvaderRam]

just imagining nacua, adams, and loveland lined up with williams in the backfield.

[Zooey]

This is what Jordan has to say from a piece in The Athletic sub-titled, Each NFL team’s biggest remaining need after 2025 free agency:

My own thought is a shutdown corner.

Jordan’s first assessment is that “they still need to add at the [CB and ILB] positions,” and I agree with that, but think a CB is more important because the passing game is more important. A dominant secondary with this DL means that Rams will win a lot. And while the Rams’ secondary is solid, it could be better.

They have 7 picks at the moment.

[zn]

Zooey wrote:

My own thought is a shutdown corner.

Jordan’s first assessment is that “they still need to add at the [CB and ILB] positions,” and I agree with that, but think a CB is more important because the passing game is more important. A dominant secondary with this DL means that Rams will win a lot. And while the Rams’ secondary is solid, it could be better.

They have 7 picks at the moment.

Thanks for posting that.

I agree on their defensive needs, though this is supposed to be a good draft for CBs but a very weak one for LBs.

BTW they have 8 picks. Add the 6th rounder for Jackson. ‘

From off the net:

2025 Los Angeles Rams Draft Picks
Round 1: 26th overall pick
Round 3: 90th overall pick
Round 3: 101st overall pick (Compensatory Selection)
Round 4: 127th overall pick
Round 6: 190th overall pick (via Atlanta)
Round 6: 195th overall pick (via Pittsburgh)
Round 6: 201st overall pick
Round 6: 202nd overall pick (via Chicago from Houston)

[Zooey]

zn wrote:

BTW they have 8 picks. Add the 6th rounder for Jackson. ‘

I was just coming back to make that edit, but now the sole error of my life is part of the permanent internet record. {sigh}

Half of their picks are in the 6th round which is a bit of a bummer.

[zn]

Zooey wrote:

Half of their picks are in the 6th round which is a bit of a bummer.

Ah but remember the Rams record last 3 drafts in round 6?

They hit on 5 out of 9 picks. If you don’t count the kickers it’s 3 of 7.

The normal rate for hits in round 6 is, depending on the source, anywhere from 2% to 8%.

Not saying they will do it, just saying that their record so far is a good one in that round, and if that continues, they could got a couple of players. Not necessarily 2025 starters…but depth with a future.

For example, this draft is supposed to be crazy with RB depth. They could get someone like that. Among other possibilities.

[Zooey]

zn wrote:

Ah but remember the Rams record last 3 drafts in round 6?

Sure. But they also hit on their 2nd and 3rds. And I just wish they had more of those.

[zn]

Scattered remarks…

Cornell@gqscholar
Rams tried Durant at Star position when Ramsey was traded, it didn’t work. The type of corner needed for that role was drafted last year by the eagles, Cooper Dejean. Durant doesn’t fit that mold. Hopefully, the Rams can find a Cooper Dejean type in this upcoming draft.

Bob McGinn@BobMcGinn
Since the TE position gained its identity around 1960 the most first-round picks have been three. That’s happened five times. Is this the year four crack R1? Odds say no but Warren, Loveland, Arroyo and Taylor could do it. Draft series Part 2 is here.

JAKE ELLENBOGEN@JKBOGEN
#Rams had interest in former #Titans CB Chidobe Awuzie who signed with Ravens. Would imagine CB is a real possibility in the draft early on now.

[InvaderRam]

zn wrote:

Cornell@gqscholar
Rams tried Durant at Star position when Ramsey was traded, it didn’t work. The type of corner needed for that role was drafted last year by the eagles, Cooper Dejean. Durant doesn’t fit that mold. Hopefully, the Rams can find a Cooper Dejean type in this upcoming draft.

i liked cooper dejean last year. and the other corner from toledo who the eagles picked. i don’t know that i like anyone that much outside of hunter and maybe johnson.

but if snead goes corner in the first round i trust that it’s the right decision. and hopefully they win defensive rookie of the year. shoot. i hope they win defensive player of the year.

[zn]

Zooey wrote:

zn wrote:

Ah but remember the Rams record last 3 drafts in round 6?

Sure. But they also hit on their 2nd and 3rds. And I just wish they had more of those.

To be honest, I just expect them to hit on all 3 top picks. Is that too optimistic?

[zn]

Sam Monson@SamMonsonNFL
I don’t think [this year’s WR draft class] is weak, it’s just very bunched up and doesn’t have the blue chips at the top

[zn]

Best route runner: Colston Loveland
Best hands: ?

Superlatives for the top TE draft prospects ⭐https://t.co/6tSZyNHxrq

— PFF (@PFF) March 27, 2025

[Zooey]

zn wrote:

To be honest, I just expect them to hit on all 3 top picks. Is that too optimistic?

If that was a betting prop, I would take the other side: missing on 1 or more.

But hitting on all 3 is certainly possible. They hit on their first 3 in 2023, nailing 3 quality starters. Maybe they did last year, although the jury is out on Corum, and I have doubts. Scroll back through preceding years, and they didn’t hit on all 3.

[zn]

Zooey wrote:

Scroll back through preceding years, and they didn’t hit on all 3.

I think something happened after 2022…the Rams not only changed the offense and OL strategies, I think they re-assessed personnel and drafting. Anyway there were subtle signs of “re-appraisal” going on. That may be a McVay thing–now and then stepping back, re-appraising, looking to improve this or that approach to one thing or another.

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