new thread: Rams draft after AD retired

[zn]

InvaderRam wrote:

zn wrote:

I’ve been doing more reading around on him. I am not so sure he checks out medically (?)

well reports are that he cleared medical exams at the combine. but who knows? he lost a year to the neck injury. they thought his career was over. he transferred to ucla and had two great years. otherwise he’s a surefire first rounder looks like. it freaks me out a little bit but it also depends on what the doctors say. i could see him slipping. sounds like the most pro-ready edge rusher though.

InvaderRam wrote:

this is from the following espn article. https://africa.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39615406/ucla-lb-laiatu-latu-hearing-no-concerns-neck-history “[Watkins] just looked at my scans and cleared me,” Latu said. “Because he’s had guys with the same, similar stuff, like Danielle Hunter and Peyton Manning, and he really just told me I would be able to play football.” that does ease my concern. if there’s no issue with the neck draft him.

Okay

[zn]

Jared Verse turned into a workout machine during Covid , working out with his father who was a Marine. He gained 45 lbs of muscle working out 2-3 times a day. This man works hard and has elite pass rush skills. Latu is solid but if it’s between Verse and Latu I’ll take Verse… pic.twitter.com/ZWoWGzxK64

— Ramsoholic (@ShayTweetedThat) March 30, 2024

[zn]

Los Angeles Rams mock draft roundup 2024: Analyzing experts’ Round 1 predictions

• https://www.lafbnetwork.com/los-angeles-rams-mock-draft-roundup-march/

The Los Angeles Rams surprisingly made the playoffs in 2023 and while that did hurt their positioning in the 2024 NFL Draft, it bodes even better for the team’s future. With draft day approaching, it’s time to take another look at the latest Rams mock draft roundup.

NFL free agency changed things for os Angeles. The Rams made significant improvements to their secondary and interior offensive line, creating more flexibility in the early rounds. Unfortunately, the retirement of Aaron Donald added a new position to the list of Rams draft needs in 2024.

Rams mock draft roundup 2024: Los Angeles hits defense
Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA Bruins

Los Angeles Rams mock draft roundup 2024Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Expert: The Athletic’s Ben Standig, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network

There is so much to like about UCLA Bruins edge rusher Laiatu Latu.If production matters to you, he’s coming off a unanimous All-American selection that saw him record 21.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks with the fifth-most pressures (62) among FBS edge rushers and the highest PFF pass-rush win rate (26.2 percent). As for his athleticism, Latu recorded a 9.32 Relative Athletic Score. Latu is not only the most polished defensive player in the 2024 NFL Draft, he also offers a ceiling as a perennial Pro Bowl edge rusher. Medicals (neck injury) are the lone red flag, but Latu could be the best edge rusher the Rams have had in years.

Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State Seminoles
Los Angeles Rams mock draft roundup 2024Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Expert: ESPN’s Matt Miller
Related: Los Angeles Rams first-round trade scenarios

One theme you’ll quickly pick up on in the Rams mock draft roundup 2024 is the number of analyst projecting an edge rusher to Los Angeles. After all, even with Aaron Donald on the field, the Rams finished a moderate 14th in ESPN pass-rush win rate (42 percent) this past year so there’s room to improve. Florida State edge defender Jared Verse – 9.56 Relative Athletic Score – is a force when it comes to creating pressure. He tied Latu last season in pressures and he brings outstanding athleticism. While Verse doesn’t have exceptional arm length, he knows how to win with power and speed. Pair all of that with a lightning-quick first step and a good ability to bend, you have a pass rusher capable of recording double-digit sacks. While Latu would be our preference for Los Angeles, Verse is way more than a consolation prize.

Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State Nittany Lions
Los Angeles Rams mock draft roundup 2024Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Experts: Danny Kelly of The Ringer

Fans certainly recognize that NFL teams value traits a lot more than production. That’s why Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson has elevated his stock during the pre-draft process. This past season, Robinson ranked 13th in PFF pass-rush win rate (20.9 percent), but he only placed 156th in total pressures. So, what makes him special? A 9.71 Relative Athletic Score and explosiveness that compared to former Penn State edge rusher Micah Parsons. It’s important to recognize that Robinson is much less polished than Parsons was at this stage, but the athletic traits are comparable. The Rams have done a great job developing defenders and Robinson’s upside is right up there with Latu’s ceiling when healthy.

Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas Longhorns
Los Angeles Rams mock draft roundup 2024John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Experts: Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus
Related: 2024 NFL Draft wide receiver rankings

Rounding out our Rams mock draft roundup is the player who seems perfect for Los Angeles. Donald can’t be replaced but if general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay at least want to replicate having a game wrecker on the defensive interior, it’s Byron Murphy II. He led FBS defensive tackles in PFF pass-rush win rate (19.6 percent) and pass-rushing grade (91.5), resulting in an absurd 45 pressures at defensive tackle. Murphy is arguably the best option for Los Angeles, but he’s a top-15 prospect who will either need a draft-day slide or for the Rams to trade up if he’s going to land in Los Angeles.

[InvaderRam]

rams should just draft best player available. trying to replace like with like seems like a mistake to me. and there should be plenty of talent available as long as they don’t tie themselves to one position.

[zn]

InvaderRam wrote:

rams should just draft best player available. trying to replace like with like seems like a mistake to me. and there should be plenty of talent available as long as they don’t tie themselves to one position.

I think it’s pretty clear they’re going to draft front 7. But not as a replacement for Donald per se, more like now that we don’t have Donald we need 2-3 new guys, plural, in the front 7.

Edge/LB, DT, DE. My bet is they take 2 of those 3 positions within the first 4 picks.

[InvaderRam]

well that’s kinda what i mean. certainly front seven needs to be addressed but not necessarily with the first pick. it could be corner. it could even be oline. front seven could come in the second and third rounds.

 

or it could be trade down.

 

the more i see of latu the more i like him. looks so fluid. so athletic. maybe doesn’t test as well as the other edge prospects but looks more natural more instinctive maybe… him or chop robinson maybe. verse looks a little stiff to me. turner won’t be there at 19.

[zn]

InvaderRam wrote:

well that’s kinda what i mean. certainly front seven needs to be addressed but not necessarily with the first pick. it could be corner. it could even be oline. front seven could come in the second and third rounds.

We can of course go back and forth on this forever, but I really think that the 1st pick will be front 7. In fact, I bet you a lifetime’s supply of monopoly money. Unless there’s just some startling prospect who has fallen. They could trade down too and maybe stay in the 1st and get an extra 3rd.

[InvaderRam]

zn wrote:

We can of course go back and forth on this forever, but I really think that the 1st pick will be front 7. In fact, I bet you a lifetime’s supply of monopoly money.

 

well i wouldn’t take that bet – monopoly money or not. because i would also bet that they take front seven in the first round. i’m just saying they shouldn’t be tied to it. i don’t think turner will be there. of the remaining edge rushers i think i only take latu. i’ve been converted. i don’t think verse or chop robinson are worth the 19th pick. if they trade down that’s a different story.

 

the dark horse and who i hope they get at 19 is darius robinson. it’d fit a definite need and he’s got the physical and mental makeup worthy of a 19th pick.

 

but i also wouldn’t rule out corner. i also wouldn’t rule out trading down and getting a guy like cooper at the end of the first round.

 

i also wouldn’t rule out an offensive tackle. not just because jackson is on a one year deal but you got havenstein on the other side.

 

but yeah. if i had to bet? it’d be front seven.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 3 weeks ago by InvaderRam.

[zn]

Fair enough.

[zn]

Blaine Grisak@bgrisakTST

The difference drop off after the top-5 edge rushers to that next tier and the depth at DL is why the Rams have to prioritize EDGE over DL in round 1. Huge drop off between Chop Robinson, Latu, etc. and Trice, Kneeland compared to Murphy to Fiske, Orhorhoro, etc.

[zn]

Latu is clear EDGE1 in this class imo https://t.co/jKof2Lhtjj

— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) April 4, 2024

[InvaderRam]

zn wrote:

Blaine Grisak@bgrisakTST The difference drop off after the top-5 edge rushers to that next tier and the depth at DL is why the Rams have to prioritize EDGE over DL in round 1. Huge drop off between Chop Robinson, Latu, etc. and Trice, Kneeland compared to Murphy to Fiske, Orhorhoro, etc.

 

ya know. if they ended up getting latu in the first round and fiske or orhorhoro in the second i’d be over the moon.

 

i suspect though that latu will be gone by that point. maybe rams trade down and get robinson or verse? i don’t like either of those guys at 19.

[InvaderRam]

zn wrote:

Notable EDGE prospects career pressure rates and weighted pass rush grades. We’re in a pass protection epidemic but this draft class still has some juice.

 

well i notice chop robinson is near the top there… whatever the case i guess i should just trust that snead and company make the right decision on this. i’ve seen articles note that guys like danielle hunter and chandler jones had similarly low production in college and went on to flourish as pros. even micah parsons. actually chop has outproduced all three in sack totals although parsons missed his last year due to the pandemic.

 

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2024/4/6/24122892/rams-draft-needs-edge-rusher-defense-chop-robinsin

 

thought this was a good article explaining the case for chop robinson.

[InvaderRam]

also of note is that latu, verse, and trice are all up there.

 

in fact. of those players in that area only chase young has failed to make a big impact in the pros (outside of this year’s draft prospects obviously).

 

should be interesting.

[InvaderRam]

mohamed kamara and chris braswell also up there.

 

dallas turner notably not quite up there.

[zn]

Darius Robinson, DL, Missouri

PLUSES

— Very strong upper body; when Robinson gets into the blocker's numbers with his hands, he can just collapse his opponent, and he has a great shock move to bring the blocker in and then just shed him aside.

— Freaky wingspan allows him… pic.twitter.com/EgxtHAP4Sh

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) April 8, 2024

[zn]

from https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2024/4/8/24124598/rams-mock-drafts-most-common-picks

These four prospects I’m seeing all the time for the Rams in mock drafts:

DT Byron Murphy, Texas

A side called NFL Draft Plex has the Rams picking Murphy, which is probably the most common Rams connection in the draft right now.

The Rams and Byron Murphy II still seems like an obvious fit — unless another team beats LA to the punch.

There is never anything “obvious” about the 19th pick in the draft. WalterFootball has the Rams picking Murphy too.

Aaron Donald has retired, which is a bummer because the Rams had a great chance to make a Super Bowl run. Donald will obviously need to be replaced.

Byron Murphy has been impressive as both a run defender and a pass rusher. The only negative is that he lacks length.

Everything always comes back to Aaron Donald retiring. Let’s keep in mind that the team knew AD was retiring but didn’t address the position in free agency. Is that because they’re just certain that they can get an adequate player in the draft or is it that the team isn’t overly concerned with getting a defensive tackle? It could be the latter, which implies that the Rams are just as happy with a day two pick, which they did with Kobie Turner in 2023, as a first rounder. It could be Murphy or Newton, but it doesn’t have to be a front-seven player at all.

Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team has the Rams picking Murphy too.

DT Johnny Newton, Illinois

NFL Spin Zone has the Rams picking Newton.

“With Aaron Donald retiring, the Rams have a huge need at DT, so they’ll try to fill that with Johnny Newton, who can help them in the present and in the long-term. Newton joins a young but very talented defense.”

The Huddle has it too.

EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA

Josh Edwards of CBS has Latu, as many mock drafters do.

Los Angeles explored the idea of trading for Brian Burns a few years ago and, if it had its druthers, it would like to have a respectable pass rusher to plug in opposite Byron Young, who had a really promising rookie season.

Here is another mock with Latu to the Rams. The Chicago Sun-Times has Latu to the Rams.

EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State

CBS’s Bryan DeArdo mocked Verse to the Rams on Sunday. An ESPN writer named James Meche has Verse also.

“Naturally, I would take an interior defensive lineman to replace Aaron Donald but that might be too easy. How about getting a top edge rusher in the class?”

I don’t see how this is any less “easy”!

At least Chad Reuter, who is always always always wrong it seems, has the Rams picking Chop Robinson. At least it’s original.

[InvaderRam]

i like darius robinson. and i don’t necessarily believe in replacing like for like especially when you have kobie turner.

[zn]

InvaderRam wrote:

i like darius robinson. and i don’t necessarily believe in replacing like for like especially when you have kobie turner.

Yeah “replacing” is not the way to go w/ the front 7…you just load up and add a couple of different players to the front 7, picking the best one first obviously. So yeah a DE is a choice too.

[InvaderRam]

rams to meet with chop robinson.

 

Report: Rams flying to Penn State for visit with OLB Chop Robinson

[InvaderRam]

Sources: The #Rams are flying to Happy Valley today for a private visit with Penn State pass rusher and projected 1st-rounder Chop Robinson.

Sean McVay and Co. hold the 19th pick in the draft. pic.twitter.com/fW3RoItxS1

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 17, 2024

[zn]

Blaine Grisak@bgrisakTST

Daniel Jeremiah says when you look around the league there are maybe 7 impacts defensive tackles, but EDGE is much deeper. Mentions Byron Murphy as a potential impact player along the DL. Says there is a drop off at DT, but some EDGE guys in the mid-rounds.

.

Stu Jackson@StuJRams

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said Rams have ammo to trade up from 19th overall, but also wouldn’t rule out trading back to accumulate more picks given how GM Les Snead likes to operate. If move up, ID’d DT Byron Murphy or 1 of 3 best available EDGEs if preference between trio

[InvaderRam]

zn wrote:

EDGE is much deeper.

 

it does seem quite deep. so it’s not completely necessary for the rams to go edge in the first round. they could go defensive tackle. they could go defensive end.

[zn]

Pete Prisco@PriscoCBS

The more I watch of Chop Robinson, the more I like. He might end up being the best pure pass rusher in this class. He has the best get off and bend among the top guys in my book. Just needs some coaching.

[InvaderRam]

one guy i keep reading about is ruke orhorhoro. versatile big long fast. but also raw. one of the impressive defensive lineman from a purely physical standpoint. but extremely raw. maybe available in the second round.

 

6’4″ 294 lbs 34″ arms 93/8″ hands.

 

4.89 40

1.67 10 yd split

32″ vertical

9’7″ broad

29 reps on bench press

[zn]

.@UCLAFootball @laiatu_latu is the best defensive player in this #NFLDraft2024 and its not close. Can he be the next TJ? #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/O9o2Dn4fqf

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) April 19, 2024

[zn]

from https://theathletic.com/5423619/2024/04/19/nfl-mock-draft-2024-analytics-big-board/?source=weeklyemail&campaign=602288&userId=603890

19. Los Angeles Rams: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

This was the most difficult pick during this first round, and it was simply because there wasn’t anyone near the top of my board who played a position of need. It ultimately came down to Mims or Thomas, and Thomas can produce more during his rookie season. Quarterback Matthew Stafford only has so many years left, and giving him another high-caliber pass catcher alongside Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua should make this passing attack almost impossible to defend.

[Zooey]

The radio talkers this morning mentioned that the draft drops off more than usual after the first 150.

 

[zn]

J.B. Long@JB_Long

The more I think about 19 overall + 10 additional picks, the more I like how the Rams are situated this week.

[zn]

Enjoying the Mike Tannenbaum and Dan Orlovsky discourse this morning. Mike is arguing the Rams should use a first round pick on a QB, aka “Stafford’s successor”.

Orlovsky is arguing that they’re Super Bowl contenders with Stafford under center and will draft a piece that can…

— Rams Brothers (@RamsBrothers) April 23, 2024

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