press on pick 57 (Atwell)

Despite losing many defenders, Rams start NFL draft by picking a receiver

GARY KLEIN

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2021-04-30/rams-first-pick-nfl-draft-louisville-receiver-tutu-atwell-round-2

The Rams lost five players and a coordinator from a defense that ranked among the NFL’s best in 2020.

But on Friday, they used their first pick in the NFL draft to add to coach Sean McVay’s offense.

The Rams selected speedy Louisville receiver Tutu Atwell in the second round with the 57th pick and then traded the 88th pick to the San Francisco 49ers for the 117th and 121st picks in Saturday’s fourth round. The Rams chose South Carolina inside linebacker Ernest Jones in the third round with the 103rd pick.

Barring more trades, the Rams’ have five remaining picks, including Nos. 117, 121 and 141 in the fourth round, 209 in the sixth and 252 in the seventh.

The Rams went into the draft having made two major offseason moves to improve an offense that slipped the last two seasons.

They traded quarterback Jared Goff and two first-round picks to Detroit for quarterback Matthew Stafford. And they signed veteran receiver DeSean Jackson to give Stafford a deep threat.

Now Stafford has another potential one in Atwell, “a big-time gift,” McVay said, for an offense that includes receivers Jackson, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson, a second-round pick in 2020.

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“The more weapons you can surround yourself with offensively, especially around a player like Matthew Stafford, that’s very important to us,” McVay said.

McVay said that Jackson was “one of the all-time deep threats.” He said the 5-foot-9, 155-pound Atwell had some similarities, in his ability to stretch the defense.

“I see a player that plays a lot bigger than,” his physical size, McVay said.

Rams general manager Les Snead conducted the draft from his home because he tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. He said Atwell had “this rare, unique ability to explode off the ball and keep running fast the longer the down went.”

Atwell played quarterback in high school in Miami. But he moved to receiver at Louisville and scored 21 touchdowns in three seasons.

In 2019, he led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 1,276 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns, and he caught four passes that resulted in gains of 70 yards or more.

Last season, Atwell caught 46 passes for 625 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games.

Atwell said during a videoconference with reporters that Rams receiver coach Eric Yarber told him, “Don’t be surprised if I don’t let you go past the second round.”

Atwell was happy the Rams followed through.

“Coach told me I would be a good fit for their offense and how they’re going to be able to use me, so I wasn’t surprised,” Atwell said. “Coach kept his word and I appreciate that.”

Though he has a small frame, Atwell said he overcomes that with skill and attitude.
“I just come with a chip on my shoulder at all times no matter what the situation is,” he said. “And I’m a go-getter.”

How McVay deploys Atwell remains to be seen. In 2017, McVay used Tavon Austin almost exclusively as a decoy. Austin was traded the following offseason.

Atwell sounded confident that he can contribute.

“I’m a great receiver,” he said, “and when the ball’s in my hands I know what to do with it. The thing is I just need the ball in my hands, and I’ll show you everything else.”

Peyton Manning was a role model when Atwell played quarterback, but he said he began to emulate NFL receivers when he switched positions.

“When I started getting into the receiver thing, I started watching the fast receivers and who I could be like,” he said.
He is looking forward to playing with Jackson, one of the league’s premiere deep threats.

“It will be awesome to pretty much play beside him and everything like that,” Atwell said.

Chad Johnson endorses Tutu Atwell pick: He's a 'sight to see' in person https://t.co/WPbsC0Flrv

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) May 1, 2021

Rams stay at No. 57, pick WR Tutu Atwell from Louisville on Day 2

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/2556778/2021/04/30/rams-stay-at-no-57-pick-wr-tutu-atwell-from-louisville-on-day-2/#:~:text=Oklahoma-,Rams%20stay%20at%20No.%2057%2C%20pick%20WR%20Tutu%20Atwell,from%20Louisville%20on%20Day%202&text=When%20they%20traded%20for%20quarterback,deep%20ball%20%E2%80%94%20would%20be%20fixed.

When they traded for quarterback Matthew Stafford in January, the Rams made it clear that some of the things they weren’t able to do with their offense in 2020 — like throwing the deep ball — would be fixed.

Enter Tutu Atwell, the light-framed, lightning-fast wide receiver out of Louisville, for whom the Rams stood pat at No. 57, their first pick of this year’s draft Friday.

Atwell was a bit of a surprise move for the Rams’ first pick because centers Creed Humphrey and Quinn Meinerz were both available at the time (perhaps hinting that the Rams would seek Stanford’s Drew Dalman with a later pick), as well as a bevy of cornerbacks. But NFL Network said that Rams coach Sean McVay referred to Atwell as “DeSean Jackson Jr.” (the Rams also signed Jackson this spring on a one-year, incentive-heavy deal), and there’s no denying the bond McVay shared with a younger, similarly skilled Jackson during his Washington days. In fact, Jackson’s presence on the roster won’t preclude Atwell from being worked into the rotation, as Atwell is versatile enough to align from a variety of places (including from the backfield on sweeps and reverses) and will certainly compete at punt and kickoff return.

In recent days, McVay repeatedly has cited Stafford’s ability to activate all of his eligible wide receivers by the way he operates inside and outside of the pocket. The Rams also finished 29th in the NFL in passes of 15-plus air yards, and Jared Goff was 27th in completion rate on those same throws. Turnover issues that kept popping up and a lack of a true “deep threat” didn’t help the Rams’ cause. The offense moved toward higher-probability, shorter-yardage plays that should have made it easier to take care of the ball and help the offensive line not have to pass-protect as long as teams brought more creative blitz packages against Goff, who struggled against that pressure.

There will be some questions as to whether this pick could have been made either at a later point or via a trade back. General manager Les Snead has been open about his desire to trade at least one of his Day 2 picks.

Big Board ranking: Atwell was No. 95 on Dane Brugler’s list of the top 300 prospects.

Introduction: “Atwell has sudden feet and playmaking speed to separate before and after the catch, racing by coverage to consistently take the top off the defense,” Dane Brugler said. “However, he is a small target with obvious play-strength limitations and durability concerns. Overall, Atwell has a skill set very similar to Marquise Brown: vastly undersized with more drops than ideal, but his speed stresses every level of the defense. He projects as a home-run-hitting option outside or in the slot.”

How he fits: Atwell could see more time than initially expected if Jackson’s injury issues pop up. Atwell probably will be used for situational reps when aligned as a wide receiver and also run a variety of gadget plays out of the backfield. McVay likely will use him on a lot of pre and at-snap motions to stretch a defense widely, and of course, the Rams hope he can stretch a defense horizontally.

Second guess: We can’t second-guess Atwell’s speed (he ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash), but his 5-foot-9, 155-pound frame is a bit worrisome.

Rookie impact: Situational snaps at wide receiver (or plays in case of injury to Jackson), punt and kick return specialist.

Depth chart impact: WR4(b)

Fast evaluation: Clearly the Rams had Atwell ranked higher on their board than analysts did. His speed and the emotional connection of reminding McVay of the success he had with Jackson probably were big influences. I’d like to actually see him get some snaps as a rookie.

LIVE BLOG: The latest from the NFL Draft
ROUND 2-3 PICK BY PICK: Dane Brugler’s analysis
DRAFT GRADES: Sheil Kapadia’s report cards
BIG BOARD: Best available players remaining
ROUND 1: Brugler’s analysis | Kapadia’s grades

(Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

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Jourdan Rodrigue writes about the Rams after spending four years as an award-winning beat writer covering the Carolina Panthers. She froze during Pennsylvania winters as a Penn State football beat writer before that. A 2014 graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State, she’s on a never-ending quest for trick plays and the stories that give football fans goosebumps. Follow Jourdan on Twitter @JourdanRodrigue.
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15. TUTU ATWELL | Louisville 5087 | 155 lbs. | JR. Miami, Fla. (Northwestern) 10/7/1999 (age 21.56)

BACKGROUND: Chatarius “Tutu” Atwell Jr. grew up in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami and started playing football at four years old. He attended Northwestern High School and was a four-year starting quarterback, earning Honorable Mention All-County honors as a freshman and sophomore. After capturing a
district title in 2016, Atwell as a senior led Northwestern to the 2017 Class 6A state championship, the school’s first state title since 2007. He earned Miami-Dade County Player of the Year as a senior and finished his prep career with more than 4,000 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards. Atwell was also a member of the Northwestern track team, setting personal bests in the 100 meters (10.84) and 200 meters (22.21).

A three-star recruit out of high school, Atwell was the No. 57 athlete in the 2018 class and the No. 110 recruit in the state of Florida. He received more than a dozen scholarship offers, but only two came from Power-5 programs (Illinois and Louisville). He followed in the footsteps of Teddy Bridgewater, another former Miami Northwestern quarterback, and signed with the Cardinals, although Atwell did so with the expectation that he would move to wide receiver. His father (Tutu) played wide receiver at Minnesota (1994-97) and set the school record for catches, spending time in a few NFL camps after going undrafted. Atwell elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2021 NFL Draft.

YEAR (GP/GS) REC YDS AVG TD NOTES
2018: (12/2) 24 406 16.9 2
2019: (13/11) 70 1,276 18.2 12 First Team All-ACC; Led ACC in receiving; Single-season school record for receiving yards
2020: (9/6) 46 625 13.6 7 Second Team All-ACC; Led team in receptions, receiving TDs; Rush TD; Missed two games due to injury
Total: (34/19) 140 2,307 16.5 21

HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
COMBINE N/A (Combine canceled)

PRO DAY 5087 155 29 1/4 8 7/8 69 3/4 4.35 2.60 1.49 33 9’9” 4.09 6.87 – (no bench – choice)

STRENGTHS: Runs like the wind with top-end speed that looks different than everyone else on the field…dangerous vertical threat with his ability to consistently win over the top…shows one-step burst to quickly release or separate in his route breaks…effective with his double-moves…tracks the ball well over his shoulder, slowing or accelerating as needed…big-play threat with the ball in his hands (only Alabama’s DeVonta Smith had more yards after catch in 2019)…destroys pursuit angles as a ball carrier, shifting gears and running circles around defenders…accounted for nine receptions of 50-plus yards in his career…scored a touchdown every 6.6 times he touched the football in college…led team in receptions the last two seasons.

WEAKNESSES: Vastly undersized…minimal body power and doesn’t have tackle-breaking bulk/strength…allows defenders to alter his route path by their presence or minimal contact…too many traps and body catches and too many of his targets hit the ground (15 drops over the last three seasons)…still a novice route
runner…needs to flatten his routes and play with better discipline out of his breaks…hears footsteps when working the middle of the field…his desire to avoid contact as a ball carrier leads to too much east-west runs…responsible for five fumbles in college…half-hearted blocker with below average functional strength in this area…limited experience as a return man (only four punt returns in college)…lack of size leads to durability concerns — missed two games and parts of others due to a L5 S1 stress reaction fracture in his back (October 2020).

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Louisville, Atwell lined up primarily in the slot in head coach Scott Satterfield’s offense, feasting on crossers, verticals and quick throws (jet sweeps, screens, etc.). A high school quarterback, he transitioned to receiver full-time for the Cardinals and finished his career No. 8 in school history in receiving yards (2,307) and tied for No. 5 in touchdown grabs (21). Atwell has sudden feet and playmaking speed to separate before and after the catch, racing by coverage to consistently take the top off the defense. However, he is a small target with obvious play strength limitations and durability concerns. Overall, Atwell has a skill set very similar to Marquise Brown: vastly undersized with more drops than ideal, but his speed stresses every level of the defense. He projects as a homerun hitting option outside or in the slot.

GRADE: 3rd Round (No. 95 overall)