Rams pick at 36 … Avila, OC/OG

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  • #143586
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator
    Ari Meirov@MySportsUpdate
    The #Rams selected TCU OL Steve Avila at No. 36. Protection for Matthew Stafford. His name got significant buzz late.
    #143587
    Avatar photocanadaram
    Participant

    <header>

    Esteban (Steve) Avila OG/OC TCU

    STRENGTHS
    Steve has the athletic talent and high football IQ to play more than one interior position on the offensive line for the team that selects him. He has that “Sponge Bob Square Pants” body type that makes it difficult for defensive linemen to change the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball in their favor. Steve shows the lateral agility to play center, make all the snaps, and help out his fellow guards. He is a pass-blocking guard/center dream come true. Once he gets his hands on the defensive lineman when pass-blocking he will shut that player down. In this new passing NFL, Steve’s ability to pass block is rare for a pure guard or center who has not been an offensive tackle moved inside. As a center with a nose tackle over him, Steve handles the bull rush better than most centers in the NFL right now. His “Sponge Bob Square Pants” body, leverage, and foot agility give’s him a natural advantage when pass blocking.

    CONCERNS
    On youtube, “CFO sports” has an excellent breakdown of Steve’s strengths and weaknesses. Most of his weaknesses are technique issues but the one issue that Steve will struggle with at the next level is his lack of aggressiveness to attack. Steve mentally, is the type of person who is more likely to defend rather than attack. You can teach him all the techniques you want but if you can’t find the switch that makes him become more aggressive and attack when he is run-blocking, he will never be more than a one-dimensional offensive lineman. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just reality.

    BOTTOM LINE: 2.28
    If you train dogs for security you purposely pick dogs who are defenders so you can control their attacking. That’s why trainers pick the breeds that are natural defenders, like German Shepherds and Doberman Pinschers. They are taught to attack on command only because their natural instinct first is to stand, growl, bark, and move to you to warn you before they will attack naturally. I believe that if you slap Steve in the face his first instinct is to warn you not to do it again. He will not react aggressively unless you do it again. If you call three passing plays in a row and then call a running play, Steve will not run block aggressively. If you are running the ball Steve will get better and more aggressive on every play and if you’re in the red zone like “CFO Sports” showed on their breakdown, Steve will make his block. Use him to pull and like an attack dog going after two robbers at the same time, Steve will get confused deciding which player to block because he lacks the aggressiveness to choose. So, what do you do? Steve is way too talented not to select him early in this draft. My answer to his lack of run-blocking aggressiveness is COACH BETTER.

    • This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by Avatar photocanadaram.
    • This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by Avatar photocanadaram.
    #143590
    JackPMiller
    Participant

    Love the pick.

    #143591
    Avatar photocanadaram
    Participant

    Guys on Sirius NFL Radio like the pick. Speaking highly of his leadership at TCU, a team captain. Took charge in the locker room.

    • This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by Avatar photocanadaram.
    #143593
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    STEVE AVILA | TCU 6034 | 332 lbs. | 5SR Arlington, Texas (South Grand Prairie) 10/16/1999 (age 23.53) #79

    BACKGROUND: Esteban “Steve” Avila (AH-vee-la) grew up in Arlington and started playing football at the youth level. He enrolled at South Grand Prairie High School, where he was teammates with teammates with cornerback Jeff Okudah. Avila became the starting left tackle as a sophomore and was recognized as one of the top blockers in the district. He earned first team All-Conference as a junior while also playing at defensive end. Avila again earned All-Conference as a senior and led South Grand Prairie to the playoffs, where they ran into Allen, the eventual state champions. A three-star recruit, Avila was the No. 44 offensive guard in the 2018 recruiting class and the No. 151 recruit in Texas. After his junior season, he picked up offers from Kansas State, North Texas, TCU and Utah. But Avila credited the “family” atmosphere in Fort Worth as the reason he committed to former head coach Gary Patterson in March 2017. Avila was part of the same TCU recruiting class as Trevon Moehrig, Ar’Darius Washington, and his high school teammate Atanza Vongor. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree (May 2022). Avila accepted his invitation to the 2023 Senior Bowl.

    YEAR (GP/GS) POSITION NOTES
    2018: Redshirted
    2019: (11/0)
    2020: (9/9) 6 OC, 2 RT, 1 RG Honorable Mention All-Big 12
    2021: (12/11) OC Second Team All-Big 12
    2022: (15/15) LG Consensus All-American; First Team All-Big 12
    Total: (47/35) 17 OC, 15 LG, 2 RT, 1 RG

    HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
    COMBINE 6034 332 33 9 1/4 78 5.21 2.97 1.79 29 1/2 8’2” 4.74 7.85 28
    PRO DAY 6033 332 33 3/4 9 79 7/8 – – – – – – – – (position drills only – choice)

    STRENGTHS: Big-bodied blocker and engulfs rushers at the point of attack … doesn’t allow his base to narrow and pulls rushers into his tractor beam … shows off his brick hands to create knockback when his punch connects … uses his body quicks to mirror and ride pass rushers away from the play (zero holding penalties in 2022) … showed improvements with his ability to reset or make adjustments mid-engagement … has the processing to identify delayed blitzes or stone stunts … shows power in his hands to latch and move bodies in the run game … mobile enough to seal backside pulls and execute short pulls … always looking for work and plays with attitude … started at least one game at four different offensive line positions over the last three seasons (every spot except left tackle) … most of his college snaps came at center, and he has legitimate position flexibility … didn’t give up a sack in 2022.

    WEAKNESSES: Efficient in his setup but not explosive … has a tendency to forget his feet once engaged with his upper half … plays tall at times and needs to use better sink to access his leverage points … modest arm length and longer-armed defensive linemen will be able to access his chest … defenders feel his bruising hands, but he must improve his placement to better control the point of attack … his break-down ability as a puller and second-level blocker need improvement … flagged three times for false starts as a senior.

    SUMMARY: A three-year starter at TCU, Avila started all 15 games at left guard as a senior in former offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s RPO-based offense. A left tackle in high school, he played every offensive line position except left tackle at TCU, moving from center to left guard in 2022 and leading the team in snaps (1,020). He was an unsung hero on an offense that reached the National Championship Game. A wide-based and powerful blocker, Avila collects a body count with his heavy hands to make early contact in pass pro or drive block in the run game. Though he stays controlled in his initial mirror, his countering footwork and handwork will be the keys to his next-level success. Overall, Avila needs to better understand his biomechanics to access his explosive power, but he plays with a strong base to anchor and control at either guard or center. He fits both zone and gap schemes and should be an immediate starter as an NFL rookie.

    GRADE: 2nd Round (No. 40 overall)

    #143594
    Avatar photoInvaderRam
    Moderator

    i hope he can play center at this level.  that would make this pick that much better.

    #143595
    Avatar photoInvaderRam
    Moderator

    also sounds like this guy has a chance to come in straight away and start.

    #143596
    JackPMiller
    Participant

    As most know, I was praying this guy. Love the Steve Availa pick. I had him in my mock. If we can get Zach Harrison Edge Ohio State, and Eli Ricks CB Alabama, in round 3, I’ll be dancing. I may break a hip or two, but I’ll try.

     

    By the way, Steve Availa is our future at Center, next year.

    #143597
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    #143598
    Avatar photoInvaderRam
    Moderator

    By the way, Steve Availa is our future at Center, next year.

     

    that would be my wish.  i really did want washington, but i also wanted the rams to address offensive line, so i’m glad they made this pick.

    #143599
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    #143600
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    #143624
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    #143651
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    #143652
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    #143665
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    Rams draft Steve Avila: TCU guard is ‘tough guy’ who could help overhaul run game

    At pick No. 36, the Rams drafted TCU guard Steve Avila, a 6-foot-3, 332-pound behemoth of an interior lineman who can play left or right guard, center and even tackle.

    After they sent in their pick, every room where coaches, scouts and draft personnel assembled burst into applause and cheers. Avila was a high-ranked prospect on their board.

    Avila said that when general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay called in the early evening at TCU where he was watching the draft and celebrating with 150 close friends and teammates, he couldn’t even form a conversation because of all of the tears.

    That’s about the only time Avila will be on the record as not being an elite communicator, which is one of the traits the Rams identified in him early in their scouting process under area scout Cedric Jones.

    “He has a great personality, he can relate to a lot of different people,” Jones said. “You can put that guy in, he’s gonna come and do his job. We’re pretty confident in that.”

    Added Jones, “tough guy, I mean a large human being who moves very well for that size. A guy that is in the business of moving people. Hasn’t surrendered a lot of sacks in his career.”

    Avila ranked No. 40 on Dane Brugler’s list of the top 300 prospects. Only two interior offensive lineman are ahead of him on Brugler’s list, including O’Cyrus Torrence (No. 37) and Peter Skoronski (No. 7), who also plays tackle. Brugler says “Avila collects a body count with his heavy hands to make early contact in pass pro or drive block in the run game.”

    How he fits

    Avila has a larger body type than the Rams generally have looked for in the past at that position. But, it could be a sign of their intention to re-introduce some teeth in the run and the pass games after a disastrous, injury-filled 2022.

    Avila can also play zone or gap schemes, and controls the point of attack well because of his strength and size.

    Rookie impact

    The Rams need Avila to compete for playing time right away, and he does project well into doing so. They currently have an open position at left guard, where Avila will enter training camp as the favorite.

    Early expectations 

    McVay has mentioned for the last few seasons that he needs to overhaul and rejuvenate his run game, but the Rams have struggled to establish consistency here in part due to injuries and constantly changing personnel. If Avila is the stout, stable presence he is touted to be, he should have a multiyear impact for the offensive line in the run. In the pass, Avila was named a consensus All-American within TCU’s downfield attacking style, and didn’t give up a single sack in 2022.

    Fast evaluation

    Most would call an offensive lineman a “safe” pick, but for a team that has often swayed toward skill players in early rounds and also has so many questions up front on both sides of the ball, this is a solid selection and an immediate boost to their roster, if Avila can take the field as advertised.

    The Rams should be able to add some nastiness on the field and a young leader to their locker room when Avila arrives in Thousand Oaks, Calif. in the coming weeks.

    #143811
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    #143844
    Avatar photoInvaderRam
    Moderator

    #143877
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    #143888
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    from PFF: https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2023-nfl-draft-grades-all-day-2-picks

    R2 (36) LOS ANGELES RAMS: G STEVE AVILA, TCU

    Pick Grade: Good

    Avila was the model of consistency in pass protection during TCU’s Cinderella run in 2022. He averaged less than one pressure allowed per game last season and surrendered just one pressure to a vaunted Georgia defensive line in a blowout national championship loss.

    #144016
    JackPMiller
    Participant

    #144095
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    #144121
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    #144123
    Avatar photoInvaderRam
    Moderator

    my favorite pick by the rams in the last five years. at least.

     

    just like this pick the more and more i read about him.

    #144124
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    my favorite pick by the rams in the last five years. at least. just like this pick the more and more i read about him.

     

    #144484
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    Avila is ready to start over again with the Rams

    BY KAMRAN NIA

    LOS ANGELES — Texas has been Steve Avila’s only home for the first 23 years of his life. He was born and raised in Dallas. Then, he went to Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas, for college.

    At TCU, Avila was a captain for their football team, leading them to the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship in 2023, losing to Georgia.

    Avila loves the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as he relishes the tasty Mexican food and diverse culture. But after staying in the same place his whole life, he is ready to embrace his new home, Los Angeles.

    After the Los Angeles Rams drafted Avila with pick No. 36 in the 2023 NFL Draft, he arrived in Los Angeles on May 12. And as Avila met his teammates and learned his way around the facilities, he understood he was starting fresh with the Rams, like when he was a freshman in college. So now, he is looking to build respect and make a difference, as he has done on his previous teams.

    “I [was] talking to the other rookies like, ‘dude, we are just freshmen again,” Avila said. “Yeah, that’s really what it is. But I’ve always found a way to gain the respect of my teammates, which leads to more of a leadership role. And that’s something that I plan to do here.”

    And Avila has already gained the respect of one NFL veteran, former-Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth.

    “I love the pick of the kid out of TCU. I think that they’ve got some young linemen now that have played, and they’ll be more experienced,” said Whitworth on the Rich Eisen show.

    Even before being drafted by the Rams, Avila left a positive impression with the team. His only contact with them was when he met with special assistant to the general manager/analyst Andy Sugurman to review film, and he almost undoubtedly left a good impression, as the Rams drafted him soon after.

    However, with respect comes pressure to perform well. With a 5-12 record last year following a Super Bowl win, some fans hope the Rams return to the playoffs next season. And that process now includes Avila.

    Avila has played every position on the offensive line despite being primarily an interior lineman, and he is willing to play wherever he is called upon. That flexibility could be valuable for a Rams offensive line that struggled with injuries last season; Joseph Noteboom, Brandon Allen, and numerous others missed time.

    Despite high expectations from people like legends like Whitworth, fans, and others, Avila does not let the pressure get to him.

    “I kind of had the mindset of whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen,” Avila said. “I mean, it’s already written, and I just want to do my best to not have any regrets going into the future, whether that’s watching extra film or doing things extra. So that pressure kind of alleviate itself, like it kind of goes away.”

    As Avila looks to become a leader on the Rams, he also wants to connect with the Rams community in other ways, as many team leaders do. One way he will do so is by learning Spanish.

    When Avila joined the team, he felt, as one of a few Latinx players in the NFL, that he let down his Latinx fans because he did not know Spanish.

    “The Rams have a very heavy Hispanic community. They’re all excited because being a Hispanic person in the NFL is rare. But like when I got here, and everybody’s all excited. I let people down because I was don’t speak Spanish,” Avila said.

    Furthering Avila’s disappointment was finding out that his teammate, defensive lineman Kobie Turner can speak Spanish, and he does not.

    “Kobie Turner, who’s also on the team, he speaks Spanish. And it made me mad. I was like, ‘Alright, man, I gotta get all my stuff,” Avila said.

    Avila tried learning Spanish in 2021 but quit because it felt like schoolwork. However, now he has made a promise that he will learn the language by one year from now. He will try to complete the lofty goal using language learning apps like Duolingo.

    Over the next few months, Avila will continue integrating with the team as he prepares for his rookie season. Training camp begins on July 29, and he will prepare for his first game on August 12 when the Rams play the Los Angeles Chargers in the preseason.

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