My first post on this just does Friday. This one does the whole draft.

Frankly, I can’t remember the last draft where I saw something interesting and exciting in practically every pick.

Everett. The skills are all there, but what sold me was an interview I saw with him. He just has the mind and mentality of a serious and passionate pro. A very impressive guy, but not in an over the top way–he’s just quietly intense and bright, yet down to earth. So if nothing else I am rooting for him. If he can master the Jordan Reed role, that would be very valuable. He’s also very good in the open field, very physical. Kind of a unique type for a receiving tight end when it comes to that.

Johnson. Word around is, he just fits what Wade wants from his free safeties. This was a deep, deep draft for safeties–as deep a draft for safeties as anyone can remember–and so basically Wade just had his pick at that point. I just trust that. Both Rams safeties are FAs next year so this pick matters.

Kupp. I can see why the draftniks are so into him. At minimum you get a taller Amendola, I think.

Reynolds also inspired enthusiasm among the draftniks, and looking into him a bit, I can see why. He can make freaky Brandon Lloyd style gumby body adjustments and has a lot of tenacity.

Ebukam. Wade again. They needed another OLB/rusher and there is a lot to like about this guy, plus Wade knows what he wants in a defender. This draft was not only deep at safety, it was deep at edge rusher too, and once again, Wade had his pick of what was there.

Smart. Listening to the DL coach, they see him playing at all 3 DL positions (DT, NT, DE). He may be short but he has long arms and good leverage. They just see him as a playmaker, always in the backfield.

Rogers is a crowd favorite, and rightly so. A good pass and run blocking FB they can line up anywhere, from in-line to in the backfield, plus he can catch and run some. Think of all the old original great WCO teams and their FBs. Same thing. Versatile.

Price is kind of just a role player for passing downs but a very good one. If Smart and Price and Ebukam ALL work out, then, added to Donald, Quinn, and Barwin–plus Ogletree, I think–they are going to be drowning in pass rushers.

If Everett, Kupp, and Reynolds can come through they will obviously get lots of playing time now and more in the future but it will probably be hard to name who are the “starters” among the skill players…they will just all get time. Rogers will probably be the FB, when they use a FB, and how much they do that remains to be seen. I see Johnson and Ebukam as starters, maybe as soon as 2018. Price will be situational unless they convert him to ILB and that would be down the road. Smart is rotational. The only one I have any doubts about making the squad is Smart.

This is just a hunch/opinion in its early stages of forming, but, I have to say, it is clear how they ranked this draft. Forget about the normal ways of assessing picks. They add something–they want smart, dedicated, productive guys with great character. A type. And from what I can see, all of these guys fit that. If someone has all those things they will cut slack on other thins like level of competition and measureables. This was a McVay Rams draft from top to bottom. If you use THEIR criteria then this is an “A” draft.

We were wondering where Smart would line up. DL coach Johnson (vid link below) sheds some light on that. He says that in spite of being short, Smart has nice long arms and good leverage, so they can see him at DT (Donald’s spot), NT, and even DE. Obviously we don’t know if that will pan out, but they are thinking of him as someone who can play anywhere on the line.

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D-Line Coach Bill Johnson Comments on Smart

Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach Bill Johnson discusses the Rams’ sixth round draft pick of Tulane defensive tackle Tanzel Smart.

http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/D-Line-Coach-Bill-Johnson-Comments-on-Smart/5354057e-491f-4546-868e-6823bdc6479f

Jim Everett‏ @Jim_Everett ·

It was nice to witness our #LARams evaluate and select players partially based on #Football #IQ!

from Prisco’s NFL Draft Grades

Pete Prisco

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/priscos-nfl-draft-grades-for-all-32-teams-five-earn-as-two-fall-short-with-ds/

Los Angeles Rams

They traded their first-round pick last year to get quarterback Jared Goff, so they had to wait until the second round to pick. When they did pick, they seemed to focus on helping Goff. Their second-round pick was tight end Gerald Everett, and they followed that up with Eastern Washington receiver Copper Kupp in the third and Texas A&M receiver Josh Reynolds in the fourth. They didn’t take an offensive lineman, which was strange.
Grade: C-

jrry32 wrote:

The draft isn’t about whether they took a guy exactly where you foresaw him going. The draft is about whether they took an effective player who fits their system. Everett reminds people of Jordan Reed. If Everett ends up being Jordan Reed, how is this a bad pick?

They valued character and football ability over SPARQ scores.

I wanted Lamp but I heard that he has some chronic issues with his wrists. But I doubt it was that big of a deal. Regardless, I’m happy with what we did. We drafted a lot of football players.

Kupp
Reynolds
Smart
Rogers
Price

All stand out as highly productive and accomplished football players. Everett is more of an athlete, but he has produced and shown football ability. He plays just like Reed. I can see why McVay values him and believes he can bring that out of him. Everett catches the ball well, is an absolute pain in the ass to tackle, and is a great athlete for his size.

It doesn’t seem like the Rams like this OL class. JMO. My guess is that Kromer is going to move one of these three: Wichmann, Donnal, or Brown. Keep in mind that Groy was a guard before Kromer converted him. Kromer runs an inside-zone scheme. It’s basically a hybrid scheme, but it’ll resemble power more than zone. He wants a center who fits that. The outside-zone scheme is what the Shanahans are known for running and what we mainly ran last year. It’ll simplify things for both Gurley and our OLs, but it still will give Gurley some options if he wants to be creative.

Kupp was my #1 WR on Day 2. Reynolds was my #1 WR on Day 3. The Rams got both.

Josh Reynolds? That’s an A+ pick. We have a WR corp filled with unknowns. Reynolds adds the deep threat element that we arguably lacked. But more than anything, Reynolds gives us a skill-set that we simply don’t have right now. He’s a value pick where we got him. I would have taken him a round earlier without thinking twice. That kid produced in the SEC against big time competition. Aside from being skinny, he offers the entire package as a WR. He’s a kid who worked his ass off to earn what he has. He walked onto the team at A&M and became one of the SEC’s most productive WRs.

I’m still shocked that Kupp is a Ram. Kupp is intelligent (37 on the Wonderlic). He’ll be ready to play Day 1. The big thing with Kupp is that he uses his hands extremely well and his footwork is very advanced for his age (both are very polished skills). He also does a nice job of varying his releases to keep DBs off guard. We all know the kid is quick, but he’s also very technically sound.

Go to 0:58 in this video: http://draftbreakdown.com/video/marcus-peters-vs-eastern-washington-2014/

It’s 4th and 2 with Budda Baker pressing him. Kupp is lined up outside as the Z WR. Baker, who was just drafted by the Cardinals with Pick #36, ran a 4.45 40. Kupp comes off the LOS with a little stutter, throws an inside shoulder fake, and then releases hard outside. He smacks Baker’s hands down when Baker tries to deliver a punch and runs right by him for the 27 yard TD. A top 40 pick with 4.45 speed tries to press Kupp on 4th and 2, and Kupp makes him look the fool.

The only guy I’d have taken over Kupp is Corey Davis. But Kupp was right there with him. I really think he’s a special player. The traits that make Antonio Brown a special WR exist in Cooper Kupp’s game. That’s what always stood out to me. Brown was a 5’10” WR with a 4.57 40 and poor jump numbers. Yet, the guy is arguably the best WR in football. How? It is obvious when you watch him. He cuts on a dime, accelerates incredibly well, and has an understanding of his position that few guys do. He has the sort of understanding of how to play WR that made guys like Ike Bruce and Marvin Harrison elite. Brown doesn’t just know what he has to do. He knows what every other players on the field has to do. That includes the defender. He is able to accurately anticipate how the defender is going to react to what he does from down to down. It allows him to always keep the defender guessing. When the defender is guessing, he takes a split second longer to react. He begins to doubt what he’s seeing and plays it safe. That gives Brown enough separation to almost always be “open.”

I see that same skill in Kupp’s game. He knows every trick in the book. He can execute every trick in the book. And he knows exactly how to conceal what he’s doing until the last possible second to keep the defender guessing. He constantly throws different techniques out to keep the defender from being able to anticipate what he’ll do next. He’s just on a different level in terms of skill and intelligence.

I’ve seen some people say Kupp is essentially Spruce. Not, they’re very different players. It’s like claiming that Odell Beckham Jr. is essentially Doug Baldwin 2.0. Spruce might make this roster. He’s reliable. It’ll depend on his special teams value. But he’s not Kupp. He’s just not that talented (Kupp-level talented). He’s savvy, he’s tough, he’s physical, he’s reliable, and he plays hard. That might earn him a job.

Basically, while Kupp’s top-end speed isn’t great, but he has great acceleration, quickness, and change of direction ability. In comparison, Spruce’s top-end speed is also lacking, but his acceleration, quickness, and change of direction ability range from average to bad. That all shows up on his game tape. Spruce lacks physical talent. He creates separation through savvy and physicality. It works for him. He will finish in traffic. He makes tough catches. But he tends to body the ball more and doesn’t attack it that well in the air. Spruce plays every down like it could be his last. That’s something to be commended. Spruce is a slot WR who will have to win working the middle. He won’t separate outside and won’t win in the air well enough for teams to accept that.

Kupp is a different type of player. He lacks top-end speed, but as I stated, he has acceleration, quickness, and change of direction ability. He has the athleticism to separate consistently. He combines that athleticism with skill and savvy that is simply beyond what Spruce offers. In addition to that, he attacks the ball better than Spruce does, catches the ball in traffic better than Spruce does, and he runs after the catch better than Spruce does. Spruce is essentially Kupp if you strip away the things that make him special.

I was surprised that New England didn’t grab him, but they couldn’t (barring a trade up). They traded their first for Brandin Cooks. They didn’t pick until 14 spots after we took Kupp. I think there’s a real chance that they would have taken him had they not traded their second round pick.

I’ve been wrong many times before, and I’ll be wrong many times in the future, but I see Cooper Kupp as a guy who just won’t stay covered in the NFL. Whether he plays a Wes Welker slot role or outside, he’s going to be constantly open. He’s the type of kid that you feel comfortable throwing as many options as possible into the routes he runs because you know he’s going to be where he’s supposed to be. The more flexibility you give a guy like him, the better he’ll be able to create for you.

Smart is a Wade Phillips player. Short, stout, and very disruptive. Plays with a high motor. Relentlessly attacks the ball. Good at getting into the backfield and disrupting. Great scheme fit and depth we sorely needed. I’m very happy with the pick.

Price can really get after the passer. He’s one of the NCAA’s best pass rushers and most disruptive players. He has some limitations as a run defender because of his lack of length. He’ll hold his ground and stack his blocker (very strong with natural leverage), but he struggles getting off blocks. As a pass rusher, though, he’s very difficult to stop. He’s so low to the ground when he rushes that most OTs struggle to get a hand on him. He has tremendous burst off the LOS, is a very strong player who can play through contact, and is always looking to finish. Most OTs are tall. Price uses that against them like James Harrison and Elvis Dumervil does. He gets underneath them and powers through to get around the corner. I like him a lot. It’s possible that Ejuan could also slide inside and play as our SILB.

Having said that it’s interesting. When VT played Pitt they could not block Price What did they do? They told Sam Rogers, “He’s all yours.” Rogers was able to neutralize him. Their OTs couldn’t block Price but Rogers could. And the man also delivered them play after play like this one:

That game got me interested in Rogers. He’s versatile and a special teams demon. Tells us that McVay wants to run the ball out of power sets with Gurley. Rogers really impressed me against Pitt.

Rampage2K wrote

Back from the draft party….A lot different from last years but still fun nonetheless!!! Talked to Dani K, Ron Brown, Vinnie B.

Grits pointed out Vinny to me So I thought I’d pick his brain a bit about the draft and the atmosphere at Rams park these days.

Said he liked the draft and that it was clear that McVay is going to try to fix this offense…it might take some time but it will be good soon… Loved the WR’s that we drafted and that the competition is going to be great to have with in that group… The Everett pick is all about finding his Jordan Reed type TE.

Said that no offense to Jeff Fisher but night and day difference between Fisher and McVay and that the players are buying in (btw another long time Rams employee told me the same thing about how the players seem to “love him” already)

Said the draft was clearly reflective of what McVay is trying to build…said it’s refreshing to hear and see a coach that knows exactly what he wants and conveys it so clearly and that he is going to build around smart high character guys. Said it may not happen this year, but this team will get it turned around with this staff.

Rams ‘stick to the plan’ in draft and address variety of needs

By Gary Klein

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-nfl-draft-20170429-story.html

Stay in alignment. No surprises. Seamless.

Those were a few terms and phrases Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay used Saturday to describe the Rams’ process and results in the NFL draft.

A day after they selected tight end Gerald Everett, receiver Cooper Kupp and safety John Johnson in the second and third rounds Saturday, the Rams added Texas A&M receiver Josh Reynolds and Eastern Washington linebacker Samson Ebukam in the fourth round, Tulane defensive lineman Tanzel Smart and Virginia Tech running back Sam Rogers in the sixth, and Pittsburgh linebacker Ejuan Price in the seventh.

The four new players on offense and four on defense help the Rams address needs at receiver and tight end, and improved depth at linebacker and on the defensive line.

“We feel like we were able to address a lot of those needs, but we also didn’t overreach for any,” McVay said after his first draft as a head coach. “It seemed like a lot of those guys that we had valued, we were able to get at the spot that we wanted.

“And that was kind of the goal for the weekend and we felt like we accomplished that.”

But for the second year in a row, the Rams did not select an offensive lineman.

That might perplex Rams fans who last season watched running back Todd Gurley struggle to reach the line of scrimmage and quarterback Jared Goff unsuccessfully dodge pass-rushing onslaughts.

The addition of free-agent left tackle Andrew Whitworth — a Pro Bowl selection with Cincinnati the last two seasons — new offensive-line coach Aaron Kromer’s assessment of players on the roster, and the lack of offensive-line depth in the draft caused the Rams to prioritize other needs, Snead said.

The Rams also did not draft a cornerback. After assessing a secondary that includes recent signees Kayvon Webster and Nickell Robey-Coleman during last week’s minicamp, McVay said Saturday that “we feel good where we’re at.”

The Rams, who did not have a first-round pick, traded back or forward three times during the final six rounds.

“The biggest thing you take away from this weekend is that there were no surprises,’ McVay said. “Everything that happened, we were able to kind of stick to the plan and trust that if it wasn’t maybe Priority A, there was a Priority 1-A in place.”

The Rams began the day by trading down five spots and selecting Reynolds. The 6-foot-3 wideout gives Goff a tall target and can make catches high in the air.

“I’m versatile,” Reynolds said in teleconference with reporters. “My height was just a bonus, and really having long arms, just being long.”

Ebukam was excited about joining a defense that will operate from coordinator Wade Phillips’ 3-4 scheme. He also is enthused about playing on the same pro team with Kupp, a teammate at Eastern Washington.

“When he got picked by them I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s the perfect team,’” Ebukam said. “Then I thought to myself, ‘What are the chances I get picked by the same team?’ And it just happened and I was like, ‘Whoa, Eagles really do stick together.’ That’s awesome.”

Smart joins a defensive-line position group that includes three-time Pro Bowl tackle Aaron Donald and two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Robert Quinn.

“I really want to learn a lot from Aaron Donald,” Smarts said. “I’m just glad I’m in that situation to play and learn from those guys.”

Rogers grew up about two hours from Washington, D.C., so he is familiar with the productive offense McVay oversaw as coordinator for the Redskins.

“They use versatile guys, guys that can do a lot of different things,” Rogers said, “and I feel like I fit that mold pretty well.’

Price played defensive end at Pittsburgh, where he was teammates with Donald.

Price overcame chest and back injuries that sidelined him for more than two seasons. He finished his career with 29½ sacks, tying him with Donald for fourth on the school’s all-time list.

“I think naturally I’m a 3-4 outside linebacker, so I couldn’t have asked for a better fit,” Price said, adding, “I think I’ll fit right in with what I do. My specialty is penetration and pass rush so I think I can definitely be useful.”

The Rams began to contact potential free agents immediately after the draft and will continue through Sunday. They will hold a rookie camp starting May 11.

Snead, overseeing his sixth draft, credited McVay for bringing enthusiasm to the evaluation process, especially in the last four weeks leading up the draft.

“That’s where chemistry is built,” Snead said. “That’s where you get to know someone. That’s where you get to really, really bond a lot better than badminton at the company picnic.”

Etc.

UCLA defensive back Ishmael Adams and USC running back Justin Davis were among 11 undrafted players who agreed to terms for free-agent contracts with the Rams.

Others: Arkansas defensive back Jared Collins, Colorado linebacker Kevin Davis, Washington offensive lineman Jake Eldrenkamp, New Mexico State offensive lineman Anthony McMeans, Oregon tight end Johnny Mundt, Dartmouth linebacker Folarin Orimolade, Missouri defensive back Aarion Penton, Ohio defensive tackle Casey Sayles and North Carolina defensive back Dravious Wright.