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znModeratorThe more film you watch, the more you see why the Rams made the trade to select Braden Fiske.
Fiske had an amazing combine that only confirmed what his film shows. A dynamic IDL with great pursuit! His ability to shove off blockers and finish the play really stands out pic.twitter.com/lzucJbdXi9
— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) April 27, 2024
znModeratorGreg Beacham@gregbeachamTyler Davis is a big Aaron Donald fan. He’s close friends with Rams TE Davis Allen, his former Clemson teammate He already admires ACC rivals Jared Verse & Braden Fiske: “They’re some dawgs for sure. We got a bunch of dawgs on the Rams.”znModeratorRams Brothers@RamsBrothersBeaux Limmer was a projected 4th round pick. Rams got insanely good value on him late in the 6th round. Four-year starter at Arkansas where he primarily played RG and then shifted to center. Immediate back-up for Steve Avila (and potentially Kevin Dotson)!znModeratorKarty made from 55 yards right down the middle at the Senior Bowl. Kid has a leg! https://t.co/fQ8hKXhlbw
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) April 27, 2024
znModeratorGleaned from the highlights fwiw: effort guy, with good open field vision for running the ball after the catch. Special teamer who could be on every STs unit, blocking for returns and making tackles in coverage.
znModeratorznModeratorJourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigueArkansas C Beaux Limmer, the Rams’ pick at No. 217, fills a lingering need in this meat-and-potatoes draft — backup center.znModeratorCornell@gqscholarMcvay wants no drop-off if/when KW gets injured or rests on the bench. Mcvay wants the same style of back as KW. The style best fits the RAM blocking scheme/offense. We all saw what a difference the Rams offense was with and without KW.znModeratorfrom https://www.therams.com/news/jordan-whittington-nfl-draft-wide-receiver-texas
The 6-foot-1, 205 pound Whittington tallied 42 receptions for 501 yards and one touchdown for the Longhorns while playing in all 14 games last season (eight starts) en route to Honorable Mention All-Big 12 recognition.
znModeratorSarah Barshop@sarahbarshopThe Rams missed an NFL-high 16 field goals and PAT last season..Blaine Grisak@bgrisakTSTRams get their kicker! They take arguably the best kicker in the draft in Joshua Karty.znModeratorHEIGHT6’ 2’’WEIGHT207 lbsARM31 1/2’’HAND9 1/8’’.By Lance ZierleinOverviewAfter struggling in 2021, Karty kicked with impressive accuracy and consistency over the last two years. He hits the ball with repeatable process and repeatable ball flight from 40-plus yards out, and he never seemed to get into a mental funk. Karty has a strong enough leg to make field goals from 54 to 56 yards without having to drive them low, and his kickoff leg will take the return game completely out of the equation if teams want. He has middle-round draft value and could become a longtime NFL kicker.
Strengths
- Possesses deep range of 56-59 yards on tape.
- Creates momentum into his strikes and generally gains big lift.
- Made 91.1 percent of his field goals over the last two seasons.
- Handles kickoffs with the same leg strength.
- Completed slick onside kick against Sacramento State.
Weaknesses
- Must be careful not to overcorrect to the opposite post on kicks from the hash.
- Failed to make his wind adjustments on 51-yard misses against Arizona.
znModeratorTyler Davis: 91.1 run defense grade since 2022 (3rd among DTs) 💥 pic.twitter.com/VQgLekUdmQ
— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) April 27, 2024
znModeratorStu Jackson@StuJRamsFive of the Rams’ six 2024 draft picks so far have gone toward defense. Four of those five toward the defensive front..Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
The Rams use the 196th overall pick on Clemson DL Tyler Davis, who was there 5 years & made the past 3 All-ACC first teams. LA is picking grown men. Davis is the 5th player drafted by the Rams who was born in the year 2000 & played several seasons of college ball.***.The 6-foot-2, 301-pound Davis was a First-Team All-ACC performer for the Tigers in 2023 after producing 34 total tackles (3.5 for loss) while starting all 13 games. It was the third-straight season he earned First-Team all-conference recognition, going back to the 2021 season.znModeratorHEIGHT6’ 2’’WEIGHT301 lbsARM31 3/8’’HAND9 1/4’’.By Lance ZierleinOverviewA fireplug nose tackle with a compact frame, Davis plays much stronger than his measurables might indicate. He lacks the pure mass teams covet along the interior but uses terrific strength and leverage to bow his neck and take on all comers. He’s usually first off the snap and first in with his hands, but the size and length of an NFL interior blocker could be challenging for him as he makes the step up in class. The physical limitations will make him less attractive earlier in the draft, but his motor and consistency in pressuring blockers should push him into snaps as a 4-3 nose.
Strengths
- Times up snap and slams into blocker with quick, powerful punch.
- Mirrors lineman’s lateral movements and fills in the play-side gap.
- Proportional strength for impressive double-team battles.
- Leg drive creates relentless pressure on blockers.
- Natural leverage to penetrate gaps and drive through redirection as rusher.
- Foot quickness gives him a chance to find entry points into the pocket.
Weaknesses
- Below-average mass for an NFL nose tackle.
- Short arms make it tougher to control and shed opponents quickly.
- Loses pad level when engaging with lateral blocks.
- Below-average hand fighting to slip past pass protection.
- Needs to develop more rush counters and put them in his bag.
znModeratorHey old pals – long time. I’m reminded, with all these late picks, of the fairly extensive evidence that ZN produced a few years ago concerning the quantity and quality of OL prospects available as late as undrafted free agency. If I recall, the evidence involved already-productive NFL offensive linemen and their draft positions. If that information still has any bearing on current draft conditions, I would be pleased to have the Rams mine those OL deposits in rounds six and seven.
Howdy. Developmental OL depth would be nice.
znModeratorCameron DaSilva@camdasilvaWith Brennan Jackson being another senior and team captain, the Rams continue to target older, experienced prospects in this draft class Kinchens is the only player they’ve drafted younger than 23 years oldznModeratorHere’s our write up from a few weeks ago from new #Rams edge Brennan Jackson from Washington State. Listeners of the show know. We liked him from the jump. pic.twitter.com/MV0zaJ1LUV
— Rams Brothers (@RamsBrothers) April 27, 2024
znModeratorAlbert Breer@AlbertBreerA reminder for Day 3 of the draft: Most NFL folks I’ve talked to believe the quality of the class collapses after Round 4. It’s the effect of NIL & the portal, keeping guys in school—just 58 underclassmen declared (was 130 in ’21). Expect scrambling to get targeted guys today.znModeratorHEIGHT6’ 4’’WEIGHT264 lbsARM32 3/4’’HAND9 3/4’’.By Lance ZierleinOverviewSixth-year senior who plays like he loves football and never wants the game to end. Jackson is a productive, effort-based pass rusher who wins with motor and force but is missing much-needed moves and counters to beat NFL tackles with skill. He plays with good bend and powerful hips to drive his way through a blocker’s edge against run or pass blocks. Jackson is salty at the point of attack and will shed or spin off blocks to find his way to the football. Despite some limitations, Jackson is constantly near the football, thanks to his strength, effort and toughness, and he could become a reliable pro as a 4-3 end or 3-4 rush linebacker.
Strengths
- Plays with relentless energy that is beyond persistent on every snap.
- Gets off the ball with bent knees and low pads into contact.
- Above-average play strength with ability to consistently get off blocks.
- Strong hips allow him to drive through a blocker’s edges.
- Hard-charging style creates production through secondary rush.
- Possesses the footwork to further develop his spin counter.
Weaknesses
- Average athleticism could be tougher to hide as a pro.
- Will take chances inside B-gap and give away his run fit.
- Lacks pursuit quickness to force runners into the boundary.
- One-speed rusher with limited moves and counters.
- Needs to better develop speed-to-power charge for NFL tackles.
Sources Tell Us
“Plays as hard as anyone in the conference. I think coaches will like him just a little bit more than scouts will, and maybe they will be right.” — AFC national scoutznModeratorBrennan Jackson since 2022:
83 QB pressures
16 sacks
78.1 pass-rushing grade— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) April 27, 2024
znModeratorfrom https://www.therams.com/news/brennan-jackson-nfl-draft-linebacker-washington-state
The 6-foot-4, 264-pound Jackson led the Cougars with 12.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks, also contributing 57 total tackles, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and four fumble recoveries on his way to Second-Team All-Pac 12 recognition in 2023. It marked the second-straight year he not only led the team in sacks and was a Second-Team all-conference selection. Jackson also tied for the team lead in tackles for loss in 2022 with 12.
Jackson was a team captain for Washington State across both of those seasons as well.
znModeratorznModeratorWell I fixed it. So I don’t know what the issue is.
znModeratorJust curious….when did the defensive end position change its name to U2 guitarist EDGE? Why the name change from DE to EDGE? do you think they’ll draft a kicker?
As we know, commonly the term refers to both 4/3 DEs and 3/4 pass rushing OLBs. My understanding is that being labelled an “edge” gets you in a higher, more lucrative contract tier than being labelled an OLB. Meanwhile as we know, a 3/4 still has a DE, which is what Jonah Williams was last year and Ashawn Robinson the year before.
znModeratorVerse is a stronger and better version of Kayvon Thibodeaux in that both players’ games are built more on straight-line linear power and not flexibility and bend. This flattens their rush path to the quarterback, but Verse is much more physical and violent and a better overall prospect.
Thibodeaux was taken 5th in the 1st round by the Giants in 2022 and was the defensive rookie of the year. He had 4 sacks in 2022 and 11.5 in 2023. Cosell is projecting Verse as a better version of the same type of player.
znModeratorJared Verse 2024 NFL Draft: Combine Results, Scouting Report For Los Angeles Rams Edge
By Greg CosellJARED VERSE 2024 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT
STRENGTHS
- Sudden and twitchy off the ball with excellent get-off and velocity generating speed-to-power with leverage.
- Generated power on pass rush off his second step, getting inside and driving through and lifting the offensive tackle, gaining ground.
- Tightly wound, with strength and power throughout his body. Strong core with short area explosion and power.
- Played a power game with the short area strength to jar offensive tackles off the ball and the power to drive them back.
- Fired off the ball with explosiveness and quick, active, dynamic hands. Twitchy feel to his overall movement.
- Showed pass rush plan off staple speed-to-power, with a quick cross-face inside counter and outside hand swipe.
- There were edge pass rush snaps where he showed more than functional ankle flexion to clear the arc and flatten his path.
- Showed a quick arm-over move to beat offensive tackles. Excellent short-area quickness with balance and body control.
- On pass rush snaps, he showed effective hand moves to win, then cleared the edge, flattened and closed with speed.
- Foundation of his game as a run defender and pass rusher is his strong, powerful hands and great functional strength.
- Made plays in pursuit outside the box with outstanding play speed and range. Competitive playing personality.
- In 2023, his first-step explosiveness as a pass rusher was high-level. There were no wasted steps, allowing him to attack the edge.
- Showed effective swipe moves as an edge pass rusher to remove the hands of offensive tackles and open the edge to gain leverage.
- Outstanding balance and body control as an edge rusher. Did not slow down or lose speed at the top of the pass rush arc.
- Flexibility at the top of the pass rush arc to turn off his inside foot and flatten his rush path with burst to the quarterback.
- Physical component to his game. Worked through contact effectively with a combination of strength and tenacity.
- Showed devastating speed-to-power with the contact strength and movement power to drive offensive tackles into the pocket.
- Strength and hand quickness to play off contact in the run game and make plays. Good short area quickness.
WEAKNESSES
- 2022 tape did not show a bendy, flexible athlete who could bend off contact and flatten his rush path to the QB.
- Needs to continue to develop a wider array of moves as an edge pass rusher. Cannot rely solely on speed-to-power.
- In 2023, he showed a tendency to take false steps when aligned in a two-point stance. More comfortable in a three-point stance.
- Tendency to drop his head and use the crown of his helmet to attack with speed-to-power. Could be a concern in the NFL.
- A little tight in his movement. More straight-line linear than naturally bendy and flexible. Can get stuck at times.
- Did not look comfortable dropping into underneath zone coverage, which likely limits his deployment in the NFL.
NFL TRANSITIONVerse is one of the best edge pass rush prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. He may be the most powerful of the top prospects. Verse’s game is built on strength and power through his body, with short stroke power in confined compact space. He has strong hands with the short area explosion to jar offensive tackles and the accelerating power to drive them back into the pocket, as seen on his sacks versus Florida and Louisville.
Verse was at his best with his hand in the ground in a three-point stance. When he got off the ball with no false steps or wasted motion, he showed both exceptional first step explosiveness to immediately challenge the high side of the offensive tackle at the top of the arc. He also showed devastating speed-to-power conversion to attack the center of the offensive tackle.
What stood out with Verse as a pass rusher is that he was purposeful, with a plan to attack and set up left tackles to get them out of phase and just off balance enough that he could then execute his speed-to-power rush. He did not need a runway to generate power. He was able to do so in a confined amount of space.
While Verse is not stiff, he is a little high-cut and does not possess elite bend and flexibility. At times, that resulted in getting stuck when the speed-to-power conversion was stopped by the offensive tackle. It also showed up at times when he looked to work the high side of the offensive tackle. He just didn’t have the hip and core flexibility to clear the arc.
Verse is a stronger and better version of Kayvon Thibodeaux in that both players’ games are built more on straight-line linear power and not flexibility and bend. This flattens their rush path to the quarterback, but Verse is much more physical and violent and a better overall prospect.
Verse would project and transition best to the next level as a defensive end in a 4-3 front where he could line up in a three-point stance. He has the pass rush traits to move inside to three-technique in sub fronts where he also showed the speed-to-power conversion versus guards and centers.
znModeratorBlake Corum is heading to Los Angeles 😎🌴
His scouting report via @gregcosell 📘
STRENGTHS:
– Short, stout frame with a powerfully built lower half and quick feet to make sharp, decisive cuts to the clear first level
– A low center of gravity with a short, powerful frame… https://t.co/lNzDw7ESXy pic.twitter.com/9vvxdKOS2J
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) April 27, 2024
znModeratorBraden Fiske to LA means more FSU DL for the Rams! 💥🐏
His scouting report by @gregcosell 🏹
STRENGTHS:
– Showed 2-gap ability in the run game with core and upper body strength to lock out his arms and control OL.
– Understood how to use his hands and arms to lock out OL and… https://t.co/GJzakFwmQP pic.twitter.com/vRSZi4JxF6
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) April 26, 2024
znModeratorThe Rams got a steal of a safety with Kamren Kinchens 💥
His scouting report per @gregcosell 🙌
STRENGTHS:
– Good size for safety position with plus straight-line speed and range on the back end. Covered ground easily.
– At his best playing downhill from the back end with… https://t.co/EoBM6tZbMB pic.twitter.com/9iFF66VyY1
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) April 27, 2024
znModeratorFIRED UP FOR FISKE! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QY1ixA1z4A
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 27, 2024
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