“Cam Akers ran the new ‘Duce Staley Drill’ at the Combine so well that I had an NFL executive text me to say they should re-name it the ‘Cam Akers Drill.’

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from https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/duce-staley-drill-eagles-nfl-scouting-combine-running-backs-draft-20200228.html

The drill, which emulates what running backs are asked to do on zone run plays, is new for this year as part of an attempt to modernize the scouting combine’s workouts.

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Duce Staley and @DarrenSproles demonstrate the new "Duce Staley Drill" for the running back prospects. 🦅

📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: https://t.co/vDFxxNddNZ pic.twitter.com/izEAdBljwj

— NFL (@NFL) February 29, 2020

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Better view of it on a facebook vid:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=221539825906040

Dane Brugler, from https://theathletic.com/1775537/2020/04/26/brugler-ranking-my-favorite-nfl-draft-classes-from-1-to-32/?source=twittered

Day three pick who could surprise: Clay Johnston, LB, Baylor
Coming off an ACL injury, Johnston’s health will be important, but he was in the midst of an All-American type of season before the injury. He is a heat-seeking missile who will earn his paycheck on special teams while he fights for a role on defense.

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
they liked Sloman in particular because he had experience in a variety of situations (meaning weather, etc.)

from Five stars from Day 2 of Senior Bowl practice: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001098624/article/2020-senior-bowl-day-2-justin-herbert-sizzles-bears-eye-te

Terrell Burgess, DB, Utah. Burgess’ versatility is standing out in practice. He played safety and nickelback for the Utes, but I think he’ll play nickel in the NFL. He’s really instinctive, twitchy and anticipates well. When there’s a catch to be made, he’s going to be in there trying to break it up. He did it as a matchup corner on Wednesday, and then he did it as a safety, when he was lining up against tight ends and running backs during drills. He’ll also support the run, which is something you have to have from your nickel corner. He has the ball skills and athletic ability to be a Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) pick.

Deadpool

WR Earnest Edwards – Maine – Exciting, the Maine offense used him (I saw 1 game) as a runner, as a WR and as a KR. He has 4 career KO retuens for TDs, is a 5′-10″ 175 lb jitterbug with HR speed and electric playmaking in the open field. His size will be an issue. But a KO returner and gadget specialist.

DB JuJu Hughes – Fresno State – 5′-11″ 190 lb S. Interesting kid, played split zone safety, slot press man, STAR backer or big nickel backer, in hte box safety, he has good range, fearless, sure tackler and not afraid to mix it up with bigger receivers. Size may be an issue, but not to him.

RB Xavier Jones – SMU – 5′-11″ 208 lbs decent athleticism, loose hipped, light on his feet, with enough juice to find the endzone. Injuties last year kinda derailed his steam and he went unnoticed this year due to the deep class…

QB Bryce Perkins – Virginia nice get. A dual threat that completed 65% of his passes. He can run but he has a live arm. Can throw to all levels. His running ability opened up a bunch for him, but sometimes he depends on running too much.

DL Sam Renner – Minnesota – 6′-4″ 265 lb 34 DE, a former walk on. Gonna need to add some lbs to compete.

LB Christian Rozeboom – South Dakota State – 6′-2″ 230 lbs 475 tackles, 30 tfl and 8 ints. In a defense heavy MVC, he shined, Sideline to sideline with cover skills. I hope he sticks becasue he has the size and athleticism to be a good ILBer in the Rams 34

CB Levonta Taylor – Florida State 238. Levonta Taylor – CB – Florida State – 5′-10″ 190 lbs. – a CB turned safety, smooth lower half and good speed and lack of strength make him an ideal zone fit, either as a nickel or S. had back problems in the past.

wv wrote:

I think my favorite pick is ANCHR-UM,

Do you mean favorite in the 7th round, or favorite overall? I like Anchrum too. A very intriguing pick. Sounds like a Tom Newberry type.

…

wv wrote:

My own opinion is that seasons 1 thru 3 are ‘as good as it gets’ on tv.
Seasons 4 and 5 certainly have their moments and are good, but not as scene-by-scene good as seasons 1 to 3.

I completely agree with that. Yeah seasons 1 through 3 really is just unequaled stuff.

Terrell Burgess. Playmaker. pic.twitter.com/Op8K1zlkRY

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 26, 2020

Great cut back ability and also the hard running ability to eat a hit and keep churning legs for the big gain!

New Rams running back CAM AKERS pic.twitter.com/bkQXPqtJKa

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) April 26, 2020

Snead, McVay recap third and final day of 2020 NFL Draft

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/snead-mcvay-day-3-nfl-draft-recap

Rams general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay met with local media Saturday evening to put a bow on the 2020 NFL Draft. Here is a recap of some of the most important topics they covered:

Addressing eight different positions – RB, WR, OLB, S, TE, S, LB, K, OG – with nine picks by the end of Day 3

Snead said it wasn’t necessarily the goal to spread out their approach in that manner, but when the Houston Texans called and presented an opportunity for the Rams to move back and acquire a pair of additional seventh-round picks, they felt it was the right move. It allowed them to get linebacker Cody Johnston, kicker Samuel Sloman and offensive guard Tremayne Anchrum, who Snead felt the Rams may not have been able to get had they just stayed put.

Such a spread-out approach reflects the competitiveness of the team, according to McVay.

“All these players give us the ability to do that with a unique blend of things coming together, where they added value and they happen to fulfill needs as well,” McVay said.

As for earlier in the draft, the intent was to get players who could potentially step in to fill roles of the players they lost in free agency, according to Snead. However, sometimes with the way the draft board falls, it forces a team to go from Plan A to Plan B.

The Rams found themselves in that situation when Purdue tight end Brycen Hopkins was still available after they traded back with the Texans to pick No. 136.

“We really like our tight end room right now, but we had him highly rated and felt like he could come in and carve out a role early but also later,” Snead said. “We didn’t have to make that pick, but sometimes when you make those types of picks, there’s an element of drafting in a microscope, but also with a telescope and you feel like, ‘Hey, the guy can make plays.’

Confidence in the offensive line

While some experts believed Los Angeles would look to address its offensive line early, it instead waited until much later in the draft to do so, using its final pick to take Clemson offensive guard Tremayne Anchrum in the seventh round.

Snead said that approach reflected their confidence in the younger offensive linemen the Rams have taken in previous drafts.

“When Sean mentioned yesterday trading for Austin Corbett, it was just a couple of years ago that he was the 33rd pick in the draft,” Snead said. “Even this year, we wouldn’t have been able to pick an Austin Corbett. We’ve been adding those players, and fortunately or unfortunately a lot of them got to play last year, with David Edwards and Bobby Evans in particular. They got a chance to play when we were really going to spend a year developing them as backups. We felt confident that if we continued grooming and developing these players, they’d have a chance to become a very solid offensive line.”

Other positions to address?

It’s too soon to tell. Snead said they planned to let the draft settle, then sit down and look at their roster.

Part of the reason for the patient approach is because Snead said they will do what they’ve done every year – evaluate the roles of young players who didn’t see the field much or at all as rookies, then were elevated into larger roles to address needs.

The example Snead used was defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, a 2018 sixth-round pick who was inactive for all 16 games and three postseason games in 2018, then helped fill the void left by the departure of Ndamukong Suh by taking on a bigger role in 2019.

“So that’s what we’ve discussed about some of our younger players that may have less playing time, but you’re always going to look to see, ‘Hey, how can you make a more competitive or add someone to be more competitive any time you get that chance.'”

Los Angeles Rams NFL Draft Picks 2020: Round-by-Round Results, Grades

https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/04/23/la-rams-nfl-draft-2020-results-picks-grades

The Los Angeles Rams entered the 2019 season as the defending NFC champions, but they failed to reach the postseason entirely. Los Angeles went just 9-7 last year, and were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16. 2019 marked the first non-playoff season under head coach Sean McVay.

In the 2019 NFL draft, the Rams did not have a first-round pick and instead selected safety Taylor Rapp with their first selection, No. 61 overall. They added running back Darrell Henderson early in the third round and cornerback David Long and offensive tackle Bobby Evans later in the third round. Between rounds four and seven, the Rams made four selections. They drafted defensive tackle Greg Gaines, offensive tackle David Edwards, safety Nick Scott and linebacker Dakota Allen.

According to The MMQB’s NFC West team needs, linebackers are critical in new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s scheme, which is built on disguised matchup zone concepts, and the team has a depth shortage at the aforementioned position. Safety is another area of possible need. The team’s draft capital will likely be spent predominantly on defense, but if the team does elect to make any offensive selection, look for Los Angeles to try and bolster its offensive line.

Round 2, No. 52 overall: Cam Akers, RB, Florida State

Andy Benoit’s analysis: Explosive 2019 third-round pick Darrell Henderson still has much room to develop and may not be ready for a full-time role in 2020. Soon-to-be 27-year-old Malcolm Brown is a very serviceable rotational back but is in the final year of his contract. And so the Rams used their first pick on a more direct replacement for Todd Gurley, whom they likely expect to compete for a starting job right away. Akers was a mature, gliding runner at Florida State, showing nuance and an understanding of how to read defensive fronts. If that translates to the NFL, he’ll be a perfect fit in Sean McVay’s outside zone running game. Grade: A

Round 2, No. 57 overall: Van Jefferson, WR, Florida

Andy Benoit’s analysis: What many scouts like most about Jefferson is his route running prowess. Not coincidentally, that happens to be one of the traits L.A. values most in a wide receiver. Some see Jefferson more as a slot weapon, though it’s hard to envision the Rams moving Cooper Kupp out of that role. But remember, the slot designation does not matter quite as much in this scheme, as so many of its passes come on play-action and off route combinations that all originate from tight splits inside. Grade: B

Round 3, No. 84 overall: Terrell Lewis, LB, Alabama

Andy Benoit’s analysis: Lewis has a long body and the desired traits to be a quality NFL pass rusher. Injuries were a concern at Alabama, which is why the Rams are finding the talented specimen so late in the draft. He fills one of several needs for this defense. Grade: A

Round 3, No. 104 overall: Terrell Burgess, S, Utah

Andy Benoit’s analysis: Don’t be at all surprised if Burgess plays significant snaps right away. The Rams are very thin at linebacker and, in recent years, have preferred to play a three-safety dime package, keeping just one LB on the field. With Taylor Rapp being a dynamic box player, John Johnson being better down near that area as well and no proven depth behind those two, the runway is clear for Burgess to slide in as the centerfielder on passing downs. Grade: A+

Cam Akers is so good at creating yards for himself. Playing behind that awful OL at Florida State, he had to do it as often as he could. pic.twitter.com/wU9if1EJAB

— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) April 21, 2020