Building on my very-likely dubious
first-round projections, here’s RamView’s annual, even more
dubious, attempt to lay out a seven-round draft for the Rams:
1 / 16 – Eric Reid, FS, LSU
1 / 22 – Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
2 / 46 – DeAndre Hopkins, WR,
Clemson. Rumors have started that the Rams like Hopkins so much
that they’re taking him at 16 if Tavon Austin doesn’t fall to
them. He's already gotten the extra-private workout treatment the Rams gave Brian Quick got last year. And since Hopkins is getting about as much mention this year as Quick got last year, he sounds like a reach at 16. Maybe the Rams raised Hopkins on their board
after hearing about his hotel room getting trashed at the Combine.
Or, shame on me for not having a better grasp of what Hopkins brings to the field. Gil Brandt calls him the most pro-ready receiver in this year's draft, and the Rams distinctly need pro-ready in their WR this time around. Nice size at 6'1" 214 and acceptable speed at 4.5. Various draft analysts compare him to Roddy White and Reggie Wayne. He doesn't need a map to the end zone - 18 TDs for Clemson last year. He is lauded for his hands, above-average and improving route running, and quickness and ability to separate. His main flaw is concentration drops; the Rams should have the WR coach in Ray Sherman to help him out with that. Starting to think if I have the right players among the Rams top three picks, I have them in the wrong order. I blame NFL Network's poor Combine coverage.
The Rams could consider LBs
here. This is about the bottom of Arthur Brown’s drafting range,
and Khaseem Greene and Sio Moore look iffy to last to 78. But they
did prioritize offensive skill positions over LBs last year, and as a
fan, I certainly do, so WR is the pick.
3 / 78 – Gerald Hodges, LB, Penn
State. I’m always taking offensive linemen here, and you can
get Travis Frederick or probably Brian Schwenke to get a solid combo
guard/center backup and center of the future, but you have to put
more emphasis on finding starters than finding backups, so Hodges is
the pick. Stedman Bailey’s the best WR usually in range here if
they haven’t picked one up yet. This is about the bottom of
Terrance Williams’ range.
Proof that we live on a weird planet is that 6'1" 243 Hodges is considered small, and converted safeties can be a roll of the dice, but he's got the quickness and pass coverage skills to be a big plus on the weakside. He gets praise for his ability to cover tight ends and break up underneath routes without interfering. The distinction may not mean what it used to, but you usually can't go wrong taking a Penn State linebacker.
4 / 113 – Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU.
Sigh. We all know it’s going to happen. I’m not going to
fight it. He’s available for the Rams here at the long mock drafts
I’ve looked at, so bring on the Honey Badger. I assume he would
move into the kick return game right off the bat, and they need the
depth in the secondary, too. This looks like the sweet spot for the
Rams to make a big roll-of-the-dice pick, whether it’s a major
character risk like Mathieu or a major injury risk like Marcus
Lattimore.
5 / 149 – Ace Sanders, WR, South
Carolina. He’s the Plan B at slot receiver, assuming they
failed to get Tavon Austin at the top of the draft. I think hands are
a concern with Sanders; his Combine gauntlet runs were poor and he
even got hit in the face with one pass. T.J. Moe showed freakish
change-of-direction skills and strength at the Combine, qualities
that could make him very effective in that Danny Amendola, make 7 or
8 5-yard catches a game, slot receiver role. He’s also a
consideration here in the last 3 rounds; both these WRs were at Rams
Park for pre-draft visits. Let's toss Marquise Goodwin in there as a potential late-round pickup for the slot. I thought he had a very high-quality Senior Bowl week, but he hasn't shaken the "track star playing football" vibe. Conner Vernon of Duke's also worth a look.
6 / 184 – Josh Boyd, DT, Mississippi State. A bit of a luxury pick, but the Rams' DT rotation was pretty thin last season. Had about as productive a senior season as former teammate Fletcher Cox did last year, and has upper-round talent, but isn't a productive pass rusher.
7 / 222 – Miguel Maysonet, RB,
Stony Brook. Probably wishful thinking to think Maysonet will
last this long, but he does in the long mock drafts I reviewed. Buzz
is building for the Walter Payton Award runner-up, who ran for 23 TDs
and nearly 2,000 yards last year on 7.4 yards a carry. Missed the
Combine due to a torn hamstring but showed sub-4.5 speed at his Pro
Day. There is NOTHING about the Rams’ RB corps that wouldn’t
justify taking this kind of flyer. Same thing at WR if the Rams want
to take a run at Charles Johnson of Grand Valley. 6’2”, 215, 4.36
at his Pro Day. That’s given him buzz that should also carry him
higher than 222, but you never know.
This draft beefs the Rams up at RB, WR
and secondary and also fills the open OLB spot. It gives them a
needed safety, power running back, slot receiver and another deep
threat. I didn’t do anything on offensive line, where the Rams’
plans will change if they trade Rodger Saffold, but otherwise, their
depth there looks sufficient, especially since they’re due for a
lot better health up front than they’ve been getting.
Still coming: my annual sleepers,
please-avoids (at least one of whom the Rams ALWAYS draft) and
favorite names by position.
-$-
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