1 thing's painfully clear in latest Rams mock draft (They're Super Bowl serious)

Day 3 (continued)

CB Dontae Balfour may be a Day 3 selection, but he brings NFL-caliber ferocity and talent to the Rams secondary. He was a highly touted defensive back who never seemed to find his way on the North Carolina Tar Heels defense, but did manage to jumpstart his college football career after transferring to Charlotte for two seasons. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 185 pounds, Balfour is at the cusp of becoming a solid rookie cornerback prospect. To do so, he will need to show up huge in Texas Tech's secondary in 2025.

Balfour seemed to take a step back with his transfer to Charlotte, but if he manages to show growth and added development at Texas Tech, he could make a compelling case to be selected by the Rams. In 2024, he put up 49 tackles, three tackles for a loss, two interceptions, and broke up 11 passes. Can he sustain lofty production with Texas Tech? That will be a huge determining factor in where he ends up in the 2026 NFL Draft.

OT Max Iheanachor is a raw but talented offensive lineman who is worth developing. Some way too early mock drafts have him coming off the board in Round 1, but he roams anywhere from those lofty projections to as low as undrafted. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 315 pounds, Iheanachor is a native of Los Angeles, California, and would love nothing better than to suit up for the Rams.

Some draft analysts love his potential, but others are discouraged by his video footage to date, implying that he is no better than a Day 3 offensive tackle prospect as is. I mock him to the Rams because he is a huge powerhouse who specializes at right tackle, and the Rams will need to address the depth at right tackle in the offseason next year. I suspect that RT Rob Havenstein may opt for retirement at the end of the 2025 NFL season. Max Iheanachor is more than worthy of competing for that role next season

Edge Derrick Moore brings reinforcements to a feared Rams pass rush. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 256 pounds, Moore is a former teammate of Rams rookie OLB Josaiah Stewart. While the Rams may view the pass rush room as saturated with talent, the need to restock pass rushers to backfill vacated positions in the future and to add to the rotational depth is a real need by this team.

Moore is a NASCAR pass rusher, able to hit and maintain full throttle up the field and at the hairpin turn to aim at the quarterback. But Moore's production so far has been all about outclassing his opponent physically, rather than developing a solid arsenal of pass rush moves. In three college seasons, he has amassed 65 tackles, 11.0 quarterback sacks, five deflected passes, and two fumble recoveries. Moore will need to show up better than ever in 2025. But as of right now, he is a solid get for the Rams defense.

LB Ernest Hausman is a feisty linebacker who continues the trend of putting solid tacklers into this defense. Entering his fourth season as an inside linebacker for the Michigan Wolverines, this 6-foot-2, 235-pound thumper is a solid Day 3 addition for the Rams. Not only does he become a seamless competitor with veteran ILB Nate Landman, but he also brings instant high-level competition to the Rams' special teams.

Hausman has been steadily improving at his craft, positioning himself to claim the spotlight on a talented Michigan Wolverine's defense. He put up 89 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, 2.0 quarterback sacks, and even broke up a pass in 2024. While unlikely to be a top linebacker in the 2026 NFL Draft, he is a solid addition to develop into a significant future defensive contributor.

The Rams have 10 draft picks to spend in 2024, and this mock allows superb rookies to fall to the Rams at their projected picks. The Rams may wish to trade up for a top-tier quarterback, but it's simply too soon to know who that may be. As a result, this Rams mock draft fills all projected roster needs with enough depth to compete for a Super Bowl in 2026 and beyond.

As always, thanks for reading.

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