LA Rams mock NFL draft 2.0 – replace outgoing free agents

With the LA Rams first mock draft, the focus was offensive line. What if the team needed to replace exiting free agents? What would that mock draft resemble?

The LA Rams have a host of outgoing stars via free agency this season. The potential losses include DE Michael Brockers, OLB Dante Fowler Jr., ILB Cory Littleton, ILB Bryce Hager, LT Andrew Whitworth, G Austin Blythe, backup QB Blake Bortles, K Greg Zuerlein.  Eight players, all of whom made significant contributions to the team in 2019.  While re-signing these players is most certainly Plan A for the Rams, there is the likelihood that players get better options elsewhere.

Should that happen, the Rams do not have enough free salary cap space to enter bidding wars for exiting players.

That means the Rams enter the 2020 NFL Draft with a long shopping list, but limited to just five picks, plus one fourth round compensatory pick.  While that seems like a very frightening future, one tried-and-true method of assessing an unknown future is to develop the best-case/worst-case scenarios and then try to place a compromise between the two extremes. So applying that method to the Rams uncertain future in the free agency market, Mock Draft 2.0 will address the worst-case free agency scenario – one where the Rams are unable to re-sign their free agents.

Still, let’s not forget that the Rams already boast the best defensive player in the league in DT Aaron Donald.  Add to that a solid defensive secondary led by cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and the prospect of drafting defensive players may not border on the insane for the Rams this year.