Trey Adams leads 7 LA Rams PAC-12 2020 NFL Draft targets

The LA Rams 2020 NFL Draft is headlined by OT Trey Adams on the list of 7 PAC-12 conference targets during the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine

The University of Washington has yielded several players for the LA Rams in the past. Safety Taylor Rapp played surprisingly well as a rookie in 2019.  Defensive lineman Greg Gaines played well in his limited role with the defense.  Even center Coleman Shelton, signed from the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals, is poised to make a significant contribution in 2020.  The next in a long line of Washington Huskies could be OT Trey Adams in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft carries new talent and reason for optimism for 32 NFL teams.  Imagine any other industry where each “new hire” carried the anticipation of breaking previous sales records, or turning a failing business into a top performer on Wall Street.  That’s a lot of pressure. But the National Football League is different in several ways.  The league is comprised of players who have a rather short career compared to other industries. And one key player can make all the difference in the team’s success.

NFL teams and over 300 young men collide for the first time at the NFL Scouting Combine. This is an annual gathering of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to meet, perhaps for the first time, NCAA football players who will be eligible for the upcoming NFL Draft.  There are more prospects than potential NFL Draft picks, so this is a buyers’ market.

Let’s examine which of the PAC-12 2020 NFL Draft prospects might intrigue the LA Rams?

Data-driven draft decisions

Still, NFL teams have a great deal of work to accomplish in a very short time. Over 300 prospects will be measured, weighed, given thorough medical examinations, interviewed, and tested at a series of track-style events to measure speed, strength, dexterity, agility, and football intelligence. All information will be shared equally (except for interviews) among all 32 NFL teams to create a common database on all potential players.

This year will be slightly different for the LA Rams and Dever Broncos coaching staff.  For those two teams, their head coaches have decided that only the head coach and scouting department representatives will attend the event. Wait… what?  How can coaches weigh in on who they prefer if they are not there to see the players compete?  In the end, most NFL teams have implemented a data analytics team, and the LA Rams are no different.

The NFL Scouting Combine is a treasure trove of data points, each of which feeds various NFL algorithms and calculations.  While the science behind data analytics is lagging, the math behind the process is sound.  A similar input should equal a similar output.

For the LA Rams with three new coordinators, the idea makes some sense, since the Rams employ data analytics extensively in the NFL draft decision making process. But deciding about who?  For starters, let’s examine the top seven prospects for the LA Rams from the PAC-12 conference?

University of Washington OT Adams

Offensive tackle Trey Adams hails from the University of Washington. He is a five-year senior, having played through a medical redshirt due to an ACL injury.  He stands 6-foot-8 and weighs in at 312 pounds, a good size for a blindside blocker. And he can block, and block, and block.

The NFL has been waiting for Adams for several years. As a junior offensive lineman, Adams was at the top of his game. Unfortunately, his season ended mid-season, dashing his plans of declaring for the NFL Draft and ripping him off the board of up to 12 NFL teams already hotly scouting him for the 2018 NFL Draft.

Adams is a tough-guy attitude in a big man’s body.  To succeed in the NFL at offensive line, players cannot back down, or even blink. Trey Adams does not back down from anyone, ever. That type of meanness on the offensive line is contagious. He will arrive at the NFL Scouting combine on Monday, February 24.  Rams fans need to keep a solid eye on him throughout the event.

Adams will fall to the Rams as NFL teams will shy away from his knee and back injury history.  But make no mistake, he’s a solid left tackle and is the perfect protege’ to left tackle Andrew Whitworth.  He can dominate in pass blocking. His run blocking can be limited due to leverage from such a tall height. But he remains engaged which in itself creates rushing lanes.  His teammate RB Myles Gaskin put up for solid seasons of 1,000 yards rushing behind Adams.

Draft Network Player Analysis

University of Oregon OG Lemieux

Offensive Guard Shane Lemieux is an interior lineman for the University of Oregon. He also is a redshirt senior, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 316 pounds. He is the poster-child of a road grader. He bursts out of his stance and overwhelms defenders with superior upper body strength. He is a solid run blocker, very polished for an incoming NFL rookie. The LA Rams need everything Lemieux brings to the football field.

Lemieux is a solid mass of muscle at the point of attack. A true Hercules type who powers through defenders on running plays into the second or third levels. He has enough speed to pull and lead outside runs effectively. And he has tremendous lower body power, ensuring a good base to absorb an initial burst of defensive linemen on pass rushes.  And much like Trey Adams, has a violently mean streak in the trenches.  Pairing him with Adams will give the Rams a stable left-side to the offensive line for many years to come.

Of course, with his projection to fall to round three, his game is not perfect.  But his deficiencies are coachable and fixable. He tends to drift outside in pass protection, giving quick defenders an inside lane to the quarterback on passing downs. Despite his low center of gravity, he has gotten somewhat off-balance at times.

The fad of quarterbacks and defensive backs in the 2020 NFL Draft will allow Lemieux to fall to the Rams at 84.  You can bet the Rams scoop him up when he does. He will arrive at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine on Monday, February 24th as well. He is most definitely a player you will want to track through the week’s events.

Draft Network Player Analysis

University of Utah DL Fotu

Defensive lineman Leki Fotu has been an interior defensive lineman for the  University of Utah. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 337 pounds, he has the strength and sheer body mass to be a formidable defensive tackle or nose tackle in the NFL.  Still, he has surprising quickness and speed and could move out to defensive end after improving his arsenal of pass-rushing techniques.

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The vacancy caused by defensive end Michael Brocker’s free agency creates an opportunity for the LA Rams to go young and productive.  Leki Fotu brings both. Another Hercules, Fotu has tremendous upper body strength which enables him to use his hands effectively to shed blockers. Unfortunately, he is too raw to generate a consistent pass rush.  Fotu is Group 3, and will arrive at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, February 25.

Fotu has the potential to be coached up to play in a similar fashion to that of Aaron Donald. He can master either the one-gap or two-gap role with coaching. His pass-rush hinges upon his strength and overpowering blockers.  For his size, he has an amazing burst out of his stance which can give him an early advantage which, once he gains it, he never gives up.  He is an excellent tackler, using his powerful arm strength to pull down ball carriers even while he is engaged by blockers.

His footwork and balance need a lot of work. As such, he will need bench time before getting significant minutes on the defensive line at nose tackle. He will likely earn time in defensive line rotations but will need a year before commanding a starting role. He is another player the Rams will closely monitor throughout the Combine.

Draft Network Player Analysis

University of California ILB Weaver

Inside linebacker Evan Weaver hails from the University of California, where he has played for four seasons. The senior prospect stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 234 pounds, a good size for playing over the middle of the defense. While he may push to a playing weight of up to 240 pounds, he already enters the NFL with sufficient strength to hand playing over the middle.

The Rams need to develop pass-coverage ability from the interior linebackers, and Weaver has the right skill set to develop that forte. While some analysts discount his talent, he has shown that he can cover over the middle in zone coverage.  Since that will be the likely majority of coverage he will be asked to do for the Rams, that will be a good starting point to learn the role. He already has some good blitz/pass-rushing ability. He is not the most athletic player on the field, but he may likely be one of the most effective. He can shed blockers and is a tackling machine up the middle, rarely missing any ball carrier in his range.

He’ll fall to the Rams because he lacks sideline to sideline range.  His pass coverage is adequate within limits, but he struggles to cover elite running backs or tight ends over the middle. More of a “space defender” when the ball is in the air.

He will no doubt be a priority selection for special team play. He can rush the punter or kicker, as well as cover and tackle.  Part of the linebacker group, Weaver will join Group 3 and will arrive at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, February 25.

Draft Network Player Analysis

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) OLB Barnes

Outside linebacker Krys Barnes hails from the University of California at Los Angeles, UCLA, and is our fifth player out of the PAC-12.  Barnes stands 6-foot-1 and tips the scale at  235 pounds. While Barnes played interior linebacker for the UCLA Bruins, he projects to either the inside or outside at the NFL level.

He was a solid producer for UCLA on defense, coming in second in tackles with 72 in just ten games.  He added four sacks and an interception as well as 9.5 tackles for losses.  He has been a huge presence on the team for the past two seasons. In 2018, he generated 85 tackles, one sack, and one interception.

Barnes gives solid defense against either the pass or run and will be a huge “get” for the Rams in round six. FanSided Go Joe Bruin had this to say about Barnes heading into the 2019 football season:

"“Krys Barnes was quite possibly the most improved player last season. Not only is a very smart player that can get in opponent’s faces but can also be a threat in coverage. He had the most tackles among all returners last year with 85, was second on the team in tackles for a loss with 10.0 and tied for the most breakups with six.” – Mike Regalado, Go Joe Bruins"

Barnes’s abilities naturally give him the versatility to play at either inside or outside linebacker. The Rams need help at outside linebacker here. But Barnes’s versatility makes him a priority target for the Rams out of the PAC-12.

Also part of the linebacker group, Barnes will join Group 3 and will arrive at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, February 25.

Walters Football Players Analysis

University of Utah OLB Bernard

The University of Utah has a very intriguing player in Francis Bernard. He can project to the NFL as an interior linebacker in a 3-4, and he can project to the NFL as an outside linebacker. With the arrival of new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who intends to bring camouflage and subterfuge to the Rams’ defense, Bernard is a custom ordered NFL Draft prospect.

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Hansen stands 6-foot-2 and weighs in at a mere 240 pounds.  He may not be the biggest defender but make no mistake. There is plenty of BOOM in his tackling. He is a Tasmanian-devil defender, a seek and destroy assignment which he relished with the Utes. His production was among the team’s leaders in 2019 when he recorded 85 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a batted pass.

He has incredible range in pass-defense. He began his NCAA football career for two seasons at Brigham Young University but transferred to Utah for his senior season. Due to his excellent pass coverage skills, the Utes did not send him at the quarterback. But his sophomore season at BYU, he did record two sacks.

He converted from running back to linebacker. As such, his ability to diagnose offensive plays unfolding in front of him is top-notch. He places himself where the offense wants to go on the play. His is more than pass defense, as he excels at setting an edge as well.

NFL Teams will be scared off by just one season with the Utes at OLB. A converted RB to OLB is a tough projection for NFL Scouts to make accurately. The Rams will not hesitate to scoop him up. Bernard will join Group 3 and will arrive at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, February 25.

Walters Football Players Analysis

University of Southern California (USC) DE/OLB Rector

The seventh and final draft target for the LA Rams is defensive end Christian Rector from the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans football team. A 6-foot-4 and 270-pound defender, Rector tilts all the NFL defender needles to the right for his size.

His best seasons were 2017 and 2018, where he combined those two years for an average of 41.5 tackles and 6.0 sacks. He has the right size and dynamics to flex from a three-point stance at defensive end to a two-point stance as an outside linebacker edge rusher.  And for two seasons, it appeared he was well on his way to a highly sought after draft prospect. However, his production plummeted in 2019, where he recorded just 19 tackles and one quarterback sack.

His drop in production in 2019 appears driven from mindset, where he yielded to running backs and tight ends who were able to stand him up and take him out of the plays too frequently than expected. He has enough size, strength, and quickness to win those matchups. He can set and maintain outside containment, forcing plays inwards to his teammates. He has moments of great footwork, taking a tight corner to the quarterback on a speedy pass rush.

He does not remain square to engage in tackles, launching at the ball carrier and risking missing altogether. He struggles to find a ball carrier in a crowd. While he sets the edge well, a crowd surrounding him can confuse him enough to let the runner squeak by. Very talented but very raw prospect.

Rector is a defensive end, which falls into Group 3, and will arrive at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, February 25.

Draft Network Player Analysis