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

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.

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