LA Rams Post Combine 2020 Mock NFL Draft 3.0

The LA Rams need a solid harvest in the 2020 NFL Draft to return to the playoffs. Here is our first post-NFL Scouting Combine mock draft

The LA Rams fell just win shy of competing in the 2019 NFL Playoffs, despite just one short year after facing New England in the Super Bowl. To top it off,  the efforts of the front office to commit to a win-now scenario with mid-season trades never really made an impact on the team’s trajectory.

So the Rams find themselves in less familiar territory in 2020 offseason. Three new coordinators, and fairly substantial turnover of the team roster. So many questions. So many unknowns. But there is plenty of reason to not lose heart.  Even with devastating injuries to the offensive line, and in a down year, the team finished with a 9-7 record and were close to competing in post-season.

The strategy is pretty simple in our third mock draft.  The Rams will draft for the trenches, and based on the latest interview with general manager Les Snead, this mock will aim at defensive players whenever possible.

That means the team needs linebackers, defensive linemen, and offensive linemen in that priority.  In our review of the Rams free agency situation, which so far has named just Dante Fowler Jr., Cory Littleton, and Andrew Whitworth, the Rams are focused upon re-signing defensive players.  That means that the team will likely need to build depth for the trenches through the 2020  NFL Draft.

Which picks do the LA Rams hold in the 2020 NFL Draft? Well, we’ve already done the heavy lifting for you on that one.  We’ve analyzed the projected picks for the Rams for starters, included picking up a fourth-round compensatory pick.  And we’ve analyzed the most urgent team needs for the offseason.  The team needs are DL, OT, LB, IOL, DB, RB/FB, QB in that order.

Draft picks?  Check
Draft needs? Check

Good!  Let’s go shopping

Pick 52 (round 2)

Michigan OLB (EDGE) Josh Uche has appeared on the team’s mock drafts before. At 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds, there is a good reason for that. He is incredibly athletic, and gifted as an accomplished college pass rusher.  That being said, he will also likely be the top-rated player available when the Rams step up to the podium at pick 52.

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Now that the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine has run its course, we have some measures to gauge Uche’s potential in the NFL. Unfortunately, Uche was injured and only competed in the bench press. His score of 18 fell short of the 23 most teams look for, and of course, was attributed to the injury.

Uche is a solid pick at 52. He has all the raw talent, instincts, and athleticism to be successful as an edge rusher in the NFL.  The reason he falls out of round one is simply his lack of experience. He only played as a starter in NCAA for nine of 13 games.  Even with those limits, he led the team with 8.5 sacks.

He’s one of the highest upsides for an edge rusher, but he needs to be coached up. That means he should be placed behind a veteran and learn through competition and ease into the defense in a rotational role at first. He’ll learn fast, and by mid-season, will be pushing for significant playing time.

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Pick 84 (round 3)

Texas Tech LB  Jordyn Brooks is another defensive player, and the second linebacker chosen in this mock draft. He is a 6-foot-0 240-pound powerful presence at the interior of the defense.  He is fast, with a 40-yard time of 4.54 (cutoff is 4.80). But speed is only the tip of the iceberg.

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He will not wait for the ball carrier to come to him, but rather will launch at the runner with authority. He uses his own momentum with devastating effect to stop the run at the point of attack.

In pass coverage, he needs to be coached up. He enters the NFL with a hit or miss sense on passing downs. He’s not clear what his role is, and tends to play too shallow on zone defense.  He can be beaten by tight ends or running backs in man coverage as well.  The best play-calling for him is to blitz the quarterback.

He is incredibly fast and reacts to what he sees with amazing quickness. But it’s not just rote speed, but a choreography of football motion, all synchronized to deliver fluid motion building to solid hits and tackles on the ball carrier. While raw on his pass defense technique, he brings a versatile arsenal of skills that can be molded into any number of roles on the new DC Brandon Staley defense.

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Pick 126 (round 4)

Oregon IOL Shane Lemieux is the first offensive player chosen by the Rams in the 2020 NFL Draft.  He is an interior offensive lineman who has an excellent grade at his pass and run blocking. His stock drops in the 2020 NFL Draft simply because the NFL teams rush after quarterbacks, receivers, and the defensive backs bursting in this draft.  All told he is a projected round-two talent who falls to the LA Rams at round four.

The offensive line continues to be the consensus target by fans heading into the draft. But the limited draft picks and a surplus of offensive linemen make this a lower priority for the Rams, as the team already has more than the eight linemen carried on the 53-man roster.

Whether or not the Rams bring back Austin Blythe, Lemieux is a slam dunk selection by the Rams. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 318 pounds, he has both power and agility  He brings a solid body of work at run blocking to the NFL, showing good prowess for negating the primary assignment on running plays, and leaning into secondary and tertiary assignments to stretch plays as far as they can go.

Lemieux will need time to perfect his pass blocking technique, which is likely why he falls to round four. The Rams have all the confidence needed in OL coach Aaron Kromer, so they do not hesitate to call Lemieux’s name.

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Pick 139 (round 4 comp pick)

Washington OT Trey Adams has been on everyone’s radar, but his 2020 NFL Scouting Combine performance did nothing to shake concerns over his medical history. Those concerns dull the interest of a few teams whose final grade depended largely on Adams proving his past knee and back injuries were truly past.

He arrived and participated in the NFL Scouting Combine. While his medical data was not released, his personal performance was on public display. He didn’t drill well. And even more so, he did not give the appearance of a collegiate athlete.  He appeared to be a big guy who works out occasionally, competing with college football players.

Adams stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 314 pounds. Throughout college, he has taken advantage of his natural size and strength to win battles at the line of scrimmage. But the bar rises quickly in the NFL, and that won’t cut it when he attempts to block the Aaron Donald or Von Miller’s playing there.

While he may have hurt his draft stock with teams who were still undecided about Adams’s future in the NFL, he did nothing to discourage the LA Rams. His years at the NCAA level playing football had numerous occasions of dominating play and confirms he will be an NFL starting left tackle. He drops to the Rams second pick in round four.

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Pick 200 (round 6)

Nebraska IDL Khalil Davis is the fifth player chosen by the LA Rams and tilts the team back to the defensive side of the ball. Davis is not a day one starter, but he will play on special teams as he improves for the inevitable rotation among the Rams defensive linemen. He is a 6-foot-1 308-pound defensive tackle for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and his power and speed combine to give him plenty of versatility for the NFL.

Some teams will walk away from Davis due to his height, but the LA Rams All-Pro defensive tackle is just 6-foot-1 as well.  Davis, who bench-pressed 32 times at the combine, would be an excellent understudy for Donald on the team.

It’s that versatility from Donald which puts Davis on the Rams’ radar in the 2020 NFL Draft. And at draft round six, getting a player who can contribute on special teams is often enough to hear your name called.  But Davis has a bit of fire in his play, and that could get him into the defensive rotations in his rookie season.

Khalil has a twin brother Carlos who is also up for the 2020 NFL Draft. While many project Carlos to come off the board first, Khalil’s NFL Scouting Combine effort turned some heads.

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Pick 216 (round 7)

Cincinnati RB/FB Michael Warren II is the last selection by the LA Rams, but could ultimately be one of the most important players selected in this draft. Until the 2020 NFL Draft, the LA Rams had flirted with the idea of integrating the fullback role into the LA Rams offense. With the Warren selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Rams now firmly committed to doing so.

Warren is every bit the fullback needed by the Rams. Standing just 5-foot-9 and weighing in at 226 pounds, he is a strong but very muscular rusher who punishes would-be tacklers. He also excels in the red zone, particularly in short-yardage situations.  His gait is a series of fast, short choppy steps that continue to pump.  In traffic, he moves like a Roomba, pushing ahead until he encounters a defender, then redirecting his vector to the open lane.

The Rams witnessed the effectiveness of the fullback position in SuperBowl 54.  Since that time, we have been following a number of fullback prospects through the process leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, many fullback prospects for 2020 were not invited to the 2020 National Scouting Combine and must be tracked at their individual school’s Pro Day event

While he may not be the guy to carry it outside and into the endzone, he is ideal for a short-yardage runner between the tackles, and for a lead blocker for other runners. With so much talent at running back, Warren will likely fall to the seventh round.

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