LA Rams meeting with 2020 NFL Draft prospects

The LA Rams have already begun the search for 2020 NFL Draft candidates. While some positions make sense, some may surprise you

The LA Rams joined 31 other NFL teams to meet and greet over 330 young college football players as the first of several interviews they will have on their way to a career in the National Football League.  That happened at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine and is an annual event where the NFL measures, scores, and records data on over 300 young men who hope to earn an invitation to play the game of football at the professional level.

Some will realize that dream through the NFL Draft. Others will realize their dreams as undrafted free agents who never hear their names called.  And even others will find their passion for football takes them to the CFL, or to the new XFL.

Their individual journeys begin with that one introduction where it all “clicks”. The player has a set of talents that fits nicely to the type of player a team needs.  In 2020, the LA Rams are seeking players who are versatile and talented on defense, while looking for depth and specific positions on offense.

This is not an easy road to walk by any means. The NFL Draft is a door opening to one of 32 NFL teams. Some teams in large cities, some teams in more rural areas. The player never has much control over where they will play, or even if they do. Some players arrive to compete for playing time. Others arrive as a presumed starter.  Still, others arrive knowing they are backing up an NFL star who many not retire for many years.

Fans must wait

For the fans, the time between the NFL Scouting Combine and the NFL Draft can really drag out as some of the slowest times of the entire NFL season. NFL teams purposefully keep their intentions close to the vest. News that does become public is more often misinformation to throw other NFL teams off the scent.

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After all, 32 NFL teams are all competing for the same Super Bowl victory, shopping in the same NFL Free Agency market, choosing players from the same NFL Draft. So no team wants to help out the competition by sharing too much, too soon. But fans need that update to remain engaged. So teams feed fans with generalities about the depth of an NFL Draft class that won’t impact their draft plans, talk about the stars entering free agency they won’t be bidding upon, or talk about concerning areas for the team which has a fix already in place.

Prestidigitation. Magic. The art of distracting from where the action is truly taking place.  It all falls into that subtle art form which results in persons being taken by surprise. Fans must sort through the bits of news that fall to them at this time of year and decide whether its true, false or somewhere in between.

So an alternative is to observe team actions.  Who will the team tender qualifying offers? Who will the team pursue in free agency? Who will the team talk to before the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft? Historically, the LA Rams have made it a point to draft players they had interviewed at the NFL Scouting Combine. Well, we have some answers to that third question. Who did the Rams interview at the combine?

LA Rams speak to linebackers

We know that the LA Rams are most definitely shopping for linebacker depth in the 2020 NFL Draft.  The Rams project the departure of three starters from the 3-4 base defense.  OLB Dante Fowler Jr., ILB Cory Littleton, and ILB Bryce Hager are all facing the NFL Free Agency market in 2020.  So the Rams need to find new starters for the defense or backfill depth to the player who will step up.

The LA Rams wasted no time speaking to Akeem Davis-Gaither, an outside linebacker hailing from the underscouted school of Appalachian State University. He is an undersized  6-foot-1 and 224-pound defender who many scouts hoped to see bulk up for the NFL to about 240 pounds. He has projections as a day three selection, but that may not be a result of poor play, but rather of a young man playing through a stress fracture in his foot in 2019. He will undergo surgery to correct the injury.

Davis-Gaither is one of the hybrid linebackers I truly expect to become very popular in upcoming years in the NFL on defense. As such, he is graded not what he brings to the NFL tomorrow, but to how he doesn’t quite “fit” in the NFL today.  He is the perfect Ninja linebacker coveted by new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. He fits the role of a blitzing defender, in pass coverage or as a run stopper. He needs to bulk up, improve on shedding blockers, and set a firmer edge to drive plays inside to pursuit. But he would be a key player to draft for the Rams new defense.

The second backer

Inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks is one we’ve mocked multiple times to the LA Rams. Hailing from the Texas Tech Red Raiders, he’s appearing on multiple teams’ radar as a potential 2020 starting inside linebacker. This 6-foot-0 240-pound backer has plenty of admirers among NFL scouts and executives. He is a throwback thumper behind the defensive line. He stands out in films against running plays, where he moves to stop the ball carrier with authority.

Of course, the Rams would love to get much better at run defense, and Brooks appears very much like someone who could get them there. He’s gotten solid reviews from virtually all draft scouting profiles.

Of course, Brooks is projected to be a day two selection. And he is very similar to both of the LA Rams inside linebackers Kenny Young and Micah Kiser. With similar builds and play styles, the Rams have interchangeable parts and can keep fresh linebackers on the field at all times.

His NFL.com profile indicates the projection for Brooks to compete for a starting role in 2020. That could be a solid reason for the Rams to call his name on day two.

LA Rams speak to two running backs

Many Rams fans scoff at the idea that the team will draft a running back, a wide receiver, a tight end, or even a quarterback.  And yet, the team met with two running backs at the 2020 NFL Scouting combine.

The first running back the Rams interviewed at the NFL Scouting Combine was Darrynton Evans, a running back out of Appalachian State who did not show up on many scouting projections for an early draft selection.  Of course, he had a huge NFL Scouting Combine performance which catapulted him into the face of many NFL draft scouts.  He measures 5-foot-10 and weighs 203-pounds. He showed stunning speed at the 40-yard dash, which served to punctuate his entire Combine performance.

The Rams have two players of interest from Appalachian State in both Evans and Gaither-Davis.  Evans adds plenty of production in both the running game and pass receptions. But the Rams may be giving Evans a look like a potential kick and punt returner for 2020.  He is incredibly versatile, super speedy, and would be a great addition to the team in multiple ways.

The other running back

The LA Rams also spoke with Zack Moss, a heavily scouted running back out of Utah. The Rams may be seeking a more powerful running back to use in multiple ways, and Moss certainly brings a wide spectrum of “he can do that” abilities to the NFL.

Of course, he’s showed up on Rams mocks for the 2020 NFL Draft as a potential running back prospect long before the LA Rams met with him. After all, he’s an incredibly gifted runner who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs a robust 223-pounds.  That is quite similar to C.J. Anderson, who stood 5-foot-8 and weighed 225-pounds. He was a rather productive running back for the Rams in crunch time in 2018. Perhaps the Rams hope to draft his worthy successor?

NFL.com projects him to start within his first two NFL seasons. He may not be promoted as quickly on the Rams roster, but his selection would definitely begin a series of questions about the future of RB Todd Gurley.  But if Moss is there, let the questions come.

The Ute was surprisingly adept and productive on offense. He has been compared to Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt, a forceful runner who breaks tackles routinely. Moss burns up his energy with too many carries and is ideally suited to work among a committee. That seems to be exactly what the Rams are aiming at for the running back in 2020.

LA Rams speak to an edge rusher

The LA Rams surprise nobody by talking to an edge rusher at the NFL Combine. But few expected the team to focus upon Kendall Coleman EDGE rusher out of Syracuse University.  The interview makes sense, as the Rams appear to have a need for edge rusher regardless of their outcome of re-signing OLB Dante Fowler Jr.

Coleman possesses plenty of raw talent for the role in the NFL but is too inconsistent to warrant an early selection in the NFL Draft. In multiple draft profiles, Coleman is listed as a development project. He has the right dimensions, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 257-pounds.  And all reports cite his super-dedication which has gotten him far past his average athleticism into consideration for an NFL role.

Edge rusher could be a depth move for the team.  But NFLMocks.com’s Nicholas Price has reported him as one of the sleepers in the 2020 NFL Draft.

An offensive center

The LA Rams will definitely have an offensive center on the 2020 NFL Draft shopping list.  So it makes complete sense for the team to have interviewed Cesar Ruiz a center from Michigan. After all, we’ve highlighted him several times in our NFL Draft features. He’s been particularly a prospect of great interest to the LA Rams, due to his complete command of the center position.

He is a 6-foot-3 307-pound prospect who can be a day one NFL Starter. In some draft profiles, he is a day-three prospect. In others, he is an early day two prospect. He dropped over 10 pounds for the NFL Scouting Combine, a move that helped showcase his athleticism. That athleticism allows him to be considered for all three interior offensive line positions and will be a huge factor in when he hears his name called during the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Rams are hit with a double whammy at the center position in 2020.  Veteran Austin Blythe enters free agency, and rookie Brian Allen suffered a devastating knee injury in 2019.  Ruiz will give the team starter potential at three positions with question marks going into next year.

And a wide receiver?

The LA Rams are thought by many to be out of the wide receiver market in the 2020 NFL Draft. But things change rapidly at the NFL level. By this time next year, the Rams may be prepared to part ways with wide receiver Cooper Kupp.  So talking to Van Jefferson, a highly regarded wide receiver from Florida this year would make sense. He is especially talented as both a route-runner and as a blocker, both traits are emphasized by the LA Rams for their receivers.

Jefferson is one of a number of NFL starter ready receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft.  Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 200 pounds, he has been a versatile college receiver. While some project him as a slot receiver, he can line up at any receiver role in the NFL and be expected to catch balls. NFL.com projects him as a backup who can be expected to earn a starting role.  Since the Rams have paid plenty for WR Brandin Cooks, they may not have enough money to retain Cooper Kupp when his contract expires in 2021.

The move to a wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft makes sense from the depth and current contract situation of the team’s receivers. And Jefferson projects to a day three selection, which is most likely when the Rams will be thinking about developing players for the future.

There is still plenty of time for interviews, meetings and the like folks.  Surprisingly, the LA Rams have not yet been connected to any offensive tackles in the 2020 NFL Draft class.  That’s all we have so far, but we’ll be happy to keep you updated as we can connect prospects to the Rams in the weeks ahead.