LA Rams 2020 NFL Draft amidst Free Agency – mock draft 4.0

Outside Linebacker – Dye

As the Rams try to find a rookie who can replace the pass-rush ability of Dante Fowler Jr., the first place to start is a young man who everyone compares to Dante Fowler Jr. Voila! That makes it incredibly easy, as Oregon’s outside linebacker has been compared to Fowler for months.

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The LA Rams need to fill two roles, as the Rams lost Fowler to the Atlanta Falcons, and released Clay Matthews.  While the team had added an outside linebacker in Leonard Floyd, that is for a one-year deal, just long enough to keep the seat warm for a rapidly developing rookie behind him.
For the Rams, Dye is an ideal fit as that rookie-waiting-in-the-wings OLB edge-rushing specialist.

Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 231 pounds, Dye has an excellent length for turning the corner quickly but has plenty of strength for holding up against athletic offensive tackles. He has incredible instincts, and his body is ideal for shedding blockers. He needs to strengthen and add muscle from the hips down. His center of gravity is too high, and NFL blockers will take advantage of that.

He doesn’t recognize the play as it develops in front of him. His burst is great, but he hesitates a half-second as he tries to confirm where that first step should be. He is not quite to the man coverage phase just yet either. He understands pass coverage but simply needs to train as an understudy until he earns playing time. He misreads play-action pass plays occasionally

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