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

The LA Rams will be awarded a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. We ran a Mock draft to measure the impact. The difference is noticeable

As the LA Rams continue to digest, plan, and act in one of the most important offseasons of head coach Sean McVay‘s tenure, and perhaps in the team’s recent history, small changes are amplified simply from the importance of the moment.

It’s a time where the legacy of McVay is truly facing a monumental test. Will he simply be a one-and-done flash in NFL history? Or will he bring the LA Rams roaring back to contend for the NFL Championship once more? It hangs on the balance of this offseason. With ten unrestricted free agents testing the NFL market this year, and another eight players without 2020 contracts to return to the Rams. So far, the Rams have retained offensive lineman but opted for new blood on the team’s defense.

In the week leading up to the new NFL calendar year, which begins on March 18, 2020, the Rams must determine whether to use either the franchise or transitional tags on pending unrestricted free agents. The team must also determine who, if any, of the restricted free agents they will offer a qualified tender offer.  And who of the exclusive restricted free agents they will offer a qualifying minimal offer.  Finally, the Rams must decide if they will pick up the team option year on slot cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman in 2020.

So much to decide, so little time. But while the team’s front office works through those issues, they will also be working closely with positional coaches and three new coordinators to set their 2020 NFL Draft Board.  With so little free salary to pursue NFL veterans via the free agency market, the 2020 NFL Draft takes on an even more important component for the team’s success

2020 NFL Draft – Mock Draft 4.0

The 2020 NFL Draft is absolutely loaded with talent. Unfortunately, the draft is particularly deep at quarterback, wide receiver, running back, and defensive back. Despite so many holes appearing in the Rams roster this year, the team has invested heavily in players at quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back.  Of course, any NFL team benefits from adding quality talent as depth.

But the Rams roster, without an influx of about five-seven new additional veterans through free agency, will simply not have enough depth at far too many key roles this year. The NFL Draft must change that. Thankfully, the team has an additional compensatory pick available in round three.

The Rams have been rather successful in recent drafts. The latest draft from 2019 harvested multiple starters, and talented backups who could develop into NFL starters in 2020 or after. Of the eight players who were selected, starting with the 61st pick, the Rams have retained seven with the team.

The 2020 NFL Draft must repeat that success, or even outdo it.  Despite not stepping up to the podium until pick 52, the Rams cannot afford to miss on any picks. Even round seven must generate a player who can contribute on special teams.

Defensive end/edge Okwara

The LA Rams defense is not in very good shape heading into the 2020 NFL Draft.  If the Rams opt not to free up additional cap space, the defense could have a huge hole at pass rusher off the edge.

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With so many teams focused on quarterbacks, wide receivers, offensive linemen and defensive linemen, some incredibly talented players fall.  6-foot-4 252 edge rusher Julian Okwara falls to the Rams at 52.  A sturdy defender out of Notre Dame, he has an incredible size ideally designed to add muscle mass. With that in mind, he could become an incredible weapon in moving to either defensive end. On either side, he becomes a formidable heat-seeking missile, generating incredible flex angles toward the quarterback.

He suffered a broken fibula in 2019, so he will need time to bulk up and train for the NFL brand of football, but all rookies have to endure the learning curve inherent with their NFL start. The versatility of the guy is the key to his NFL success.

He can put a hand in the ground and rush from the defensive end, or remain in a two-point stance and play the 3-4 weakside linebacker. Imagine that type of versatility when facing a hurry-up offense? He even demonstrated an ability to cover receivers as well.  And his size makes him ideal to track with bigger tight ends.

Julian Okawara, on paper, is a home-run for the LA Rams defense, and for their 2020 NFL Draft. Landing this guy is as close to a champagne moment as the Rams will get at 52.

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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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Running Back – Evans

The LA Rams suddenly find themselves no longer handing the ball off to running back Todd Gurley.  While the impact of that has not quite sunk in, the team must find a player to help with the workload which remains with the offense.

And the player they want desperately hope to land in their backfield falls to them in round three. Darrynton Evans, the 5-foot-10 203-pound running back out of Appalachian State. While he may have some characteristics of current Rams running Darrell Henderson, the two have enough differences to give reason to select Evans.

For starters, Evans is two inches taller, which makes a significant difference in durability. While Evans may benefit from bulking up to about 212 pounds, he has enough muscle mass density to plug-n-play in the Rams backfield. He has great vision, something Todd Gurley perfected and can make highlight-reel cutbacks in mid-stride which will astound defenders and fans alike.

He is not a good choice for goal-line or short-yardage plays. If the Rams commit to a fullback for 2020, Darrynton Evans is an ideal addition.

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Linebacker Davis-Gaither

The LA Rams must fill the incredible void in the middle of the defense as a result of Cory Littleton signing with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Rams tap Appalachian Statue once more, this time for 6-foot-1 224-pound inside linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither. He enters the NFL with the ability to sniff out the football, close in with enough force to halt forward progress and tackle the ball carrier effectively.

He turned heads in a positive way at the NFL Scouting Combine and was one of the few players the Rams made it a point to interview. So he’s on the Rams radar, but how will the Rams use him?

He is a perfectly skilled and versatile player who could fill multiple roles with the Rams. He is a naturally trained inside linebacker. With that, he has enough speed and pass-coverage skills to stay on the field for nickel pass coverage. He also has enough burst to be the disguised pass blitzer, allowing the defense to rotate coverages and catch offenses napping.

If the NFL defenses value speed, Davis-Gaither is the poster child of the 2020 NFL defense. That speed allows him to slide into an edge defender role.  For comparisons, he stands as tall as DT Aaron Donald. weighs as much as quarterback Jared Goff, and the speed of a wide receiver.

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Safety – Elliott

The LA Rams need to address the losses which piled up among defensive backs. 6-foot-0 205 pound Jalen Elliott gives the Rams a versatile defensive back to help plug holes in several positions. Elliott is the second defender chosen by the Rams and will fill another need for the Rams.

Some project Elliott as a reach at 199, as he has been given a grade as low as an undrafted free agent. But the LA Rams can roll the dice here. He can join the team and set up on the Rams depth chart, contribute on special teams, and coach-up to more significant playing time as the season progresses.

He does not have the tallest height in terms of pass defender, but he has aggressive hands that do not stop, allowing him to break up many passing plays other defenders would give up.

His top talent is versatility. He has a solid background as single-high, two-high, nickel defensive back, as well as an in-the-box safety. He could sub in as a slot cornerback in a pinch. And he could become an inside linebacker on passing downs.  That should be enough to get him to the Rams in round six.

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Offensive Tackle – Adams

Finally, the name (some) LA Rams fans have been eager to hear called at the 2020 NFL Draft, the Rams use their final pick and select Washington offensive tackle, Trey Adams, in round seven. This is almost unbelievable, as Adams once projected as a first-talent in his sophomore season with the Washington Huskies.

Fortunes turned downward rapidly for Adams. In 2017, he injured his ACL after just seven games, ending his season and impacting his 2018 season as well. When he finally did return to practice but his season derailed once more he injured his back. He was granted a medical redshirt status and managed to return to play in 2019.

He did not test well at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, and as a result many expect Adams stock to fall to either round 6 or 7. Due to that performance, and persistent questions about his medical condition and overall health, The Draft Networks mock draft simulator has him ranked at 251, a late seventh-round selection. While that is where this mock draft selects him, the Rams may be so happy to see him there in round six that they call his name there and go another position in round seven.

Adams is a huge 6-foot-8 318-pound offensive tackle who is laid back until the game begins. At that point, he develops a fierce, ruthless, competitive-edge that stands out. Adams is hampered at the risks due to his medical condition and is further disadvantaged as teams cannot bring him in to be checked out by their medical staff. Furthermore, the LA Rams are not on record as having interviewed him.  Even knowing that, he is an ideal apprentice to 6-foot-7 330-pound veteran offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.  I like this fit. I love this player. Pull the trigger and call it a wrap.

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