LA Rams OL coach Aaron Kromer very valuable in 2020 NFL Draft

The LA Rams need offensive line help in the 2020 NFL Draft, and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer will help the team find starting gems

The LA Rams will be rewarded in the 2020 NFL Draft. Not for having a war chest of draft picks, nor even a pick in round one has become the pattern for the LA Rams over recent years. Despite the lack of NFL Draft assets, the Rams have continued upon the quest to rebuild the 2018 Super Bowl offensive line with an entirely new cast of young talented players.

The only problem is, the Rams have shopped for their offensive line prospects from later rounds. In fact, over the past two seasons, the Rams have attempted to restock their offensive line from no higher than round three. No higher than round three, but the team has used five such picks at that vital role.  Add the mid-season additions of Austin Corbett (at the expense of a fifth-round pick in 2020) and Coleman Shelton, and the Rams have added seven offensive linemen to the roster in the past two seasons.

Many fans anticipate multiple offensive linemen to be added to the team this year as well.  While that may be the case, don’t look for the Rams to load up on offensive linemen on day two of the 2020 NFL Draft. The true value for offensive linemen, outside of the top four who will hear their name called in round one, are the players who fall to the latter half of day three.

Kromer likes the challenge

That’s exactly where offensive line coach Aaron Kromer likes to find his players, and where he adds the most value to the team.

Kromer has had success at prospects who are chosen later in the draft. His most recent success is that of David Edwards. a d 2019 fifth-round pick from the University of Wisconsin who was promoted to the very unfamiliar role of the right guard, and he nailed it as a rookie.

We had done an article a month ago touting the value having a coach like Aaron Kromer on the Rams’ staff entering a draft like this one. While many teams are limited to the upper tier of offensive line prospects, Kromer’s ability to coach up raw prospects allows the LA Rams to choose higher ceiling, lower risk players.

Rolling the dice on dubious draft diamonds

Washington Huskies offensive tackle Trey Adams is one such player we would love to see in a Rams jersey this year. And he could be, as his medical questions and below-average performance at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine has dropped his chances on many teams big boards.

So too can the LA Rams take a hard look at offensive tackles, Jon Runyan, from the University of Michigan or Calvin Throckmorton, who emerges from the University of Oregon. Runyan is a 6-foot-5 321-pound monster who has great NFL offensive line lineage, but who is projected as a late day-three prospect. So too is 6-foot-5 310-pound Throckmorton, who many now project as the right size and build, but too raw to make an immediate impact in the NFL.

6-foot-5 295-pound Jake Hanson, a versatile interior offensive lineman from the University of Oregon is another projected as a late draft selection.  Likewise, 6-foot-7 330-pound Yasir Durant from the University of Missouri has just three years of football experience but is a true beast on the field. He has the ability to line up at both guards or tackles slots.