LA Rams 2020 NFL Draft fill all needs – Mock Draft 7.0

Pick 81

Thanks to a trade back with the Las Vegas Raiders, the LA Rams have an opportunity to trade back to pick 81.  Since the team has exchanged second-round picks to multiply their draft opportunities, the team may have passed on some of the favorite prospects of the fans.  But the team philosophy is to emerge from the 2020 NFL Draft as a better and more complete roster than the previous season and adding edge rusher Julian Okwara from the University of Notre Dame is most definitely a step in the right direction.

The Rams need a pass rusher who can set the edge, stop the run, pressure the quarterback, and develop into a premier NFL player.  Okwara offers all of this, and a bit more.  Okwara is an ideal 6-foot-4 252-pound defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid who suffered a broken leg in his 2019 season at Notre Dame. Still, he is long-armed and has the right framework to add bulk without negating his rush. You can bet that the Rams will get him bulking up quickly. He can attack the line of scrimmage, can stand his ground, or drop into coverage.  That versatility is ideal for new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.

Okwara is not a finished product just yet. He will need additional coaching to improve his run defense and will need additional moves to be a consistent threat to the quarterback on passing downs.  He causes his most damage with slicing bursts into the backfield and blowing up plays.  If he can do that on a regular basis, he’ll pull blockers off Rams DT Aaron Donald and then the fun begins.

He is an ideal selection to the LA Rams for that very reason. He can defeat a single blocker. If offenses double-up on him, they risk unleashing a far more dangerous Donald. Okwara will arrive as a contributor to the Rams defense. In 2021, he could very likely be a fan favorite.

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