LA Rams depth chart too shallow at these positions before NFL Draft

The LA Rams depth chart and the consensus roster needs may not align very well as the team prepares to enter the 2020 NFL Draft

Every now and then, things fall out of alignment. Automobile tires, sights on rifles, and even lines painted on roadways can swerve. But the LA Rams roster depth chart is usually very much in alignment with what many believe are the roster needs. This is not one of those times.

At this time of the year, the Rams depth chart, or the stack of players designed to play at a specific position on the team’s offense or defense, should be three deep or more at each position. Curiously, that is not the case right now.

One such example of “in alignment” is the quarterback position right now. Fans and the depth chart agree that the Rams need more than two quarterbacks for the 2020 training programs. While it’s not a major concern, no one would be surprised if the Rams select a quarterback on day three of the NFL Draft to correct the situation.

But after the Rams lost some key defensive players via free agency, there was a knee jerk reaction by fans to fill their void with talented rookies. But will the Rams do that with their current depth chart?  For example, the Rams parted ways with OLB Clay Matthews, OLB Dante Fowler Jr., ILB Bryce Hager, and ILB Cory Littleton.  Still, the current depth chart, as untested as it may be, for four linebacker positions holds 11 such players. Will the Rams commit multiple picks to that crowded field?

Meanwhile, the Rams have resigned defensive end Michael Brockers and added defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson. But the defensive line is shallow, currently only seven players on the roster to fill three positions.

So the current generally accepted set of needs for the Rams right now based on the 2019 team needs plus offseason losses are OT, C, WR RB, Edge, ILB, S, and cornerback. But if you go with the Rams pre-draft interviews, those needs are LB, Edge, RB, C, WR, TE, CB, DL, and OT.

But the Rams depth chart suggests the team needs are: QB, WR, OT, DL, and safety.  What positions does the team believe are the most critical needs?  It’s a balance of team needs plus draft depth.  The Rams know that the 2020 NFL Draft is loaded with talent at RB, WR, and DB,  So there is the wisdom of adding talent when it is available.

In the end, the Rams cannot simply draft to fill roster holes. To improve the team’s overall talent, this draft must have enough flexibility to add more talent. Does the team’s roster have the flexibility to do so? We’ll see in less than a week.