Los Angeles Rams select: Van Jefferson WR
With the 57th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, the LA Rams select University of Florida wide receiver Van Jefferson
After a slow first day of the 2020 NFL draft (because of the Jalen Ramsey trade last season), the LA Rams finally get to draft. The team started the day selecting running back Cam Akers from Florida State on their first pick in the 2020 draft. The team then remained on the offensive side of the ball and continued with their second-round journey by selecting wide receiver Van Jefferson with the 57th pick overall. This was the pick that was acquired from the Houston Texans in the Brandin Cooks trade. Going forward, the Rams new receiver Jefferson will forever be tied to Cooks.
6-foot-1 200 pound WR Vanchil Lawson Jefferson transferred to the University of Florida after starting his career at Ole Miss for his first three seasons. With the Gators, Jefferson played all three receiving spots but made most of his damage from the slot. Van made the most of his last season at the collegiate level having 49 receptions, good for 657 yards and 6 touchdowns, all career highs.
Van Jefferson is the son of former NFL wide receiver and current New York Jets WR coach Shawn Jefferson, Shawn played for 13 seasons in the NFL as a WR. That background alone might make some Rams fans excited, as he is familiar with the position for a while now.
Head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead surprised fans with their bold selections in the second round. Most did not view those skill positions as the biggest glaring needs in the roster, and players who had the potential to be drafted in the first-round were available in both the 52 and 57 slots.
The fact that they submitted the picks very fast might lead us to think they were high on these two players, and that might be the reason Snead didn’t pull a trade to haul in more draft picks. The Rams feel happy and comfortable with their first two selections in this draft. Let’s keep our eyes open as they still own two picks in the third round and everything could still happen.