LA Rams 2020 UDFA signings ranked among NFL’s top ten class

The LA Rams 2020 UDFA signings ranked eighth-best in the NFL per Thor Nystrom’s latest UDFA class ranking

The LA Rams may not have excessive salary cap space, nor an excess number of NFL draft picks, but the team seems to have an uncanny knack for identifying, finding, and signing some of the best undrafted free agents in the NFL.  The LA Rams signed 22 undrafted free agents in 2020, and their class of incoming rookies is not merely just talented, but they also project as solid fits to roles they will be competing for on the team roster.

That did not go unnoticed, as Thor Nystrom ranked the LA Rams’ 2020 UDFA class as the eighth-best class in the NFL in his latest Thor’s UDFA Class Rankings report. The irony is that he failed to list five UDFA signings by the Rams.

Of course, rating UDFA signings before any even take the field is very subjective and speculative. The measure of these signings portend to know the future career of each prospect, and the aggregate sum and fit of those prospects on their respective teams. The glaring weakness of these rankings is the blind-eye to the potential opportunity for the undrafted rookies.

The top-ranked team is the Dallas Cowboys, who seem to be walking away with virtually all the offseason awards this year. But of the 16 prospects signed as UDFAs, perhaps two or three have a chance of earning a spot on the 55-man roster. The Cowboys added seven players to the roster via the 2020 NFL Draft, which will likely fill their roster openings when the cuts come for the season playing roster.

While the LA Rams ranked eighth on the list, the NFC West Division rivals did not fare as well. The San Francisco 49ers earned the 11th spot on the list. The Seattle Seahawks landed at the 19th spot on the list. Finally, the Arizona Cardinals landed 26th on the list out of 32 teams.

Thor Nystrom assigned a favorable ranking to the LA Rams based on a number of players he ranked highly, with the highest rated player as Weber State’s edge rusher Jonah Williams.  He also named Arizona State University’s center Cohl Cabral as a competitive offensive lineman.

Additionally, he mentioned the blinding speed of Syracuse WR Trishton Jackson as someone who could earn a role on the team. Finally, he listed both quarterbacks Josh Love and Bryce Perkins as two of the best-undrafted quarterbacks of this class and suggesting that at least one would make the team’s 55-man roster.

In his ranking, Nystrom failed to recognize the Rams signing of linebacker Bryan London II, DE Eric Banks, DT Michael Hoecht, DE Greg Reaves, and WR Earnest Edwards. While these five did not have much written about them in the usual draft profile types, WR Edwards had a detailed analysis of his pass-catching ability which reads very favorably.

While this is a too-early-to-be-very-accurate ranking, it does confirm that the Rams scouting department proves once again to be quite resourceful in signing on highly talented young players. The Rams class is not just a group of talented players but will have bona fide opportunities to land a role on the roster.