LA Rams News: 22 UDFA complete analysis post-2020 NFL Draft

Wide Receiver

After the Rams used their second pick, the 57th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, most expected the LA Rams to look elsewhere for the remainder of the draft and afterward. But we had noticed a trend with the Rams frequency of pre-draft interviews and the 2021 projected free agents from the team.  There was a correlation between the team’s positions targeted in the draft to the projected losses to free agency in 2021.  So with the Rams facing the loss of both Cooper Kupp in 2021, the team certainly has the incentive to draft wide receivers in 2020. What they failed to address in the draft, they most certainly added immediately following.

XVI- Earnest Edwards
The first wide receiver added to the roster we will discuss is the University of Maine wide receiver Earnest Edwards. Edwards is a 5-foot-10 175-pound receiver who has solid football smarts and has a great attitude of “they can’t defend me” which is always fun to see in a receiver. in 40 games, he put up 125 catches for 2,370 yards receiving and 23 touchdowns.  He was a featured player in an article by NFLMocks.com Ian Higgins, who wrote a thorough review of the player’s skillset. Even so, Higgins indicated Edwards needed to combine special teams’ play with his receiving ability to earn a roster spot. That is where his true potential for the LA Rams lies.  He may very well earn the job as the Rams’ kick returner. At Maine, he returned 83 kickoffs in 40 games for 2,046 yards and four touchdowns. That averages out to 24.7 yards per return. He also returned nine punts at college for 55 yards.

XVII – J.J. Koski

The LA Rams added another wide receiver after the NFL Draft by signing backyard Cal-Poly senior wide receiver J.J. Koski. Koski is a 6-foot-1 195-pound local receiver who undoubtedly caught the eye of the Rams scouting department. In 44 games, he pulled in 121 passes for 2,311 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was also active as both a kick returner and a punt returner. So what is his connection to the LA Rams besides playing at a nearby college? His agent is also that of Rams’ wide receiver Cooper Kupp. So now you know.

Per Draftcountdown.com, Koski was the 70th ranked wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft. It is noteworthy that his 40-yard time is listed as 4.54-seconds. In terms of pure talent, there will likely be other players on the Rams’ roster that come to mind. But Koski was part of the Cal-Poly triple-option offense, and he has one of the most developed route trees among all rookie wide receivers in the NFL. That triple offense afforded the quarterback two choices to place the football into the running back’s hands or pitch the ball to a wide back or wide receiver before dropping back for the pass. That meant Koski had to be tight and timely on his routes, which he was able to accomplish very well.  Route running or speed seemed to be distinct qualities the Rams sought in new prospects this off-season.