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

Defensive ends

III-Greg Reaves
The Rams continue to bolster the defense with incredibly versatile players when they added 6-foot-3  defensive end, Greg Reaves. Reaves is a lean mean tackling machine off the edge from the University of Southern Florida. He is no stranger to beating the odds, as he is a former walk-on who earned a scholarship after his 2017 season resulted in 14 tackles-for-losses (TFLs).  He then moved to interior linebacker where he recorded 89 tackles and seven more TFLs.  Reaves was the 47th ranked OLB per DraftCountdown.com But that is a ranking on edge-rushing outside linebacker/defensive end.

IV-Eric Banks
The next addition for the LA Rams is a defensive end, Eric Banks. Banks is a 6-foot-5 270-pound defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid who is very good at rushing the quarterback. While he may have an uphill battle to make the team, he does have connections. Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson coached Banks in 2016, and no doubt pulled some strings to get Banks an offer from the Rams. Banks is a four-year player whose best season was 2017 when he registered 24 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, one pass defense, and three forced fumbles.  Despite a background from a small school, Banks has an uncanny nose for the football and could be a strong contributor on special teams.

V-Jonah Williams

The third and final defensive end signing is Weber State’s, Jonah Williams. Williams is another hybrid who has already created quite the buzz from a pure athleticism standpoint. He stands 6-foot-5, weighs 285 pounds, runs a 4.65 40-yard dash, can pump 30 reps of 225-pound weights, and leaps 35 inches vertically. He played for Weber State because he committed to fulfilling a two-year mission during his college career, and two major schools withdrew football scholarships as a result.

He was a late bloomer, a trait he attributes to other family members as well.  That pulled him off many NFL scouting reports, despite enlarging to 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds to enter his senior season. By the time he graduated, he had grown to his 6-foot-5 height and was up to 250 pounds of nearly all muscle.  His hopes for hearing his name called during the NFL Draft depended entirely upon a good showing at his Pro Day. Unfortunately, his luck ran against him again when COVID-19 prohibited him from performing at his Pro Day. His performance on his virtual pro day was good enough to have caught the eye of 32 NFL teams. Projected as high as a fifth-round prospect, he could be a player many will point to from the future as a key contributor because the Rams gave him the opportunity.