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

Defensive backs

IX – JuJu Hughes
The LA Rams continued the is-he-a-safety-or-is-he-a-cornerback theme after the draft as they signed Fresno State’s defensive back Juju Hughes. Hughes is a 5-foot-11 188-pound cornerback/safety hybrid who played four seasons as a Fresno State Bulldog. He began his NCAA football career as a cornerback for 12 games, then finished off as a safety for his final 40 games. Over his career, he recorded 247 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, one sack, seven interceptions, and 29 passes defended. Hughes contributed to Fresno State’s 22 wins over the 2017 and 2018 seasons and was a consistent contributor on defense.

X – Dayan Lake a.k.a Dayan Ghanwoloku

The LA Rams added a bit of confusion to media reports as they reported signing BYU defensive back Dayan Lake to a contract immediately following the NFL Draft. The only problem is that he now goes by his legal name of Dayan Ghanwoloku, which triggered many media reports to cite the conflict as two separate players. It took a bit of research to sort out the matter, but we were able to confirm Dayan Lake and Dayan Ghanwoloku as a one-and-the-same player. While he was the 72nd ranked cornerback per draftcountdown.com, he offers intriguing enough qualities. He stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 205-pounds, and runs a 4.41-second  40-yard dash. That lightning speed is an incredible asset, but he has relied upon it too often in his development. He is the guy who can defend speedsters, and NFL offenses are gravitating more and more towards speedy receivers. He also has a strong profile to compete as a kick or punt returner. He is truly lightning-fast on the football field.

XI – Tyrique McGhee

The LA Rams seemed to lean heavily toward defensive backs who could fill multiple roles in an NFL defense. They seemed to abandon that criterion when they signed Georgia Bulldog cornerback  Tyrique McGhee after the 2020 NFL Draft.McGhee is a 5-foot-10 187-pound cornerback. McGhee was a rotational defensive back for the Georgia Bulldogs, but he found his starting role as a senior tarnished by a foot injury in preseason practice which sidelined him for all but three games. That was the second time he injured his foot, which plummeted his draft stock off most teams’ boards. The second injury triggered foot surgery, which all reports confirm went very well. Despite a limited role in college and entering the NFL as a medically flagged rookie, McGhee played very well for Georgia in his four seasons. Despite injuries, he ended his college career on a very high note, adding six pass breakups and a career-high five tackles in Georgia’s win over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl.