Should LA Rams draft QB in the 2021 NFL Draft, and when?

Post Draft priority signings

Will history repeat itself? The Rams have not addressed the quarterback position adequately since drafting Jared Goff in 2016. Even with a commitment to him as the team’s starter, the need to have sufficient talent on the roster for the emergencies that eventually happen is wise. So far, the Rams have been content to roll the dice at the quarterback position.

The team has been lucky in 2020. Jared Goff is Mister Dependable under center. Still, banking on no missed time from their starting quarterback is just flirting with disaster. So if the Rams fail to add a quarterback in the draft, they will have some decent options after the draft if they choose to sign one as an undrafted free agent.

Iowa State QB

The first priority signing after the 2021 NFL Draft is to get 6-foot-0 202-pound quarterback Brock Purdy from Iowa State under contract. A three-year collegiate quarterback, Purdy’s development has dipped a bit in 2020, and have many quarterbacks. While he can run for daylight, I wouldn’t call him a dual-threat QB. He can run when flushed out of the pocket, but he will move the chains through the air.

He is a tunnel vision quarterback, looking for and finding most of his targets down the middle of the field. That will need to be coached at the NFL level and will take time. He gets inaccurate under pressure, and his arm strength simply is not up to the task of completing passes off balance. He can place the ball on the money and is quite capable of finding the end zone.

Texas A&M QB

If the Rams fail to get Purdy, they should sign up 6-foot-3 217-pound quarterback Kellen Mond out of Texas A&M. He is another four-year college quarterback and his production did not show a steady trend of improvement over the course of his college career. He peaked in his sophomore season and has been solid, but steady, ever since.

Mond remains poised no matter what is happening around him. That is both a boon and a bane. He doesn’t rattle, but sometimes the defense pressure forces the offense to speed up the tempo, and he doesn’t. He does show an ever-improving accuracy. He doesn’t have much experience in playing under center, mainly lined up in the shotgun. In four seasons, he has thrown for 9,429 yards, 71 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions.

Mississipi State QB

The final quarterback on this list may be the most intriguing of all.  After all, who wouldn’t like to sign a former quarterback of Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach?  Did we save the best for last?  I won’t lie, the thought of 6-foot-5 222-pound quarterback K.J. Costello out of Mississippi State signing on with the LA Rams is enough to fill me with holiday cheer.

He has a cannon of an arm, which is critical for this pocket-passer protege of Mike Leach. While he is accurate, he is also a risk-taker, throwing for just six touchdowns but 11 interceptions in his senior season. He tosses picks when the pocket breaks down, and he needs to ensure he is not throwing to a defensive back rather than taking a sack. Formerly from Stanford, he has the raw talent that flashes brilliantly at times. But he will need to be coached up to realize that potential in the NFL.

And so, there you are. Eight quarterbacks who could potentially be an LA Rams player next season. Do any strike you as a potential draft pick?