Which positions will LA Rams find deep in the 2021 NFL Draft?

Presto, the LA Rams are now refocusing upon next season. What opportunities await the LA Rams in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft? It’s time that we turn our attention to the immediate future, and examine what potential exists for the Rams to improve their roster before they are on the field once more.   While we continue to sort through where the Rams roster will require added help, we do not need to pause when assessing what awaits the Rams in the upcoming draft.

I know that the argument has been played out many times in the past, and will be played out again this year, but the argument of best player available versus need is a moot point. All NFL teams create a hierarchy of positional needs, and during the draft make every attempt to match the need at a specific position with a player who is most likely to fill those needs.

So which positions are the deepest in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft? While we await the wave of athletic performances and measurements to be recorded, we can look at some rote numbers. Let’s start with Ramblin Fans very own John Vogel, who recently authored the Rams 2021 NFL Draft Top 50 Big Board. Let’s break it down by tier:

Top 10         LB – II  IOL-III CB – I TE – II EDGE – II (10)
Top 11-20  LB – I  IOL- III CB -II  TE -I  EDGE – III  (10)
Top 21-30  LB – II  IOL- I  CB -IIII  TE –  I  EDGE – 0 RB – II  (10)
Top 31-40  LB – II IOL- II  CB – IIII  TE – 0 EDGE – I RB – I  (10)
Top 41-50  LB – III  IOL-  I CB -III  TE – 0  EDGE – II RB – I (10)

Ramblin Fan Top 50 Big Board Summary: LB -10, IOL – 10, CB – 14, TE – 4  EDGE – 8, RB – 4
So the defense seems to have plenty of depth in the top 50, with 32 defensive prospects, and just 18 offensive prospects. To find out who they are, and which school they play at, just click this convenient link here.

Top 200 2021 rookie prospects

But the Rams won’t be choosing in the top 50. How many out of those top prospects will remain on the board by the time the LA Rams call out their first selection late in round two?  So let’s cast a broader net. How many are in the top 200? The Draft Network has established its prospect rankings for the 2021 NFL Draft. From that list, we’ve taken the top 200 prospects ranked for the upcoming draft and segregated the top 200 prospects into their respective football positions.

Offense – 103

Wide receiver -32
Offensive tackle -18
Interior Offensive linemen – 20
Quarterback -6
Running back – 15
Tight End – 12

Defense – 97

Cornerback – 20
Indterior Defensive linemen – 18
Edge rushers – 24
Linebacker – 15
Safety – 20

It appears that the LA Rams will have a solid crop of talented wide receivers, defensive backs, and offensive linemen in this draft to help reinforce the ranks.

This will serve as a good reference for the future. Of course, we have not assessed the projected NFL Draft grade for prospects or the quality of candidates. But this is a good start to judge how many prospects will likely be drafted in the upcoming NFL Draft.   The NFL Draft consists of 255 prospects who will ultimately hear their names called.

We will spend plenty of time in the upcoming weeks examining the team’s roster. That will include players under contract to play in 2021.  We’ll also examine the  2021 NFL Free Agency market at length, both in terms of outgoing Rams players and free agents who may draw interest from the Rams. We’ll look at the 2020 practice squad and players who may be signed to 2021 future/reserve contracts as well. Finally, we’ll look at the 2021 NFL Draft.

That is a lot of ground to cover. So we’ll be busy, lol.