LA Rams mock draft snags snarler center in 2021 NFL Draft

Edge rusher

With the 140th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the. Los Angeles Rams select outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper from Ohio State University. And no, this is not his first time being mocked by the Rams, and may not be the last. After all, he is a beast. A rabid defender who can wind up and literally take over a game. He’s just that good.

More compact than some prospects, he stands 6-foot-2.5 and weighs a burly 254 pounds. He is a five-year senior, as he suffered an ankle injury in 2019 that ended his season and required corrective surgery. In the end, he played 37 NCAAF games. That’s the equivalent of 3 college football seasons. During that time, he chalked up 77 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, 10 quarterback sacks, two deflected passes, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.

He is a player who plays big in big moments. And you can bet there will be plenty of big moments on the LA Rams defense. In fact, he is the type of player who would explode alongside the devastation created by All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald.

He may trigger some medical flags, but unlike the dreaded knee injury for an edge rusher, he suffered an ankle injury and returned to play with a fury. Before his injury, I had anticipated his contribution to the Rams defense from the 2020 NFL Draft. Now, he has a chance of making that come true.

In many ways, he is similar to Aaron Donald. He is not the biggest, nor the most explosive. But he is furious and relentless. He outworks, outhustles, out physicals his opponent to get to the quarterback. Line him up next to Donald and watch the carnage, but do so from a safe distance