LA Rams News: Team faces boom or bust in 2021 NFL Draft

The LA Rams have enjoyed success in their foraging the later rounds of the annual NFL Draft, thanks to their incredible position coaches. But with the departure of linebacker coach Joe Barry, tight end coach Shane Waldron, and cornerback coach Aubrey Pleasant this year, there is a bit of uncertainty about this year’s crop of rookies. After all, the Rams made a killing in the draft by exploiting overlooked prospects and calling out their names on day three.

So, who will coach them up to the NFL standard? Worse yet, who will coach them up to the LA Rams standards? Those are certainly the questions that are forming right now. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we? The most pressing matters are the unfilled needs that will arise from drafting just six times.

Just six picks? Yikes.

Six silver bullets

The Rams could use all six draft picks on the defense alone, and yet would be remiss in not addressing needs for the offensive line or new weapons for head coach Sean McVay. The team could throw all six picks at the offense, but then the depth at linebacker, cornerback, and outside linebacker would reach critical mass in 2022.

So the Rams must not only split the picks but do so in such a way that both the offense and defense benefit from new rookie reinforcements in 2021 who can claim starting roles in 2022.

Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it?  Well, actually no. It doesn’t. So let’s sit down and be brutally honest with ourselves for just a moment here.  Which positions are the true roster needs, which are needs for 2022, which are embellishments, and any other positions not listed simply will fall into the unnecessary wants category?