Looks like DL is back on the LA Rams draft menu, boys

The LA Rams continue to meet with NFL Draft prospects. So far, we’ve tracked 13 such pre-draft virtual meetings. There was the first dozen. Just hours later, the Rams added another meeting to bring the number to 13. Well, make that 14. Despite having just six draft picks, the LA Rams are certainly beating the pavement for virtual meetings with a diverse crop of players and positions for the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

As well they should be. The Rams cannot find themselves at a point in this draft without a logical pick nor an option to trade back for more picks. And so, the strategy so far seems to be focused upon creating viable options at necessary depth as well as viable options for each round of the NFL Draft (well, from round two and down at least)

So far, the distribution of pre-draft meetings looks like this:
Four (4) interviews were held with cornerbacks
Three (3) interviews were held with wide receivers
Two (2) interviews were held with defensive linemen. *
Two (2) interviews were held with running backs
One (1) interview was held with an offensive center (two meetings were reported with the same prospect)
One (1) interview was held with an inside linebacker
One (1) interview was held with an outside linebacker

That’s a pretty busy schedule for six draft picks. But keep in mind that it’s important for the Rams to have viable options at each draft selection. So when the LA Rams meet with a prospect, is that a sure sign of availability late on day two? Not necessarily. But the 2021 NFL Draft will certainly be one of the most unpredictable drafts in recent memory. With little comparability and consistent data, the typical consensus fades quickly out of the top ten or so prospects.

One twitchy dangerous defender

The Rams stockpiled a cache of defensive line talent after the 2020 NFL Draft. But should a talented defensive lineman prospect fall to them in the 2021 NFL Draft, don’t expect the Rams to look the other way. Despite the 3-4 formation, the LA Rams continue to place a high value on their three-man front.

One player who could certainly make the grade is the strongman out of the West Virginia Mountaineers, defensive lineman Darius Stills.  Stills is a 6-foot-1, 278-pound prospect who is certainly one of the players-on-the-rise.

Stills is a small but twitchy and powerful defensive lineman who is slightly similar to LA Rams All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald. Because of his size and power, he is a Tasmanian Devil when it comes to pass rush penetration. He is a flurry of moves and strength, ripping away at any pass pocket to get to the quarterback.

While he can overcommit to a gap leaving a rushing lane for a quick-footed running back, he can be just as dangerous if he shoots through the right gap and greets a rusher in the offensive backfield.

Where will he fall?

Darius Stills offers enough upside to flirt with a day one pick. After all, he plays on the defensive line, a position that is known to be very shallow in this draft. And he offers some incredibly unique characteristics which a team like the LA Rams would certainly covet highly.

His critics would even admit that he creates unsolveable problems for the opposing offense. They back their lower rating of his NFL potential on the fact that they view him as an undersized defensive lineman with stubby arms and a tendancy to shoot gaps leaving gaping holes for running backs.  Funny, but it almost reads word for word with Donald’s draft profile. Hmmm…

There is no doubt that his size won’t ward off the Rams interest. Imagine the Rams drafting an Aaron Donald protégé in the 2021 NFL Draft?  Now that would be quite exciting.  And no, I’m not the only one linking the two. Pro Football Network’s Bill Riccette makes the some comparison.  The similarity is easy to do. Same position, same strengths and weaknesses. The both even hail from the same part of the country.

NFL Draft Profile
Draft Network Draft Profile
Pro Football Network Draft Profile

Now, some project Stills as early as round one, and that is simply not a place that the Rams can reach. But most profiles emphasize his risks, and in the uncertainty of the 2021 NFL Draft, those risks will give pause to more than one NFL team that might otherwise call out his name.

If Stills falls to the Rams? Well, then the draft becomes very interesting indeed. Stills could warrant the LA Rams selection at 57 in their view. Even though most draft profiles have a late third-round grade on him, Stills has two things going for him. He is an NFL capable player at a position of few prospects capable of NFL play.

And the second is that he bears a striking resemblance to another defensive lineman once judged as too small to play effectively in the NFL. Of course, the other guy is All-Pro Aaron Donald. And you know how that turned out.