LA Rams Mock Draft 2021: Trade w Lions, Bears nets 9 picks

Round six, pick 208

With the 208th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the LA Rams select outside linebacker Patrick Jones from the University of Pittsburgh. Hailing from the same school that deliver All-Pro Aaron Donald to the NFL, Jones is a player with no clear consensus. In some draft boards, he is a round two prospect, but in others, he falls to round seven.

Outside linebackers are fairly deep this year, and that is a huge plus for the LA Rams. Even though the team could squeak by as is, the stock of outside linebackers was exhausted over the course of the season. And the team lost two players from the position during free agency. Jones is a healthy size and weight at 6-foot-4 and 261 pounds.  And yes, he played very well at the Senior Bowl

The Rams need a player who can get to the quarterback, and Patrick Jones II excels at that. In 40 games at Pitt, he racked up 21.5 quarterback sacks. In fact, he plays solid defense all around with 112 tackles over his career, including 32 tackles for a loss, and 81 quarterback hurries.

He is a two-year team captain, an honor that is bestowed upon respected players. Jones lined up all over the defensive front, but played little true pass defense at Pitt.  With those limits, he’ll need to work into the Rams rotation. But if he is on the field when the quarterback drops back to pass, it could be a footrace to see who gets to the quarterback first.