NFL Draft 2021: Prediction – LA Rams shake up draft at 57

Scenario III: Best player available (BPA)

Of course, in this draft, there will always be a chance for unexpected and unexplained anomalies. What happens if a first-round player falls to the Rams at 57? Let’s craft a scenario out of thin air to explain how this works.  Let’s drop Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and LSU wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. to 57.

Of course, as soon as that happens, the phone will ring off the hook as teams will make outlandish offers to the Rams to trade for their 57th pick. But if no offer is sufficiently stocked with value, the Rams will stay at 57.  Then the team will likely choose the most talented player, and sort through the roster needs in later rounds as best as possible.

Of course, Waddle tumbling to 57 in the 2021 NFL Draft is purely to examine how the Rams will likely react. But each year there are players who fall out of the first round for unexplained reasons. Perhaps a medical flag was not cleared off the player’s draft profile effectively. Sometimes the depth of a position will turn NFL teams towards other positions where talent is less abundant. Some other reasons could include a poor interview or a late-developing skirmish with authorities.

Another factor in this draft is the anticipated run on quarterbacks.  Currently, there is talk of NFL teams selecting up to six quarterbacks in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. But if teams chase Stanford quarterback Davis Mills late in round one, what stops NFL teams in need of a quarterback from selecting Florida quarterback Kyle Trask or Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond, who are both rated at or nearly at Davis Mills’ talent level?

However the draft plays out, this year’s events will be filled with twists and turns. From the LA Rams perspective, the more chaos that happens in round one, the better the draft board will shape up for them late in round two. That chaos includes a run on quarterbacks, as some estimate as many as 12 NFL teams in need of a quarterback from the 2021 NFL Draft.

All the Rams need to do is sit back and enjoy the fun on day one. Then, prepare to answer their phones on day two.