LA Rams 2021 NFL Draft: Interview w WVU’s DL Darius Stills

The LA Rams are heading for the 2021 NFL Draft, and are armed with just six picks.  That truly is but a small number of picks in the vast number of 255 player selections in this upcoming draft. It may not seem like very much, but even that number is 2.3 percent of the total NFL Draft picks made.  It’s less than the 2.73 percent allotment of picks, one to each round, that the team was given originally. And it’s less than the 3.125 percent share that the Rams hold by being one of 32 teams in the NFL.

Suffice it to say that the LA Rams must overcome some challenges in this draft.

But isn’t that what the draft is all about anyway? The test of fortitude, overcoming both challenges and adversity?  And why not?  After all, that’s what most NFL draft prospects face as they throw their hat in the ring for the upcoming NFL Draft.

This makes for a nice segue to the draft profile of a defensive lineman that every LA Rams fan should be keenly interested in knowing.  His strengths are many and include:

Tough and competitive, Disruptive penetrating ability
Gets under opponents pads and into gaps
Good foot athlete — redirects well and can work the edges and loop and stunt
Flexible enough to zone drop in a short area
Plays with awareness and consistently locates the ball
Closes hard and fast
Keeps working to the ball

His weaknesses include:

Marginal height and frame is nearly maxed out
Hands are more active than strong — could play with more pop and power
Overpowered in the run game and ground up by double teams
Gets snared and controlled by bigger, longer blockers
Not a two-gap player
Has some tweener traits — lacks ideal length and bend to play outside

Now here is a mind-blowing fact. No, I’m not talking about Aaron Donald, even though we pulled Donald’s 2014 NFL Draft profile.  Oh, for the record, Donald’s draft profile projected him to be a mid to late day two prospect. Donald’s upside? He was a ‘Backup/special-teamer’ player.  The Rams selected Aaron Donald with the 12th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.