Is LA Rams David Edwards an offensive tackle or guard?

The LA Rams are facing another NFL Draft.  With it comes another set of unresolved questions about the current and future state of the team’s offensive line. A year ago, it seemed as though the team was facing far more questions and far less certainty. And yet, the Rams rolled up their sleeves and dove into the draft undaunted by those OL concerns. That worked out okay for the team, didn’t it?  But everyone was convinced that the team needed to pour draft picks into offensive linemen.

Instead, the Rams chose some offensive skilled players and some defensive types. But the LA Rams would only draft one offensive line, offensive tackle Tremayne Anchrum, in the seventh-round. One offensive tackle and he was projected as an NFL guard. That made sense, as the Rams were in need of interior offensive linemen, and they enjoyed a surplus of offensive tackles.

Or do they?

David Edwards was an offensive tackle for the Wisconsin Badgers who was drafted by the LA Rams with the 169th pick (round five) of the 2019 NFL Draft. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 308-pounds, he certainly had the prototypical size for an NFL offensive tackle. His draft profiles were in agreement. Strong and powerful. Slow foot speed. Poor pass blocking technique. He was hastily promoted to start for the Rams at offensive guard in 2019 due to numerous injuries.

But in 2020, he was again forced to sub in as an offensive guard. And even when the team had the option to put him back on the bench, he remained the starter. So now, the question is, is he an offensive guard or tackle?

It’s an important question because in 2022, the Rams project to lose both Joseph Noteboom and Austin Corbett. Noteboom is an offensive tackle who played at both the guard and tackle positions for the team in 2020. Corbett is the team’s sole ‘pure’ interior offensive lineman who starts at right guard. And the answer dictates what the Rams do in the 2021 NFL Draft.

If Edwards is a tackle, then the Rams will look to draft at least one interior offensive lineman. If Edwards is a guard, then flip that, and aim the Rams at an offensive tackle. The team has nearly a full room of returning offensive linemen, but their roles are a bit ambiguous for the time being. And that glaring hole at the center position is tough to ignore.

Is Edwards a guard or a tackle?  While it may not seem to be that important, the answer could reshape the Rams 2021 NFL Draft strategy.