6 LA Rams must do’s to earn a great 2021 NFL Draft
By Jay Blucher
Four final keys
Key III – The Rams should seriously consider trading back because it’s a very good option for them in this particular draft. Tough truth time? The Rams need more picks. And trading back in the 2021 NFL Draft won’t hurt much simply because there is a lot of depth at several positions. In fact, the draft is particularly deep at offensive line, edge rusher, wide receiver, and cornerback, all of which happen to be needs of this team.
Key IV – The Rams should not hesitate to take a player who offers them positional versatility – the Swiss Army knife players, the duct-tape players who can play multiple positions. This draft is loaded with players who have solid experience in more than one key area of need. There are safeties who can play cornerback; linebackers who can play defensive end; offensive linemen who can slide up and down the line and play tackle or guard, and maybe even a little center in a pinch. It’s the two-positions with one-pick.
Key V – The Rams should not be afraid of taking offensive linemen as this draft winds down. The talent level of this draft is deep enough that talent will not be exhausted easily. Even in round seven, there should still be good offensive linemen available, and the Rams could find a future starter by looking there.
Key VI – The Rams should trust their groundwork and the work of their scouts. They should not restrict or limit themselves to necessarily taking the obvious pick. This is an anything-goes fracas, and that means blazing your own trail sometimes. The Rams have never been afraid to take a player from a smaller program or a less-heralded player from parts unknown. That’s a proven strategy and let’s hope they don’t abandon it.
I expect that the outcome of this draft will have some fans quite frustrated. But this is certainly one of those drafts where nobody will ‘know’ what they have until years down the road. Trust the folks at the helm. The Rams 2020 was spectacular in terms of the team navigating in the right way to address the key needs of the roster. Less than a week away. Buckle up, folks.