4 ‘pool party’ grade players for the LA Rams at 57?

The LA Rams will be a fun place on Friday night. That is the first night that the Rams will choose from the 2021 NFL Draft. And they will be scheduled for three selections on day two. Now, you’d think that the team will be a fairly vanilla draft, right? Well, you would be wrong:

At about the 5:00 minute mark, LA Rams general manager Les Snead describes a new draft grade this year, inspired by new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. As Snead explains:

At that time there are a few players at a few positions. If they fell to 57, then the team would have a pool party. In essence, if the right player was selected, Raheem Morris will jump into the pool. Now, keep in mind that is a live draft, so the entire entourage may not be in a position to join him.  You can check out the video below for the full story.

What I would like to do is to identify the three or so players who, if they fell to the 57th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, could prompt Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to jump into the swimming pool. Here are our candidates, in this order:

Top Pool Splash – Washington OLB Joe Tryon (6.31 grade on NFL.com Draft board)
The ability of Joe Tryon to play all of the functions of an outside linebacker is pretty remarkable. This 6-foot-5 259-pound edge rusher does it all. He defends the run and the pass well. He can set the edge. And he can rip his way through the line to get to the quarterback. He is still growing, as he missed the 2020 season, so figure a rotational role player. The Rams defense is a custom fit.

Second Pool Splash – Washington CB Elijah Molden (6.25 grade on NFL.com Draft board)
The fundamental knowledge of Elijah Molden will absolutely send Morris into a cannonball splash. This 5-foot-10 192-pound defensive back diagnoses the offensive play from the formation and motion, can play practically any secondary position, and he sticks to his receiver like velcro. He is already sharp, but team him up with Darious Williams and Jalen Ramsey, and you’ve got something very special.

Third Pool Splash – Florida CB Asante Samuel Jr. (6.24 grade on NFL.com Draft board)
When you carry the name Asante Samuel (even with a Jr. suffix), the NFL bar is immediately raised. Asante Samuel Jr. delivers even to the loftiest of expectations. This 5-foot-10 180-pound defensive back plays a physical precision game that would make NFL veterans proud. He makes an immediate stop after catches, which severely limits receivers working against him. He is another solid defensive back who would do well with horns.

Fourth Pool Splash – Virginia Edge Charles Snowden  (6.22 grade on NFL.com Draft board)
Last but by no means least, Charles Snowden III is a 6-foot-6 243-pound quarterback nightmare crashing off the edge. He has a basketball football background, which has helped him quickly develop an arsenal of start/stop/twist/burst/shimmy moves that is nearly impossible to stop. Yet, he is raw and needs to add body mass. He was a team captain at Virginia, checking the box for high character and leadership that the LA Rams look for.

These are my four ‘Pool Party’ candidates. Do you have any I may have missed? Please let us know in the comment section. If we have time, we will write an article about them as well.