NFL Draft 2021: LA Rams will only stick at 57 if right player on board

Do I have to say it? Does anyone have to say it? The LA Rams will take offers to trade back from pick 57. Entering the draft with just six picks, the LA Rams will be taking offers to trade back at 57, at 88, and at 103.  Hey, that’s how it goes on draft day. The closest real-life experience is the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange or the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. They trade constantly.

Yes, it’s a given. And yet, the recent press conference from LA Rams GM Les Snead and HC Sean McVay had a moment where Snead talked about the various scenarios where the team might trade back from 57. Several football websites are reporting that as news.  It’s not, really. It happens every year.

The eyebrow-raising moment for me was the moment that the GM Les Snead shared that the Rams have a new draft grade known as a Pool-Party draft grade, which is a player who is considered such a steal in this NFL Draft at the 57th pick that defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has pledged to jump into the pool if the Rams draft him.

Of course, Les Snead recognizes his Faux pas and tosses the comment that the offensive coaches have players who will trigger a pool party event as well there too.

That’s the real news here for me. The fact is that the Rams have a limited number of top prospects who the team hopes will fall to 57. If one is not there when the Rams are on the clock, they’ll take the best offer to trade back. But if one is there, the Rams will pull the trigger and name them with their 57th-pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Who will attract the Rams to use their 57th pick? Well, having watched the video eight times, I’m convinced that the Rams are targeting defense there.  I believe the two positions that warrant a solid pick there are absolutely cornerback and outside linebacker.  If I had to bet my lunch money, the cornerback position at 57 feels like the ticket.

Who might that be? Georgia’s Tyson Cambell, Georgia’s Eric Stokes, UCF’s Aaron Robinson, and Syracuse Ifeatu Melifonwu would all fall into a huge hit for the Rams at 57. The Rams have met with both Elijah Molden and Asante Samuel Jr, and they are likely to be there for the Rams at 57. In fact, both are projected as round three prospects on the NFL.com draft board.

But whose draft board can you truly trust in 2021?