5 takeaways from LA Rams 2021 NFL Draft Day 2

III – LA Rams are truly committing to the deep ball

The LA Rams are truly enamored with the deep ball, having now prioritized introducing that weapon to the offense in both free agency and now with the top selection of the LA Rams draft. It’s something that the LA Rams have had a love-hate relationship with for the past four NFL seasons under Jared Goff.

Now, it will be up to Matthew Stafford to re-spark the romance. Stafford and veteran wide receiver DeSean Jackson. Well, Stafford, Jackson, and now rookie receiver Atwell.  The Rams have wanted to blow the backs off defenses from the moment the team hired Sean McVay to lead the team’s offense as the head coach. The player who sold the Rams a bill of goods he could not deliver at that time was Tavon Austin. Next up was wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Is the third time the charm?

Austin is 5-foot-8 and weighed 179 pounds. Brandin Cooks is 5-foot-10 and weighs 183-pounds. Now the Rams have both 5-foot-10 175-pound veteran wide receiver DeSean Jackson and 5-foot-9 155-pound rookie wide receiver Chatarius ‘Tutu’ Atwell.  Jackson ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash. Atwell ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash. If the knock on Jackson was staying healthy, the Rams have just drafted one helluva insurance policy. And of course, there is the special team specialist Nsimba Webster who is 5-foot-10 and 180-pounds.

The LA Rams offense has a plan, but we simply haven’t seen it yet. Perhaps the 2016 Washington Football Team offense that boasted both DeSean Jackson and 5-foot-9 177-pound wide receiver Jamison Crowder is what the Rams are trying to infuse into the offense this year? In that offense, Jackson put up four touchdowns, and Crowder put up seven.