Who The LA Rams ignored in 4th round to take TE Jacob Harris

As the LA Rams completed the fourth round of the draft by taking the tall University of Central Florida WR/TE Jacob Harris, it’s clear that LA Rams head coach Sean McVay wants an injection of explosiveness into the passing game from all angles, and all new heights.

That’s because Harris is a towering receiver (6-foot-5!) that can hopefully extend the field vertically for new Rams QB Matthew Stafford.  If the football field is only so big horizontally, just makes good sense to extend it vertically as well. And you do that by drafting a tall-guy receiver.

And it helps if he’s fast. Harris ran the 40-yard dash in a smoldering 4.39 seconds.

He’s the kind of receiver that creates matchup problems for defensive secondaries because covering him requires extra inches, extra lengthy corners, or safeties. If you don’t have a tall and fast guy to match up against him, he hauls in that catch.

Proof of the pudding was Harris proved to be an enormous target in 2020, grabbing 30 balls, including eight touchdowns in just 10 games for the UCF Knights.

The list of offensive weapons at McVay’s disposal to tinker with and devise new plays with just continues to grow, horizontally and vertically as well. The offensive quiver of WR arrows is now bursting at the seams on this Rams team.

And McVay and new offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell can devise ways to line up Harris at either wide receiver or tight end. Positional versatility keeps defenses guessing. Opens up new possibilities for pre-snap motion, multiple sets, reverses, gadget plays.

Widens the playbook vertically, as well.

So this pick strikes me as really all about options, possibilities. Giving the offense new offensive alternatives.

The attractiveness of a tall and speedy receiver enticed the Rams to pull the trigger here on Harris and postpone other team needs until later in the draft or the UDFA route. The Rams continue to ignore the center position. In fact, the Rams have let numerous key offensive line prospects go by.

The Rams wide receiver room may not have either Nsimba Webster or Trishton Jackson on the 53-man roster at the opening kickoff. While the team clearly wants more offensive weapons (after all, this is still McVay’s team) you have to wonder where in the roster the team will offset the sudden buying spree of receiver talent?

The Rams are still looking for another outside linebacker, any offensive linemen, another cornerback.  Virginia OLB Charles Snowden was on the board, as was Michigan State CB Shakur Brown. Florida OT Stone Forsythe, Penn State OC Michal Menet, and Tennessee OG Trey Smith were all still on the board.

Harris is not just a shiny new bauble for Stafford to target with bombs. He’s a red-zone matchup dilemma for other teams. Defend this.  He’s a tall, and speedy shiny bauble, to boot.