Five Takeaways from LA Rams 2021 NFL Draft

Receivers, receivers, receivers

1. Why did the Rams take so many wide receivers? What is the strange obsession McVay and Snead seem to have for WRs?

Snead & Company says their in-house nerd’s nest of an analytics department was happy – err, ecstatic – about the Rams first three draft choices. We have no idea what algorithm or unknown data set they were operating from.

Los Angeles Rams

But it makes sense the team would look for a speedy wide receiver as an insurance policy in case their newest speedy receiver in Desean Jackson should get hurt again, as he is prone to do. So the pick of WR Tutu Atwell (Tu short Tu slight?) makes a certain amount of sense at some level. McVay wanted a guy that could stretch the field for him and he got someone that, at least at the collegiate level, did just that.

Unfortunately, he’s diminutive, the smallest guy who was chosen in the entire draft. Draft guru Kiper says he plays “bigger than his weight.’ Let’s all hope so because he will have to. Otherwise, this pick will turn out to be Tavon Austin 2.0, or Brandon Cooks 2.0, or going even further back in Rams draft history, Trung Candidate 2.0.

McVay has even referred to Atwell as “DeSean Jackson Jr.” Atwell will also be expected to contribute on special teams as a punt and kickoff return man.

Bottom line: McVay wanted speed. McVay got his speedster. And it was his choice after all.