LA Rams end wild ride draft with intriguing trio at the end

Funky Terrapin

Who would have thought that the LA Rams would end up picking a running back in this draft The pick that seemed to ignite the social media universe was the LA Rams’ seventh pick of the draft when the Rams chose Maryland running back Jake Funk (5.69 grade per NFL.com) with the 233rd pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.  Are the Rams trying to slam the barn door on undrafted running back Xavier Jones with this pick?  Like it or not, the Rams are creating more competition instantly for the Malcolm Brown role with this pick.

What did the LA Rams see in Jake Funk? Well, per their own admission, he is a special team instant contributor. At 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, this young man will not add a fullback/power back presence to the roster. He was an extremely productive rusher on a less than powerful offense. His average of 7.2 yards-per-carry is simply outstanding. He is also an undervalued receiver, having converted 23 receptions into three touchdowns. Offensive weapon? Perhaps.

He brings special team play directly to the Rams. He was an experienced kickoff return specialist, and he was very active in the coverage game as well. He posted a 4.43 40-yard dash, a 38-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot-2-inch board jump, and even put up 22 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press.

Although he did have two ACL surgeries to the same knee, in 2018 and 2019, he came back with a vengeance in 2020.  In just five games, the rusher averaged over 100 yards a game on only an average of 12 carries per game. While he didn’t jump out as a runner, he was a standout on special teams in the cover game. The Rams languished at that in 2021. Funk is here to change that.