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

A special team B-12 spot

The next player selected in this draft was a bit of a ‘Huh?’ to many following the draft, as the Rams went back to the well for the receiver room to select 6-foot-3 220-pound Notre Dame wide receiver/tight end, Ben Skowronek (5.86 grade per NFL.com). He is a hybrid TE/WR rookie, much like TE/WR Jacob Harris chosen earlier.  It seemed to be a very odd place to duplicate rookies, but that will be sorted out in the future.

With this selection, it’s likely safe to conclude that the Rams are not convinced that 2020 drafted TE Brycen Hopkins has the Rams vote of confidence. Skowronek is another player who fits either a wide receiver or tight end role. For now, we’ll look at him through the tight end lens. In 45 college games, he caught 139 passes for 1,856 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has earned a reputation for catching contested balls, so he seems to fill a void in the Rams receiver room with that height and tough hands billing.  But what of his Senior Bowl performance? Let’s have a look. So queue the audio-less Senior Bowl practice video.

While the LA Rams likely already know that they have a crowded receiver room for the time being but in terms of a blocking tight-end replacement for Johnny Mundt? This is the guy. He has the size to put on another 20 pounds or so of muscle mass and could be a matchup nightmare for defenses as he develops route running techniques.

Out of the gates, look for him to be heavily involved in the LA Rams’ effort to bolster coverage teams as he is fast and furious. Over time, he could be a curious chess piece in the Rams offense. If he sees offensive snaps, he becomes a furious run blocker against defensive backs, and a dangerous target against linebackers.