The LA Rams drafted like the NFL’s version of Moneyball

No no no no, don’t Funk with my Rams

Perhaps another player equally frustrating to the followers of the Rams draft effort was that of 5-foot-10 205-pound running back Jake Funk out of the University of Maryland. Another running back? Yep, and he’s going to make a strong case in competition as the short-yardage rusher for the Rams in 2021. Don’t believe me? Just check out this analysis from one of the best draft analysts in the business, Peter Schrager.

I was no happier with this pick than with the Tutu Atwell pick. But I didn’t know much about him. Now? I’m warming up to this one rapidly. Hey, he’s not just a guy to carry the football, but he will return the ball on special teams and he is a tornado on coverage teams. What are others saying about the new running back?

This is a young man from the seventh round, mind you?  Well, he’s topping the charts per athleticism, at least that is the assertion by Kent Lee Platte, creator of the RAS measurement for NFL players. His measurements ranked Jake Funk 37th out of 1490 running backs from 1987 to 2021. And yet, the LA Rams didn’t blow a Day Two pick on him. On the contrary, the Rams selected him with the 233rd pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. I’d say he’s worth it.