Is LA Rams WR Ben Skowronek too much of a good thing?

The LA Rams got cut in the ‘pick another receiver’ loop when the 2021 NFL Draft arrived. That was all a bit surprising because the Rams roster was already overflowing at the position from 2020, and the team lost just Gerald Everett and Josh Reynolds in the offseason, two players whose vacancies had already been addressed in the 2020 NFL Draft (hence the overflow).

Still, Rams head coach Sean McVay wants what Coach McVay wants, and in the 2021 NFL Draft, he wanted offensive weapons. Well, let’s not kid ourselves, he always wants offensive weapons. It just so happened that nobody talked him out of it in 2021.  That could be due to the fact that the 2022 NFL Draft has already gotten a reputation for having a limited talent pool for offensive skill players.

So the LA Rams, like many teams, have shopped heavily now, and plan to use the 2021 rookie crop to feed their needs in 2022. That has translated into the Rams picking up wide receiver Tutu Atwell, WR/TE Jacob Harris, and WR/TE Ben Skowronek.

Tutu Atwell can project as a backup for DeSean Jackson. Jacob Harris can project as a backup for Tyler Higbee. So what does that leave for former Notre Dame WR/TE Ben Skowronek?

The closest thing to a backup role for Skowronek is the role expected to be filled by tight end Johnny Mundt, although Skowronek is being handled like a wide receiver from early indications from Organized Team Activities (OTAs).

The young man is a big physical receiver who blocks incredibly well, even if viewed as a tight end. And he has powerful hands, a fundamental characteristic of receivers who have played well when thrown the ball by quarterback Matthew Stafford in the past.

Now, the only question is, how can the Rams carry the extra roster receiver to ensure Skowronek is not poached? Is there a way? Well, there actually is.  Both WR Trishton Jackson and WR/KR Nsimba Webster held roster spots, and either or both may be at risk of losing them to a rookie this year.  Will Ben Skowronek be a difference-maker for the LA Rams 2021 season? Perhaps not. But the first step to doing so requires him to make the roster.

He’s working on that accomplishment as you read this.