6 surprise omissions from LA Rams first depth chart

How is everyone feeling today? Better I suppose than some of the players we may be discussing in this article, I suppose. After all, the LA Rams have published their first unofficial depth chart, and I daresay there were quite a few surprises afoot. More than I expected, which surprised me. In areas where I expected the Rams to emphasize rookies? Nope. Went with veterans. For areas I expected the team to emphasize experience or suitable skillset? Nope, Rolling the dice.

It’s a topsy turvy wave of what-were-thinking that comes from two different directions. Of course, the first struggle lands in the area where we were thinking (or if you prefer, led to believe) that the team was leaning in a much different direction.  Okay. That happens each year with the first depth chart. Last year, Joseph Noteboom got the nod at offensive guard over David Edwards. Those sorts of disconnects are fine and understandable. It’s just our opinions. It’s the coaches’ jobs on the line.

But then we have to go back to the NFL Draft. We must look at the fact that the wide receiver room lost one player, but had the benefit of picking up veteran DeSean Jackson as well as adding J.J. Koski from the 2020 practice squad. Oh, and then there was the return of never-used wide receiver Trishton Jackson as well. If this depth chart is to be believed, none of the LA Rams 2021 drafted rookies are in play for a significant role whatsoever.

So that calls into question the wisdom of drafting wide receivers from such a lofty position in the 2021 NFL Draft in the first place? If the Rams’ highest selected player, rookie Tutu Atwell, is behind undrafted receiver J.J. Koski,  then the Rams may have wasted a valuable pick on a player who may be poached by another team as the Rams reduce their roster to 53. Or worse, the team will need to retain Atwell on a matter of principles, and perhaps lose claim to a player who is truly more of a fit for what the Rams plan to do?