There something about LA Rams PS addition Jared Hocker…

The consensus was as the LA Rams entered the 2021 NFL Draft was that the team needed plenty of help on the offensive line. And yet, even as the team traded back and multiplied draft picks to nine different player selections. the team did not call out the name of even one offensive lineman. Not one.

Meanwhile, with the imminent retirement of LA Rams great offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, and the need to either re-sign or lose five other offensive linemen in 2022, the roster is a projecting a bit thin, or expensive, in 2022. That’s a rather important factoid, as the team is contracted for quarterback Matthew Stafford through the 2022 season. Yes, he will need to be protected.

But one curious development is the fact that the LA Rams did add an offensive lineman, albeit later to the practice squad. While he is not a Day One selection from the 2021 NFL Draft, he could prove to be an important player for the LA Rams in the future. Here’s why:

Offensive guard Jared Hocker did not hear his name called out in the 2021 NFL Draft. Instead, he was added after the draft to the roster of the Seattle Seahawks, who shopped hard for anyone who might help their offensive line. When he was waived at roster cuts, it was less a reflection upon his level of play, and more about the number of talented linemen added by the Seahawks for the 2021 NFL Season. The Seahawks were overloaded at the offensive line.

The LA Rams were not.