LA Rams January Mock Draft ‘smokes’ the secondary

With the 211th pick…

The Los Angeles Rams select safety Smoke Monday, from Auburn University. Even for the name alone, this young man is worth taking a flyer on in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, right? Well, there is more, lots more, that make him a very intriguing player for the LA Rams defense.

He stands a towering 6-foot-3 and weighs a stout 199-pounds. Throughout his college career, he has been used at practically all of the positions found in a defensive secondary. But ultimately, he settled in at the safety position. Production-wise, Monday has played in 44 games and made 171 tackles, 17 tackles-for-a-loss, 6 sacks, a total of five interceptions – three of which were pick-sixes, and eight deflected passes.

Monday’s size and college football experience give an NFL defensive coordinate a Baskin-Robbins menu of ways to use him in an NFL defense. He could remain a hybrid defensive back, giving the secondary an option to play him anywhere. He could fill the growing-in-popularity role of LB/S, which we dub the Super Saiyan role for the Rams defense. He could even come in as a pseudo linebacker if he adds a bit more muscle mass. His expertise in defending the pass would be vital in neutralizing some of the more proficient pass-catching tight ends in the NFL

Or the Rams could simply bring him in as a safety, a spot that seemed rather deep at the beginning of the season, but after injuries, losing players to other teams, and the way the Rams play defense, seems in need of some shoring up in this draft. Smoke Monday fits the bill, and what the LA Rams defense is looking for.