LA Rams: 2022 pre-combine Mock Draft

With the 210th pick

of the 2022 NFL Draft, the LA Rams select Christopher Allen, Edge rusher, from the University of Alabama.

The LA Rams add a significant piece to their defense with the selection of Christopher Allen this late in the draft. Allen is a player with second-round upside but has had his career marred by injuries.

In Allen’s only complete season as a starter at Alabama, he led the SEC in tackles for loss. Being the TFL leader in any conference is impressive, but leading the SEC “just means more” to a player’s potential.

The potential of adding an elite pass rusher may tempt teams to take him earlier, but the injury history could scare teams into letting him slide even further in the draft. Even Allen’s 6’4, 242lb frame may not be enough to sell some teams.

Two lower-body injuries, a knee in 2018 and a foot in 2021, cost him almost two years of his collegiate career. The best ability for a player to have is availability, which is a question mark with Allen.

Combine those health question marks with the development he lost out on due to missing all of that playing time, and the risk becomes evident. Any team that drafts him must have the staff to manage his health and development.

The LA Rams have the staff necessary to try and salvage Allen’s career as a pro. More importantly, the opportunity to develop as a pass rusher while learning from Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd, and maybe even a returning Von Miller could be massive for Allen.

Those are no guarantees in the NFL Draft, but some risks are worth taking. Tutu Atwell was a second-round pick last year, and the team still won a Super Bowl with him on injured reserve.

If any team can afford to take a flyer on a player, it is the defending Super Bowl champions. In fact, they may be able to take a few flyers in the 2022 NFL draft.