2022 NFL Combine: 4 prospects to help LA Rams depth issues

As the confetti rains down and the clock strikes zero, the LA Rams realize they are now the NFL’s defending Super Bowl LVI champs. When you finally make it to the top of the NFL’s greatest stage, you never want to come down. After winning the Super Bowl, when does the celebration end? When does the 2022 season actually start? Only three weeks after the Super Bowl, the coaches, GMs, and scouts have to be prepared for the NFL combine. During the NFL combine, collegiate athletes are put through vigorous drills showing off their speed and skills.

Going into the combine, NFL teams need to analyze different players who they believe would be a good fit for their team. The million-dollar question that every head coach needs to answer is which player will be a good fit for my team going forward? For the LA Rams, OL and DL are must needs if repeating is an option in 2022.

NFL Combine: Players to watch for the LA Rams

If the Rams are looking to repeat in 2022, they must improve an aging offensive line. This year’s draft contains a lot of talented and solid offensive linemen who should last all the way to the later rounds. Since the Rams traded their first-round pick this year to the Detroit Lions for veteran QB  Matthew Stafford, they won’t be participating in any Day 1 selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.

And the Rams traded their second-round and third-round draft picks to the Denver Broncos for veteran outside linebacker Von Miller. That means that the Rams will not pick among the first 100 rookies selected, and won’t pick in the draft until late in the third round with the 104th pick of the draft. The following collegiate players are a must-watch for their third-round pick.

• OG – Marquis Hayes (Oklahoma 6-foot-5 318-pounds)

What kind of player is IOL prospect Marquis Hayes? Last year, Marquis started all 13 games at left guard for the Oklahoma Sooners.  Also, Marquis was selected second-team All-Big 12. He may not rate very high for his athleticism but makes up for it with his physicality.

At times, the Rams lack that power rushing attack and with Marquis’s power and strength, you can bring a whole other dynamic to an already explosive offense. As a pass blocker, his strength in the interior does an excellent job with power rushers. With a stronger interior, it allows Matthew Stafford to step up in the pocket when needed.

• OG – Cole Strange (UT-Chattanooga 6-foot-4 304-pounds) 

What kind of player is Cole Strange? Cole is a stellar athlete with quick feet. He can protect the pocket from interior speed rushers. His lateral quickness and skills make him an excellent zone blocker, which is perfect for the Rams run offense. Also, like Marquis Hayes, Cole brings a lot of physicality to the table.

He is an extremely relentless player who reminds me a lot of Indianapolis Colts offensive guard Quenton Nelson. Cole’s downfall is his technique. His footwork and hand placement need some work, but with some solid coaching at the NFL, could be fixed. Cole is raising eyes on the draft board and his draft stock is slowly rising. If he is around at that 104th draft pick, he makes a lot of sense. I would hope that the LA Rams would get him. Last year, Cole started 11 games for UT Chattanooga and was selected First-team All-Southern Conference.

NFL Combine: Who is Donald’s replacement if he retires?

Before the Super Bowl, LA Rams All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald came out and said he was considering retiring if the Rams won Super Bowl LVI.  Of course, that may have been a knee-jerk reaction on his part after learning that his head coach was offered a cushy television broadcast booth role for the 2022 NFL season.

Since then, I haven’t heard an official report stating which way he is leaning, but he did reiterate that as long as Sean McVay remains the head coach of the team, he wants to play for the Rams. If Donald does retire, who is his replacement? In the later rounds of the 2022 NFL draft, look for the Rams to go after young interior defensive lineman. The following collegiate prospects are key players to watch out for the Rams later round picks.

• DT- Neil Farrell  (LSU 6-foot-4 338-pounds) 

In 2021, the Rams fielded the 16th-ranked defense for yards allowed. Also, the run defense was the sixth-ranked NFL defense in terms of rushing yards allowed. That sets the bar for the 2022 defense pretty high. To sustain a run defense at that level, the front office must pay close attention to the defensive line. If Donald stays or retires, you still need young interior defensive linemen on the depth chart for future development.

What kind of player is Neil Farrell Jr.? Farrell is a strong tough interior DT. He has excellent eye discipline and can control the line of scrimmage. Farrell started 1.5 years for LSU and has a lot of game-time experience. Farrell isn’t the quickest DT in the draft and at times can have bad technique. If the Rams can improve his explosiveness off the ball, Farrell would be worth a later-round pick.

• DT- Otito Ogbonnia (UCLA 6-foot-3.5 326-pounds)

Ogbonnia, unlike Farrell, is an extremely explosive interior defensive lineman. Ogbonnia’s quickness off the ball allows him to shed blockers as well as split double teams easily. He does an excellent job of avoiding contact, which can be an issue against different running schemes. For example, the San Francisco 49ers run a power-run blocking scheme offense and love to trap interior defensive linemen.

That makes Ogbonnia particularly susceptible to that blocking strategy. His first instinct is to run up the field, resulting in leaving gaping holes and wide cutback rushing lanes in the Rams run defense. If Ogbonnia can work on his pad level and tendencies off the ball, he can turn into a solid speed rusher. Ogbonnia has raw talent and with some solid coaching, he could have the potential to be a solid player in the future.

NFL Combine: March 01-07

What other positions do the LA Rams need to address in order to run it back in 2022? Well, that’s the question that the entire LA Rams scouting and personnel departments are working to solve right now.

If the Rams want to make a run at the Super Bowl next year, they need to make sure they protect veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. In the 2022 draft, drafting talented offensive linemen is essential for ensuring that Stafford remains upright and healthy.

Also, the Rams may need additional defensive linemen if Donald decides to call it quits in 2022. Keep your eyes on some young defensive linemen in the Combine and through the period leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft. Tune in to the NFL Network throughout the NFL Scouting Combine events taking place between now and March to watch how prospects are performing and try to pick out which collegiate athlete stands out as a potential target for the Rams in the draft.