7 players who the LA Rams could deal for 2022 NFL Draft picks

Offensive weapons that could draw interest

The LA Rams seemed to cross the finish line to the 2021 NFL season having exhausted their offensive arsenal. In their Super Bowl LVI victory, RB Darrell Henderson rushed four times for seven yards and caught three passes for 43 yards. That is the flexibility that a player like Darrell Henderson can add to an NFL offense. But here is where we need to be completely honest.

What do the Rams truly envision for their running backs? If they intend to plod through season after season simply suiting up whoever is healthy enough to play that week, then fine enough. But if the team wants a dependable running game that delivers week in and week out, then some changes need to be made going forward.

One of those changes is getting more dependable play out of the team’s running backs. In 49 games, Henderson suited up for just 40. But the problem is that he did not suit up for five of 17 games in 2021. Yes, Cam Akers has not been a pillar of health either. But Henderson has been with the team for three seasons, and his availability is trending downwards.

For the right team, at the right price

Henderson offers a very dangerous weapon in the right offense. He can run and catch and even pick up a blitzing linebacker in pass protection. But he has a limit as to how many plays he can be involved in, and the LA Rams have little self-control to ensure he does not overextend himself. The LA Rams running game will need a lot of work to improve in 2022.

That work will require improving their run blocking, swapping in healthier running backs, and perhaps even rethinking how the team plans to advance the football on the ground going forward.  Henderson was drafted with the 70th pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.

If the Rams could get either a third or fourth-round pick for Henderson in the 2022 NFL Draft, I think they need to take that offer. I like Darrell Henderson Jr.’s potential. I think he has plenty to offer the right offense. But Henderson’s vulnerabilities are amplified on the Rams roster because his teammates have similar weaknesses.