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

A WR whose shelf life has expired

There were reasons why the LA Rams used such a valuable pick, the 57th overall pick, on wide receiver Tutu Atwell in the 2021 NFL Draft. At the time, the LA Rams were eager to stockpile and stack their depth chart with deep threat receivers on offense, as well as add players who demonstrated the potential to return punts and kicks on special teams.

Since that time, the Rams seem to have abandoned the small and speedy type receiver in favor of taller, strong-handed receivers who can make contested catches. Their latest WR addition, 6-foot-6 219-pound wide receiver Warren Jackson, is the antithesis of Tutu Atwell.

At the same time, the Rams seem to have found the ideal special teams return specialist in Brandon Powell. With the projected roles of rookie Tutu Atwell vanished, the Rams organization seems to have eliminated those roles that the team had originally projected for Atwell when he was drafted.

Not a bust, just not a fit

That is not to say that Atwell is a bust. Rather, the Rams experimented and learned valuable lessons. What the coaches learned is that the offense needs bigger, more physical receivers to make everything work. As tight ends fell to injury, the offensive schemes were redesigned to provide additional blocking support from wide receivers. That expanded role does not, and will not, fit the type of player that Tutu Atwell will be in the NFL.

There is little sense to keep a player whose role is obsolete. With Powell expected to fill the team’s WR/PR/KR role, Atwell may do better to be traded to a new team to start over. In return, the LA Rams get something for a player who may not even make the 53-man roster this season.