5 ways for LA Rams Fans to make Day 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft enjoyable

The 2022 NFL Draft is just over 24 hours away. Sadly, fans of the LA Rams will have a bit of collegiate experience in the draft this year. Because the LA Rams have eight picks but are the last of 32 teams to arrive at the podium, the Rams will feel as though they are procrastinating for 36 hours, but will finally cram for the exam on the last day.

For LA Rams fans, that’s a lot of free time to wait on the sidelines while 31 other teams have new faces and new prospects to talk about. Maybe it’s me, but I’ve never been much of a fan of sitting quietly to watch someone else open gifts and presents. Whether it was a birthday party or a wedding reception, I simply didn’t find much interest in doing so.  But what other choices do you have?

Option V – Predict the Pick

Perhaps one of the simplest and easiest ways to stay engaged in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft is to find some way to have a vested interest. A sure-fire way to do that is to participate in the NFL.com Predict the Pick challenge. It’s easy to do, and it’s free (the best price). All you need to do (if you have not done so yet) is to create an account with NFL.com. Once you have done so, simply go to the Predict the Pick link shown above and attempt to predict the first 32 players taken in the draft in order.

It’s not as easy as it sounds. Because you cannot change your picks with any trades, you’re handicapped as to how the draft board will unfold. There is always a player or two who tumbles, as well as the Cinderella selection that nobody saw coming. But challenging family and friends is a lot of fun on Day 1.

Option IV – Track NFC West player selections

While the NFC West Division will not be wholly represented in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, there will be some picks in Round 1. The Seattle Seahawks curiously now will be making a selection with the ninth pick of this draft while the Arizona Cardinals will be selecting with the 23rd pick of this draft. Who will they choose?

Per the NFL.com draft tracker, the Seattle Seahawks need a QB, offensive linemen, and defensive backs. The Arizona Cardinals need linebackers, wide receivers, and defensive backs. Who will they choose?  That’s what makes it all so interesting…

Option III – Tally position selections

What positions do you believe the LA Rams to be most in need of? While you won’t hear from the Rams until late in Round 3, and only then if they do not trade back from the 104th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, there are ways to spend the time leading up the Rams selection in a productive manner.

The NFL draft is not a homogenous process of selecting players from all positions. In fact, the draft tends to be rather sporadic at times. If an offensive tackle is chosen earlier than expected, other teams will follow suit to ensure that they have a viable offensive tackle on their roster. That pattern is repeated throughout the early rounds until teams have met their roster needs. So tracking which positions are coming off the board early will give you a sense of how many quality prospects will remain on the draft board by the time the LA Rams make their first selection.

Option II – Track when QBs are selected

In the past five NFL Drafts, the LA Rams have not shopped for a quarterback. While some teams do, the selection of a quarterback from the draft board has had the feeling of the free space on Bingo cards. A sort of ‘joker’s wild’ to any team selecting later in the draft because move coveted positions slide down one spot on the draft board.

There is little to no buzz this year over quarterbacks, and some believe that no quarterback will be chosen in the first round. Other draft analysts expect several QBs to hear their name called in Round 1.  The more QBs chosen early, the more quality prospects slide towards the Rams.

Option I – Hang out with friends at a favorite sports bar/restaurant

With the restrictions of COVID-19 relaxed almost everywhere in the country, now is as good of a time as any to break the quarantine confinement mindset and go hang out at your favorite sports bar or restaurant with friends. Whether that means something simple like wings and brewskis or something a bit posher, it truly is time to reunite and reconnect with friends at a sports bar and learn how to talk football live, face to face.

Hot slabs of pizza, one tab on the smartphone set up to track the picks and another tab set up to analyze who just got selected, cold beer to wash down the food, and the murmurs of people having fun with excitement once more.

It’s time to indulge in enjoyment once more. It’s time to forego putting your head down and just plodding along. Make time to invest in yourself and your friendships. After all, your LA Rams have bragging rights this year. Might as well get out there and enjoy yourself.