LA Rams shore up secondary with picks 211 and 212

The LA Rams must have known that there were concerns about their secondary depth. Well, that has been addressed twice over with a salvo of picks (and a trade) that have brought desperately needed depth to the ranks of defensive backs.

With the 211th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams selected strong safety Quentin Lake from UCLA. He is the son of former NFL safety Carnell Lake, so this is a solid legacy pick.   Quentin Lake stands 6-foot-1, weighs 210 lbs, and possesses an extremely high football IQ. Best of all, he demonstrates great leadership skills.

He can play as either a split safety or as a down safety and has a tremendous vision when it comes to seeing the field. Although not necessarily someone who is going to boss the line of scrimmage, he is more than capable of squeezing the runner by getting wide in the hole. When running the alley, he needs to ensure he gets his angles right, but this is something that can be improved with effective coaching.

Lake bolsters an already effective secondary, joining the likes of Jordan Fuller, Terrell Burgess, Taylor Rapp, Nick Scott, and Juju Hughes. He brings an NFL bloodline with him and is sure to be a great addition to the Rams.

Pick 212

With the 212th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the LA Rams selected CB Derion Kendrick, from the University of Georgia. The Georgia Bulldogs, having won the NCAA Championship, have followed that up by dominating the 2022 NFL Draft

Kendrick has four years of collegiate playoff experience under his belt already and, as a transfer student who had played at both Clemson and Georgia, has played for two teams that have gone on to win National Titles. That is some great pedigree to bring to the Rams.

Although not the fastest or the strongest when it comes to playing on the outside, his quickness and excellent route recognition should allow him to be brought inside as a nickel. He is a good size at 6-foot-0 and 190-pounds, with a solid length that will work to his advantage in the Rams’ secondary.

Given that the Rams were a bit shallow at defensive back, with the loss of Darious Williams, Donte Deayon, and Kareem Orr, he represents another addition to help reinforce one of the most critical units on this team.  It was obvious that the Rams front office clearly intended to address the secondary in this draft.

Issues over his character and maturity still linger, though he is in the right building to have those ironed out. Though not likely to be a starter, he does provide adequate cover for a position the Rams needed to address. Rotational help is always welcome.

The LA Rams have traded out of pick 218, so we are now down to Round 7. The LA Rams have six picks on the books. Three more to go.