Closing notes and reflections of LA Rams’ 2022 NFL Draft

Secondary not over the Hill just yet

The LA Rams traded for Cleveland Browns’ cornerback Troy Hill, exchanging a 2023 fifth-round draft pick for the still young starting cornerback. In a follow-up press conference, Mcvay commented when asked about the returning Troy Hill that distance makes the heart grow fonder. While I’m sure many fans feel the same and will be glad to welcome him back, there are actually several good reasons to cheer at Hill’s return.

The LA Rams have multiple rotational defensive backs, but not one that can be counted out reliably to start in 2022. Well, until now. Troy Hill’s expertise is zone pass defense, something that DC Raheem Morris loves to use. With Hill back on the roster on a one-year deal, the Rams get a proven starting who excels in their system and who can bridge the role until a younger player steps up.

You just gotta stand up and applaud Les Snead’s moves sometimes.

Defense rising by adding Yeast?

People cannot seem to stop punning over Russ Yeast’s name, the safety taken out of Kansas State University with the 253rd overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft. Already in just these few hours since the draft concluded I have lost count of how many times I’ve read a piece from a (clearly sniggering) reporter that has had some variation of the word ‘rise’ included in it. It is not big, and it is not clever. Please make it stop.

The LA Rams learned valuable lessons about their secondary in the NFL Playoffs. Namely, the defense was not getting the same amount of ‘juice’ out of the defensive backs as the other units on that defense. Complicating matters is the fact that the LA Rams knew that they were slated to lose two starters due to expiring contracts. Much like Jordan Fuller, Yeast is a defensive back who gets poor grades due to linear speed, but he is a savvy ball-hawking defensive back who has a solid awareness of what is happening around him.