4 reasons why LA Rams trading back in 2023 NFL Draft seems likely

Reason III: Mitigate inherent risks

The LA Rams can minimize those inherent risks associated with the NFL Draft process simply by multiplying the number of picks made in that draft.  Just ask anyone who routinely plays Bingo on a weekly basis, and they will tell you the secret: Play more Bingo cards if you want to win4. The NFL Draft is neither scientific nor exact. With more picks, the likelihood of landing a key contributor, or even a starter, increases.

A perfect example of that is the 2020 NFL Draft, a draft in which the LA Rams were hard-pressed to find a safety who could ultimately take over the starting role vacated by veteran John Johnson III the following year. To address the position, the LA Rams selected Utah’s hybrid CB/S Terrell Burgess with the 104th overall draft pick. But, just to be sure, the team addressed the safety position once more with the 199th overall pick, selecting Ohio State safety Jordan Fuller.|

The tale of 2020, Terrell Burgess and Jordan Fuller

Because the Rams’ second-year safety Taylor Rapp was injured in training camp, the defense held an open competition for the right to start opposite Johnson. Surprisingly, it was Fuller who won that competition and went on to start in the LA Rams secondary for DC Brandon Staley. Of course, Staley would jump ship the following season, leaving Fuller to try to lead the Rams’ defense in 2021.

Even such can’t-miss prospects who have excelled on one NFL team may not have the same success on a different team. Players are not commodities like sugar, salt, flour, or water. They may have a finite skillset, but how that rookie meshes with his teammates, his coaches, how well he plays in drills and training camp, what the team’s needs are, and even whether or not that rookie is given the opportunity to play all play a factor in whether or not the rookie is ultimately viewed as a success in the NFL.

Before the start of the 2022 NFL season, few if any fans believed in the NFL possibilities for much-maligned wide receiver Tutu Atwell. But after witnessing what he is capable of now that the Rams’ offense actually afforded him the chance to play, those cold shoulders are warming up to the guy.