LA Rams post Week 8 mock draft sets team up to win for years to come

2025 NFL Draft Day 2 - continued

The LA Rams love to fill in projected roster holes in the first two days of the NFL Draft. So far, the team has added a potential future franchise quarterback, as well as a lion at offensive tackle. But the team continues to need help elsewhere. So let's see where the team might consider adding reinforcements:

Round 3 Pick 75:

Despite the fact that the team is projected to lose just one tight end in the 2025 NFL FreeAgency market, the team has shown perennial interest in landing a quality tight end. To that end, Penn State rookie prospect TE Tyler Warren could be an ideal addition in Round 3. The LA Rams have long sought to add a premier tight end in the past two NFL Drafts, and third-time could certainly be a charm.

Warren is a pass-catching tight end, a big-bodied target who seems to get stronger as the game progresses. He is a receiver, standing 6-foot-6 and tipping the scales at 257 pounds. He is a bread-and-butter type of player, willing to do whatever is asked of him, usually hauling in passes. He loves to add on yards after the catch, has an instinctive knack for finding and sitting in soft spots of zone coverage, and his background as a QB gives him a high football IQ. Think a hybrid cross between Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee, and you end up with Tyler Warren.

Round 3 Pick 87:

The LA Rams still enjoy close ties with University of Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen. So it's no stretch of the imagination to expect Kentucky cornerback rookie prospect Maxwell Hairston to be selected by the team on Day 2. The front office attempted to restock the secondary by spending on veteran free agents in 2024, with limited success. So the team regroups and aims for a big-bodied defensive back who is a sure-tackler, is a ball-hawker, and whose football IQ allows him to diagnose plays instantly.

Hairton is more than a defender. He has already handled three pick-sixes in 2023 and 2024, and that number could grow. But as his abilities improved, so has his reputation. As such, opposing quarterbacks are far less likely to take their chances throwing his way. Hariston stands 6-foot-1 and tips the scales at 186 pounds.

Hairston needs some coaching to refine his techniques. And he will need to armor-up with more muscle to withstand the more physical play in the NFL. But he is a fine addition to this young secondary, and he instantly throws his hat into the competition for a significant role in 2025.

Round 3 Pick 100:

The LA Rams will need a blocker-gobbler on the defensive front to take over for NT Bobby Brown III, and Iowa State DT Tyler Onyedim makes a compelling case to be his ideal successor. A versatile defensive lineman, he has played as a 3-tech and a 5-tech but can slide in as a 1-tech for the Rams as well. Iowa State, much like Utah, has a football program with a remarkable reputation for developing NFL-caliber rookie prospects at the line of scrimmage, and Onyedim continues that tradition.

NFL Spin Zone's Lou Scataglia projects Onyedim as a Round 1 prospect. I fear that is overly optimistic, but Onyedim will be a fantastic value in Round 4. He brings the ability to stuff the run, gobble blockers, slide up and down the defensive line, and even add a bit of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. If you wanted a star like Kobie Turner or Braden Fiske in Round 3, Onyedim may not jump off the page at you instantly. But he loves the grind and is a disciplined and energetic defender. and brings the right skill set to a young defense that seems to be at the cusp of being among the best in the NFL next season. Onyedim could help them realize that potential.