Los Angeles Rams pulled off a draft steal that has an ESPN expert buzzing

Why are the Los Angeles Rams so successful when they have used just one Round 1 pick in the past nine drafts? Well, to be honest, the Rams are not limited by the location of their draft selections. That is, this team has a knack for finding true NFL elite players in any round of the NFL Draft. The ability to pan for gold in the draft silt is what has kept this team buoyed at the surface of the NFL, and has led to two Super Bowl appearances in the past nine years.

It's not a matter of selecting the most athletic rookie prospects. Nor is it a matter of selecting the most productive rookie prospects. To find truly elite talent in the annual NFL draft, the Rams front office vets hundreds of potential fits and targets the most logical and realistic fits for what the team wants to do. In essence, it's not a matter of finding the best player, but a matter of finding the best player for the Rams' projected roles.

How has that worked out? Well, let's look at the Rams' success at fitting drafted rookies into their roster after winning Super Bowl LVI.

• 2022 - Round 4 | South Carolina State DB Cobie Durant
• 2022 - Round 5 | Notre Dame RB Kyren Williams
• 2022 - Round 5 | UCLA DB Quentin Lake
• 2023 - Round 2 | TCU IOL Steve Avila
• 2023 - Round 3 | Tennessee OLB Byron Young
• 2023 - Round 3 | Wake Forest DT Kobie Turner
• 2023 - Round 5 | BYU WR Puka Nacua
• 2023 - Round 7 | Wingate P Ethan Evans
• 2024 - Round 2 | Florida State DT Braden Fiske
• 2024 - Round 3 | Miami DB Kamren Kinchens
• 2024 - Round 6 | Stanford K Joshua Karty
• 2024 - Round 6 | Arkansas IOL Beaux Limmer

*Bold print denotes starters

Since 2022, the Rams have averaged four starters out of Days 2 and 3 in the past three drafts. And that excludes rotational players, undrafted players, and free agent additions. With the ability to land that many starters in each draft class, the front office can leverage inexpensive rookie contracts to lure even more talent to this roster.

Keep in mind that none of the above-listed players were selected in Round 1. That's a phenomenal streak of success

NFL expert believes the Rams have pulled off another draft steal

The Los Angeles Rams have just completed their 2025 NFL Draft, and now comes the lull of the NFL season. This is the time that fans can finally take a deep breath and take the opportunity to learn about the new additions to the roster. And that includes the drafted diamonds-in-the-rough. It's not a stretch of the imagination to project Day 3 selections as becoming significant contributors. But I have to say that we have seldom seen such a strong endorsement of a Rams draft selection as the warm reception that Pittsburgh Panthers rookie wide receiver Konata Mumpfield has received from ESPN's NFL draft analyst Louis Riddick.

But we are here for all of it.

As we peer into why Riddick loves Konata Mumpfield on the Rams roster, Louis Riddick doubles down on his strong endorsement, naming Mumpfield ast the top Rams rookie draft selection of the 2025 NFL Draft. You can check out all 32 teams in his social media post below.

So, what makes Konata Mumpfield so worthy of high praise? He is not the most athletic wide receiver available in the 2025 NFL Draft. He is not the biggest, most physical, or fastest wide receiver. He was not even the most productive wide receiver up for grabs.

So what is he?

He is a versatile rookie wide receiver whose skillsets fill some areas that are not readily available from other receivers on the Rams roster. Standing 5-foot-11 and tipping the scales at 186 pounds, he is not the biggest wide receiver, but he is quick. And he leverages that unexpected quickness to toss an unending set of changing speeds and route gimmicks at defensive backs to keep them guessing.

Consider him the mini-me of veteran WR Davante Adams. That is a huge upside and a well-timed addition to the roster for 2025. So, why did he fall to Round 7?

As is often the case, it's difficult to discern the quality of the player from the quality of the group. In Konata Mumpfield's case, he was a solid offensive weapon on a bad offense. He led the Panthers offense in receiving yards by a significant margin, despite the team playing four different quarterbacks in 2024.

Mumpfield is a playmaker. He succeeds at deep routes because he knows how and when to extend his arms. He succeeds at intermediate routes because he changes his tempo and jukes to create separation. He succeeds at short routes because he breaks after the snap more quickly than expected. He is a gifted receiver who will be challenged to do more in the Rams' offense. And he will do exactly that.

The Rams offense already boasts physical receivers who will churn out yards after the catch in Puka Nacua and Jordan Whittington. The Rams roster boasts blazing speed receivers in Tutu Atwell and Xavier Smith. And the Rams added a new offensive wrinkle in veteran WR Davante Adams, who can create instant separation out of the gate.

In Konata Mumpfield, the Rams get a wide receiver who can do a little bit of everything. That can be incredibly effective in the right offense, and Louis Riddick believes the Rams have the perfect offense.

Let's hope that Louis Riddick, and the LA Rams, are right.

As always, thanks for reading.

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