5 highlight for LA Rams to follow Day 1 of NFL Combine

Reason V: NFL rookie safety prospects getting a lot of positive buzz

Whether your favorite safety prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft is Penn State's Ji'Ayir Brown (nicknamed TIG), Illinois safety Sydney Brown, or some other rookie, the perception is that the LA Rams will find one of this rookie class's top safety prospects on the board at 36.

Is that the position you want the Rams to target in Round 2? It's likely to be a long shot at this point, as the Rams have undervalued the safety position on their defense for some time. But this could be the year with a new perspective for the role. After all, the LA Rams have multiple contributors about to test their value in the 2023 NFL Free Agency market. Historically, the Rams have not been aggressive in re-signing their deep defensive backs.

That may not pose a problem in 2023. The draft profiles over this year's crop of safeties is nowhere near unanimous. For example, one draft profile describes Ji'Ayir Brown as a plus starter, while another grades him as a Round 4 prospect. And that lack of consensus is what could make the 2023 NFL Draft quite active in terms of teams trading back or up to select their coveted prospects.

That certainly will play into the LA Rams favor. The Rams need a wide assortment of positions, and many need more than depth or rotational players. In fact, there is an argument to be made for the Rams to seek a starting-caliber player for each positional group on the defensive side of the ball in this draft.

While some argue that the Rams should trade up in this draft, I suspect that the Rams know that his is a deep and robust class, and will be willing to trade back in the hope of multiplying their number of Round 3 or 4 picks. With more picks in Round 3 or 4, the Rams could emerge from Day 2 with multiple starters, including a solid cornerback and safety. In my estimation, that's a better strategy than trying to hit on one or two prospects in this draft, particularly in a class that has so little consensus.