5 sensational selections that the Rams made in 2024 NFL Draft

The LA Rams may have earned a berth in the 2024 NFL Playoffs with a fantastic 7-1 run to close out the 2023 NFL season, but getting there and winning there are two different things. Rams Head Coach Sean McVay knows that, as does GM Les Snead. So the theme of the 2024 offseason was more than changing tires and refilling the gas tank of the roster. The front office set an objective that went beyond finding ways to create defensive opportunities in life after All-Pro DT Aaron Donald.

Did they succeed? We must now wait and see.

But even as we cannot 'know' how well the team will turn out, we can sit back, ponder, and be pleased with the effort of the Rams personnel department and front office with their work to restock this roster. After all, despite the shortcomings of instant grades for free agency signings and draft selections, much of the immediate reaction is less about what that prospect will do in the NFL and more about how well the front office did in addressing perceived shortfalls in the roster before the draft or free agency.

Think of it this way. Everyone is happy on the day that they sign for the purchase of a house. You don't know the neighborhood yet. You don't have personal experience with the public transportation system just yet. You haven't had reasons to deal with the police department, fire department, or school system either. But you are still thrilled to have a new home because, well, it's new.

That's just one of the reasons why NFL fans have every right to judge the quality of their team's draft. It's their first impression. And as training camp unfolds, and the season progresses, those same fans will learn more about the team and the player to confirm or disprove the conclusions from those first impressions.

That will take time. For now, let's step back and add some logic to those first impressions. If you are like me, the more you've learned about the team's draft, the more there is to love about it. Let's dive right into this Rams draft class and cite five solid reasons why Rams fans should feel very good about this draft class.

V: Generational talent at kicker

When the Executive Director of the Reese Senior Bowl speaks, it's always a great idea to listen. That's why we featured Jim Nagy's quick analysis of six rookies selected by the Rams who competed in the 2024 Senior Bowl. Still there was one draft analysis from that six-pack of scouting expertise that bears repeating and discussion. That is the paragraph that discusses Stanford placekicker Joshua Karty:

Nagy had this to say about the Rams new kicker:

"(Joshua Karty is a) Big-legged kicker that many specialist gurus we consult with thought was one of best PK prospects in past 5-10 years. Thought he might go 4th/5th round. Has leg talent (and) mental wiring to be long-term answer."

Jim Nagy

Now keep in mind that the LA Rams drafted him in Round 6 of the 2024 NFL Draft with the 209th overall pick. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected him to be selected in Rounds 4 or 5 as well. The draft profiles for Karty are about as good as they get in terms of Karty's perceived NFL upside. It bears mentioning that the San Francisco 49ers invested a Top 100 pick (99th overall in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft) to select their kicker of the future, Jake Moody. And taking the time to compare Moody's draft profile to Karty's draft profile leads you to suspect that the Rams drafted the better kicker.

Of course, potential, upside, projections, and the like are all fictional assessments that create a narrative of what might be. But the same authors of the projections for both players seem tol believe that Karty is the stronger of the two. And if you compare the draft pick invested into each player, the Rams football team has already come out ahead of the NFC West Division rival.

IV: Packing RB room with a 1-2 punch

The LA Rams were virtually unstoppable whenever the team line up running back Kyren Williams in the offensive backfield. In just 12 gams, Williams put up 1,144 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 62 first downs when running with the football in 2023. He also added 206 receiving yards, three touchdowns, and nine first downs as receiver out of the backfield. That's 15 touchdowns in 12 games. Pretty impressive, eh?

The entire Rams offense scored 44 touchdowns over 17 games. That means that while Kyren Williams scored 1.25 touchdowns per game, the rest of the Rams offense scored just 1.7 toucdowns per game. Let's say that one more time. The Rams non-Williams scoring was just 1.7 touchdowns per game. it's no wonder that when Williams was unable to play, this offense was far less effective and the team was far less successful.

When Michigan Wolverines RB Blake Corum played, he rushed for 1,245 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also added 117 yards and one touchdown as a receiver out of the backfield. The Michigan Wolverines offense scored 64 touchdowns in 15 games in 2023. 28 of those TDs were delivered by Blake Corum. That means that Corum averaged 1.9 touchdowns per game, while the entirety of the Wolverines' offense without Corum averaged 2.4 touchdowns per game.

See the similarities?

Even if Corum turn out to be a running back whose role is to start whenever Williams falls to injury, the Rams have upgraded their rushing attack tremendously. But the post-draft consensus among analysts and fans is that Corum will share the load with Williams. That will allow the team to manage Williams usage in short weeks, and after minor injuries to prevent more serious complications.

The Rams offense has begun to lean more heavily upon the running game. With the combination of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum in the backfield, the team has a one-two punch that is both dependable and dangerous.

III: Addressing OL depth on Day 3

Perhaps one of the savviest strategies used by the LA Rams in the 2024 NFL Draft is the sneaky tactic of circling back around on Day 3 and bargain shopping for talented offensive linemen who remained on the draft board. While the Rams starters have been established after signing free agent left guard Jonah Jackson, we have far too many first hand experiences that showcase the success of any NFL season depends upon offensive line depth.

The Rams killed this draft by adding IOL Beaux Limmer and OT KT Leveston. Despite the fact that they were the last two rookies selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, both were projected to come off the board much earlier. Limmer, a guy who can line up at any of the three offensive line positions for the team, is as strong as an ox and possesses that 'lunatic fringe' resolve that makes him a dangerous and effective blocker.

KT Leveston was chopped from the same cord of wood, described as an offensive lineman with a 'maul and brawl' mentality. He is another guy who could be the title belt holder of a championship wrestling pay-per-view. Best of all, he was selected to this roster too.

While I would not claim that either player is going to earn a starting job, the team did not add them with that intention. As of now, both are on four-year rookie contracts even as the team has their interior offensive linemen signed to three-year deals. In a worst-case scenario, both Limmer and Leveston are both backups and insurance for the 2027 NFL season.

II: Double dipping at DL and OLB

The strategy for the LA Rams to reinforce the defense was not lost on draft analysts. Time and time again, I have read that the front office tactic to refit the defense after Aaron Donald's retirement is to toss rookies at the problem and see which one sticks. That is, of the four rookies added to the team's defensive front in the 2024 NFL Draft, which of the group with have Byron Young or Kobie Turner-like rookie seasons?

For the Rams front office, the hope is that they all do.

But the belief is that somewhere amidst the performances of OLBs Jared Verse and Brennan Jackson, and DL Braden Fiske and Tyler Davis, the Rams can compensate for the loss of Donald for 2024. That's a solid strategy, especially when you factor in the return of rookie OLB Byron Young (8.0 sacks) and NT Kobie Turner (9.0 sacks).

Like any NFL draft, even the most scientific approach with layers of analysis and numerous vetting phases cannot guarantee the success of a rookie in the NFL. All that can be hoped for is to use a defendable and objective selection process that allows corrective actions to improve the methods going forward. One a player is drafted, the coaching staff must be focused, well-versed, and communicative.

The Rams seemed to have a great deal of success in 2023 at developing young talent, particularly on defense. Hopefully, that same process can yield similar results in 2024. After all, we know that this defense has as many as seven or eight starting positions up for grabs. As of now, I believe that the only sure-fire starters on the defensive side of the football who are returning from 2023 are ILB Ernest Jones, OLB Byron Young, and NT Kobie Turner (albeit he is likely to slide into the 3-tech role vacated by Aaron Donald's retirement).

Even as the team signed veterans to fill starting roles in the secondary, competition will be heated for rotational roles this year.

I: Seminoles surplus

The Florida State Seminoles finished their 2023 NCAA football season with a perfect record of 13-0. But they did so despite losing starting quarterback Jordan Travis to injury for the final three games of their season. In the three games without Travis under center, the FSU defense allowed an average of 11.3 points per game. Perhaps the toughest victory came as the Seminoles traveled to take on the Florida Gators, winning by a score of 24-15. Here are OLB Jared Verse and DT Braden Fiske in the post-game press conference:

The Seminoles defense, led by Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, was the nation's sixth-ranked college defense in terms of points allowed. But when it comes to quarterback sacks, Florida State jumps up into third-place, getting 45 quarterback sacks in 2023. Verse and Fiske accounted for 15 of those sacks, or 33.3 percent of them.

The LA Rams are getting better and better at selecting young talent. Now, the team is not only drafting players, but are grafting pre-established chemistry as well. Will it help fast-track the development of the team's top-two drafted rookies? How can it hurt? OLB Byron Young and NT Kobie Turner bonded instantly during the Rams 2023 training camp, and that chemistry triggered a friendly competition that resulted in the rookie duo combining for 17.0 quarterback sacks. That is a staggering number for two rookies

With any luck, a lot of care, and a bit of prodding, the team hopes to manufacture similar results in 2024 with the combination of OLB Jared Verse and DL Braden Fiske as well. If the team can deliver similar results, the defensive pass rush will be formidable once more. And with the combination of such young players, the team will have a shot of dominating for the next three or four years.

Thanks for reading.