7 worst case nightmares that could befall Rams in 2024 NFL Draft

IV: Draft another small speedy receiver or running back

Speaking of WR Tutu Atwell, the roster feels saturated with smallish players right now. On offense, the team boasts feature RB Kyren Williams (5-foot-9, 194 pounds), backup RB Ronnie Rivers (5-foot-9 195 pounds), and speedy WR Tutu Atwell (5-foot-9 165 pounds). On defense, the team just brought back veteran DB Darious Williams (5-foot-9 187 pounds) and has DB Tre' Tomlinson (5-foot-9, 180 pounds). On the Rams' official roster site, they even have Tre'Various White listed as 5-foot-9 and 192 pounds (he is listed as 5-foot-11 elsewhere).

While I will not engage in any arguments over the size of a player equating to how effective that player may perform, I do believe that the team needs taller and more powerful players to ensure that this team can be counted on to block and move the pile on offense, while ensuring shedding blockers, stuffing the run, and holding the line of scrimmage on short yardage stances.

The thing is, bigger NFL players tend to be stronger and more durable than smaller NFL players. While I have never been shy about encouraging the front office to use every avenue possible to 'get bigger,' this year feels like a litmus test in that direction. Has the team gotten the message? They have certainly gotten bigger and snarlier on the offensive line. There have been rumors that the team wants to go big at wide receiver, and there are plenty of rookie prospects to fit that purchase order.

I think that going small too soon in the 2024 NFL Draft could be a huge mistake.

III: Fail to help defensive front

The front office has done a remarkable job in the offseason, and that point needs to be made right up front. As the team invested millions to shore up the offensive line, and then the secondary, the overall talent level of the team rose. But there are opportunity costs to those investments, and one such opportunity cost is the inability to carpet bomb the needs of the defense's front-7 via the 2024 NFL Free Agency market.

Yes the team made minor investments to extend OLB/DL Michael Hoecht and DT Larrell Murchison, but the team has to compensate for losing 1500 defensive snaps from starting defensive linemen in 2023, and that work has not started yet. It is up to the rookies selected in the 2024 NFL Draft to help place bodies on the roster who can contribute in a starting or rotational role to that goal, and this is a draft that seems to be less robust with the quality of defensive linemen who can naturally fulfill those needs.

Even if the team throws multiple picks at the defensive front late in this draft, there are no guarantees that any rookies who are viewed as 'raw,' will have the accelerated learning curve to make a huge impact in 2024 that the team needs. Just for comparison's sake, the Rams rookie draft class must identify and select two defensive players who can play nearly as often as NT Kobie Turner (697 defensive snaps) and OLB Byron Young (969 defensive snaps). That's a pretty optimistic goal for this team.

But that is where this team finds itself on the eve of the 2024 NFL Draft. I wish them the best of luck.