Coach Giff Smith: Can these 8 rookie prospects fit his defensive line?

When it comes to the 2024 NFL Draft, we have all done our fair share of mock drafts, and even looked at historic trends to see what type of players could fit on the LA Rams roster. After all, that's what it is all about, right? But at some point, the team will pivot from what was to what is, and that will compel us to rethink how the team might address the needs of the thinning ranks on the defensive line.

New DL Coach Giff Smith has a tough row to hoe this year. Not only must he find some way to compensate for the retirement of All-Pro DL Aaron Donald, but he must replace 1500 defensive snaps on a three-man defensive line. That works out to about 50 percent of the season's defensive snaps. So far, the team has not added any new faces to the roster.

Complicating the matter even more than before, he must take over for the NFL's best defensive line coach, Eric Henderson. Coach Henny was more than a coach, he was a motivator, life coach, leader, and gate keeper to a host of young talented defensive linemen who found their NFL careers by adhering to his insightful mantra: #DAWGWORK. Those letters signify Discipline, Attitude, Work-Ethic, and Grit. It's no coincidence that undrafted and Day 3 prospects like DE Morgan Fox, NT Greg Gaines, DT Sebastian Joseph-Day, and DE Jonah Williams have all earned the right to start in the NFL.

So that leaves us with this question: What type of DL prospect flourishes for Coach Giff Smith?

We featured Coach Giff Smith in an article when he was first hired. But some time has passed since that article was published. Now, we have to try to mix and match the DL prospects who have the best chance of fitting his style of coaching. So, who might that be?

That's a fair question, and one that will only be truly answered over time. But we can follow the clues from his past coaching roles to lay out a framework for his style. Once we have that image beginning to form, we can then us that information to guess at the type of prospect or player who will fit his group. Ready? Let's dive right in . . .