LA Rams delight fans with their first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft

The wait is over. The first pick of the LA Rams is on the books, and there were simply far too many choices to walk away from Round 2 having pleased everyone. The LA Rams fans, as they often do, each had their passionate urgings for the Rams to call out the name of their favorite player at that spot.

As many choices at the 36th overall pick, not everyone will be pleased with the addition of an offensive guard. But the addition of this 6-foot-3 332-pound interior offensive lineman to the LA Rams offensive line is a huge step in the right direction, not only for the LA Rams 2024 NFL season but for the 2023 NFL season as well.

Let's be clear. The LA Rams addition of Steve Avila is a huge positive. As we inferred to in a previous article about the need

What were the instant reactions? The good news is that he was the first offensive guard chosen in the 2023 NFL Draft. So what? That means that of all of the entire draft class, the LA Rams landed their top choice for interior offensive line. The investment is overwhelmingly logical. For this Rams offense to have any chance of grinding it out with the running attack, or to give quarterback Matthew Stafford a fighting chance in the pocket, this team need fresh talent.

Folks, Steve Avila is good, as in projects to start for the LA Rams at either offensive guard or offensive center. Why is that important? As the LA Rams sort through their offensive linemen, Avila slots in as a starter at three of five positions. That allows the Rams to focus on finding the best pair of interior offensive linemen for the other two positions.

The truth is that the LA Rams may not have moved the needle instantly with this pick. For my part, I'm great with that. It is far better for the LA Rams to get a lot stronger at the line of scrimmage for the 2023 NFL season.

Thanks to the addition of Steve Avila, the Rams have not only gotten much stronger for 2023, but for the next four seasons.