LA Rams pre-2023 NFL Draft meeting tracker

Meeting IV: WR Tank Dell - Mar 5, 2023

The LA Rams continue to meet with NFL rookie prospects, and it should surprise nobody that the team has met with their second wide receiver, this time the rookie prospect is the University of Houston wide receiver Tank Dell, who is actually Nathaniel Dell. Standing 5-foot-8 and weighing 165 pounds the Rams are back in the market for an undersized NFL wide receiver. If you were not happy about the LA Rams' selection of Tutu Atwell with the 57th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, I strongly suggest that you stop reading now.

Tank Dell is a rookie prospect who falls well below the NFL threshold for size and durability, has a below average radius for catching the football, and struggles to catch the football and maintain possession through contact. The trick is, catching the guy.

He is incredibly productive, generating 29 touchdowns and 2700 receiving yards in his last two seasons of football. His football experience is the spread offense, which is the route tree equivalent of playground offenses "run to that tree, and turn out at the bike rack," complexity.

The LA Rams may view Dell as a play for special teams, as he has ample experience at both kick returns or punt returns. While he could be a remarkably productive NFL player, the comparison to WR/PR/KR Tutu Atwell will start the moment he is selected by the Rams, and the reception will be anything but warm from the Rams fanbase.

Meeting V: DL Elijah Green - Feb 13, 2023

The LA Rams are clearly shopping for defensive linemen in the 2023 NFL Draft, and what better place to look than Northwest Missouri State, right? Well, if you think that the LA Rams have some insider scoop on defensive lineman Elijah Green, you need to think again. The LA Rams were among 10 NFL teams who have met with NW Missouri State Elijah Green.

Green has not been heavily scouted, and he did not attend the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, but he is indeed a name to keep on your radar. Per his NW Missouri State bio, he stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 263 pounds. While that may not seem like an ideal size for an NFL defensive lineman, he warrants enough production to see what he can do as a pro.

This young man can get to the quarterback like nobody's business. In 2022, he record 22.0 quarterback sacks in 13 games, once nailing 4.5 sacks in one game, and 3.0 sacks in two other games. That's the type of production that will get you noticed in the NFL.

The challenge is finding the right role for a guy who stands 5-foot-11. Is that a spot on the defensive line? Or do you move him out to outside linebacker? That is what the LA Rams, and other NFL teams need to figure out.

For now, we'll label him a DE/OLB candidate, and project him as a UDFA. But he offers outstanding intrigue, particularly if he can contribute on special teams in coverage units.

Meeting VI: DB Cory Trice - March 9, 2023

If you want to land a versatile defensive back who looks the part of a hard-hitting NFL safety, but who can cover wide receivers on the outside, you need to look no further than Purdue's defensive back Cory Trice. Trice stands a towering 6-foot-3 and weighs a muscular 206 pounds, His draft profile depends on the scout/analyst, as he has been ranked anytime on Day 3 to be a priority free agent signing.

So why the disparity in his draft profile? After all, is it that difficult to GPS how NFL teams will value this young man's skill set? In a word, yes.

Trice is described as a monster in press man coverage, while in the same breath stating that he cannot play in certain coverages. So his value is focused on those defenses that suit him the best. It's that fit that has him described as a cornerback in some proflies while described as a safety in others.

Trice is consistently described as a defensive back whose bark is worse than his bite. He has tremendous height, but his play simply does not represent the physicality you might expect from a defensive back of his size. Some even speculate that he may need to hit the weight room in the NFL to add an additional 5-10 pounds of muscle.

Trice has a good foundation, but is raw enough in his evaluations to believe that he will be there when the LA Rams have the majority of their draft picks. Raw in some ways, refined in others. He is a player who has plenty of upside.