LA Rams pre-2023 NFL Draft meeting tracker

Meeting XIII: DL MJ Anderson - March 21, 2023

The LA Rams may have 11 picks to use in the 2023 NFL Draft, but with a roster full of 45 vacancies, the Rams will run out of selections long before the team has filled all of the roster spots. The Rams had the opportunity to meet with a late sleeper in the upcoming draft, Iowa State defensive end M.J. Anderson, and did so without hesitation.

Anderson is a defensive lineman, a 6-foot-2 269-pound 3-tech or 5-tech defensive lineman. Despite fighting through a hamstring injury suffered in January 2023, Anderson toughed out the entire pro day, performing drills for both defensive linemen and outside linebacker.

The reason Anderson is not projected in the mid-range of the draft is a true lack of football experience. He has played just over 600 defensive snaps, It's that lack of experience that surrounds Anderson as a 'project' type of rookie prospect. But don't let that fool you, he is a powerhouse throwback to old-school football, even down to the four-point stance. He has an aura of Greg Gaines, a powerful player who can create havoc along the defensive line of scrimmage, and has just enough of a pass rush to keep things very interesting.

If he does not hear his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft, he is definitely worth a priority free agent signing after the draft. This guy just looks like a #DAWGWORK poster child, a guy who is thrilled to put in the work to show results down the road.

Meeting XIV: WR Trey Palmer

You know that whether or not the LA Rams meet with any wide receivers, an offensive skill player will be rated as a choice selection with each of the Rams 11 draft picks when the 2023 NFL Draft arrives. That's just how the LA Rams think as long as Rams head coach Sean McVay remains at the helm.

When it comes to Nebraska WR Trey Palmer, there is plenty to appreciate. He has the raw athleticism that many NFL offensive coaches insist upon in their new rookie prospects. Palmer was less than stellar in his three previous seasons at LSU, but after he transferred to Nebraska, his production followed him and tripled. He even found some running room carrying the football as well.

Standing 6-foot-0 and weighing 192 pounds, Palmer has the prerequisite height and weight to be considered a 3-down player. Perhaps even more appealing, he has a solid foundation to be used all over the offensive formations as a wideout, H-back, Y-back, or Z-back. He could even be lined up in the offensive backfield.

The LA Rams, unfortunately, find players like WR to be just as mesmerizing on draft day as household cats find those fragile glass Christmas tree ornaments, and often with the same results. Even as the Rams offense struggled to involved anyone not named Cooper Kupp or Tyler Higbee in 2022, the Rams will most assuredly add more weapons to the offensive receiver room in 2022. If it's bound to happen, hopefully the Rams can resist the itch until Round 5, when many draft profiles project Palmer to be selected.

It is not as though I am against the Rams selecting an offensive weapon. I think that the right players could jumpstart the team in 2023 both in moving the football and in scoring. But having seen the team add the likes of TE Brycen Hopkins, TE/WR Jacob Harris, TE Tutu Atwell, and more, with little to no production from them once they join the team, the Rams eyes seem to be bigger than their stomachs.

Meeting XV: QB Jaren Hall - March 24, 2023

While it's a very safe bet to assume that the LA Rams are represented at virtually every significant collegiate Pro Day, we have been tracking the performances of rookie prospects and their lengthy conversations, special workout requests, and even dinner afterward with representatives of the LA Rams. In this case, we cannot state with any specificity that any of those scenarios took place. So why mention him?

Well, Pro Football Network's draft specialist Tony Pauline mentioned the LA Rams by name in his latest Pro Day events update. And he did so in the context of the LA Rams holding a keen interest on quarterback Jaren Hall's Pro Day performance.

Jaren Hall is a 6-foot-0 207-pound quarterback prospect out of Brigham Young University, a school that has been know to produce NFL quarterbacks in the history of the program. And much like a predecessor from his alma mater, Ty Detmer, he has the same 'too short' stigma to overcome in convincing scouts that he truly is NFL ready.

He is a quarterback who demonstrates high football IQ on the football field, and one who can pull the football in and move the chains with his legs. His game is styled along the spectrum of John Wolford-Russell Wilson, where he falls will be determined by his next chapter.

He has solid accuracy, with a touchdown to interception at four-to-one over his collegiate career. He has poise and confidence in the pocket and has the touch required to keep his receivers in stride when catching the football. He also has fair patience, waiting for his receiver to create separation before tagging him with the football.

He was a former baseball player, and his throwing motion is swift and efficient as a result. He can make all of the NFL throws. He has a Stafford-like ability to see, interpret, and exploit coverages quickly. That translates into a rapid read through of his progressions. If he were 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, he would be gone by the time the LA Rams made their first selection. But at 6-foot-0, he poses some challenges to the offense that will take a dedicated offensive playbook to overcome.