LA Rams rookie ILB Omar Speights' stock is rising rapidly to make 53-man roster

Speights was betrayed by too many options in a robust draft class

Everybody wants to claim the 'steal of the draft,' but it's not an easy thing to outdraft 31 other NFL teams on a consistent basis. The odds shrink dramatically when the topic pivots to those players who are signed after the NFL Draft. In essence, all 32 teams over the course of three days and 250+ opportunities failed to recognize the NFL fit of a young rookie prospect.

But it happens routinely. Just ask starting left tackle Alaric Jackson, who is returning to the team's left tackle position after solidifying his role with the team in 2023. Undrafted rookies can earn a roster spot on many NFL teams, as long as they embrace the grind, play with passion and enthusiasm, and put up enough on the football field to catch the eye of the coaching staff.

Omar Speights was limited in his first and only season in the LSU defense with an early season hip flexor injury. Speights sat out games against Mississippi State, Arkansas, and Missouri in 2023. Those three games lost in 2023 were compounded by an attempt to play against Mississippi on September 30, 2023, a game in which he would struggle with just four tackles. And his injury against Grambling State would force him to leave the game with just one tackle.

In a season meant to spotlight his unmatched fortitude and skill sets, the spotlight captured durability issues. It was a simply the worst timing.

There were too many options at other positions to compel NFL teams to prioritize the linebacker position in the 2024 NFL Draft. Of the Top-20 prospects listed by NFL.com's big board, five were not drafted. Of the 36 prospects listed as 'draftable' on the same big board, only 19 were selected. Speights was ranked 34th out of 36 prospects. And yet, was that a fair and objective assessment?

For starters, many draft boards no longer make a distinction between linebackers who are a fit in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense, or those who play on the outside or inside. And yet, the two positions can be vastly different. FInally, there is not extra credit or weight bestowed upon linebackers who exhibit the ability or potential to play multiple roles in a defense.

Because there were so many talented player options at so many positions, the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine had limited slots for linebacker invitations. That prevented Speights from being invited, a fact that instantly dropped him into late Day 3 projections for the 2024 NFL Draft. However, keep in mind that the annual scouting combine is a collective event to measure the track, field, and gymnasium accomplishments of football players. The same measurements are taken, in a less formal format, at collegiate Pro Days throughout the nation.