Latest draft speculation is fantastic news for LA Rams in Round 1

Which positional group do you anticipate the LA Rams selecting in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft? If you believe that the team will be drafting defense, then this article could be excellent news for you. We know that Round 1 of any NFL Draft ends at pick 32. With no compensatory picks impacting the number of picks in the first round, the number of prospects selected does not change.

32 seems like a large number until you break down the number of prospects that are projected to hear their names called out on Day 1 of the draft. Ultimately, some prospects are bound to fall. It's simple math and bears no prejudice or malice to any of the prospects on the NFL Draft Board. Teams will select the best player available from the draft board, but only from those positions that will improve the depth and/or talent on the roster.

Speculation about what other teams may do is a natural step for teams who are setting up their own draft boards. It makes little sense for the LA Rams at the 19th overall pick to invest extensive personnel hours into assessing the qualities of USC QB Caleb Williams. He will certainly be off the board by the time the third team steps up to the podium of this draft.

So which positions are projected to be hit hardest in Round 1? If the Rams have no intentions of considering a quarterback prospect in the first round, then any and all quarterbacks selected in that round have the effect of pushing other prospects further down the board, and perhaps within reach of the Rams at 19.

ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller speculated that much of the Round 1 interest in this year's draft will focus on the offensive side of the football:

Even Director of Senior Bowl Jim Nagy knows what that projection means to NFL teams that are not shopping for those positions on Day 1:

If you add Georgia TE Brock Bowers to the Round 1 list, then the range of offensive players selected in Round 1 runs from 20 to 23 players. That is significantly weighted to the offensive side of the football. If the prediction proves to be true, then the number of defensive players selected in Round 1 ranger from 9 to 12 players.

The Rams most urgent needs in the 2024 NFL Draft are the defensive front: Both defensive linemen and edge rushers. If the majority of picks on Day 1 are not from those positions, the team should have several high-quality prospects to choose from. That is good news for the team and fantastic news for fans who are eager to see the roster upgraded quickly.

Thanks for reading.