Latest LA Rams Mock Draft plays the numbers game to address vital needs

Round 1: With the 19th pick

The LA Rams select CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson. While the team has a promising young edge rusher in OLB Byron Young, and an even more promising nose tackle in Kobie Turner, the secondary is still searching for young stars to light up opposing quarterbacks. That is not to say that the young quartet of Russ Yeast, Quentin Lake, Derion Kendrick and Cobie Durant have not flashed significant promise.

They have.

But with the exit-stage left of veterans Jordan Fuller, Ahkello Witherspoon, and John Johnson III, the team will need to act quickly and decisively to restore the secondary to 2023 performance levels, let alone bolster the pass defense to that of an NFL Championship team.

I believe that will be the primary focus in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. It makes complete sense, as Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft is loaded with top-tier defensive backs, all of whom can be viewed as cornerstones to reforming an elite NFL secondary. In this mock draft, Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell is already off the board, but Clemson's star cornerback Nate Wiggins is available. The team wasts no time selecting the 6-foot-1 173-pound defensive back.

While Wiggins' weight may jump out at you, rest assured that he is a dynamic defensive back who can infuse secondary heroics into the team's pass defense. He is blessed with incredible speed, as documented by his 4.28-second 40-time at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

He is a defensive coordinator's dream defender. He is tall enough to handle big receivers, fast enough to stay near even the fastest receivers, and he is fearless. He has great technique, and his production is off the charts. He even has two pick-sixes under his belt, a trait that he will undoubtedly look to improve on in the NFL.

He has every skillset to flourish in the NFL, but is not quite a DAWG mentality. But that is perfectly suited for Rams DB coach Aubrey Pleasant, whose own DAWG mindset quickly infects his players. Wiggins could emerge as a true NFL shutdown cornerback. I love his value, and what he adds to the secondary.