New LA Rams trade-filled mock draft swells roster with young talent

With the 137th pick

The LA Rams finally address their interior offensive line needs by selecting an incredibly athletic interior offensive lineman in Joe Tippman. He hails from the Univesity of Wisconsin, a team that has a long standing tradition of huge powerful offensive linemen. Tippmann is no exception, as the freakishly athletic offensive center stands 6-foot-6 and weighes 317 pounds. After the LA Rams draft Joe Tippmann, I don't believe that the fans will find it as easy to get riled up over missing out on Creed Humphrey.

The truth of the matter is that many draft analysts are giving Tippmann demerits for being so big and powerful and playing at the offensive center position. Due to that, some draft profiles are projecting Tippmann as an NFL offensive guard or even offensive tackle. But I'm not one of them. In my mind, if the LA Rams are going to ever beat the San Francisco 49ers at the line of scrimmage, then Joe Tippmann is someone who can help the team do that.

Will the LA Rams invest so heavily and soundly in offensive linemen? While that may not happen, the abundance of talent in this draft at the position is such that LA Rams GM Les Snead will load up the roster now to leverage the team's financial picture for the next four seasons.

While I don't know if Tippmann can compete for playing time in 2023, I do know that his presence suddenly makes the LA Rams offensive center position much stronger. Best of all, this is the first compensatory pick for the Rams in the 2023 NFL Draft. Wouldn't it be ideal for the team to use that pick to finally address the need for depth at the center of their offensive line?