Rams draft road leads to Rome? And other Day 3 combine recaps

The LA Rams did not send GM Les Snead or HC Sean McVay to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Why that is still some news, it's not new for the Rams football team, a team that has opted out of the full entourage of personnel executives, coaches and scouts. Now, the team is still represented at the event, and has even been cited as meeting with some surprising players (we will start naming the pre-draft meetings soon)

But the team has a different sort of challenge that many other NFL teams do not face. That is the annual pillaging of coaches from the staff by other teams, forcing the Rams coaching staff to reform and make introductions while the NFL Scouting Combine is taking place. That has forced the coaches and personnel executives to rethink the way they approach the NFL Draft.

And based on the success the entire scouting and personnel departments enjoyed in 2023, I'm all for it.

Rams 2024 NFL Draft strategy leads through Rome Odunze?

Even as the majority of Rams personnel remain in the office, they still are managing to have regional scouts meet with some top-tier talent during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. One such surprising name that the Rams have met with (Per NFL Insider Ian Rapoport) is Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze:

Now, here is why that is a bit of a shocker.

Washington WR Rome Odunze is one of the top talents in the 2024 NFL Draft and is projected to be off the board somewhere between the sixth and tenth overall picks in the draft. If the Rams truly hope to add Rome Odunze to their roster, they would need to trade up a significant number of spots to do so.

Is he worth that effort? The 6-foot-3, 212-pound receiver is an ideal fit for the Rams offense. He is tall, and physical, makes catches with his hands, can run virtually any route, and has great potential to put up yards after the catch (YAC), We featured him in our Combine preview article, and believe that he could excel in this offense. But, and I say this with conviction, some very talented players are projected for Round 1 and I hate to see this team sell out the chance to land a receiver.

The Rams will do what the Rams will do. But unless Odunze falls to 19, I hope that the Rams show some restraint.