Rams Mock Draft: Team add elite run stuffer and pass rusher in latest mock
By Bret Stuter
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With the 213th pick
. . . the LA Rams select AJ Barner, tight end, out of Michigan. Even as the team boasts Tyler Higbee (IR/PUP), Hunter Long (IR), Colby Parkinson, and Davis Allen, the status of both Higbee and Long makes adding another tight end a prudent investment. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 251 pounds, Barner is a bruising blocker who has yet to establish himself as a receiving threat. While receiving is always a welcome traight for a tight end, the team is content to work with a great blocker in his rookie season.
Even though his pass catching is not his calling card, Barner stands 6-foot-6 and with 33.375 inch arms, he becomes a skyscraper in the red zone as a pass target. In 64 college receptions, he put up 610 receiving yards and five touchdowns. His size and strength combine to make him a formidable blocking tight end, a role that the Rams love to have in short yardage and red zone scenarios. Barner could easily slide into Hunter Long's role on this offense seamlessly.
With the 217th pick
. . . the LA Rams select Logan Lee, defensive lineman, out of Iowa. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 281 pounds, Lee is a versatile defensive lineman who can play at either the 3-tech or the 5-tech position in this team's 3-4 odd man front. He has tremendous durability, playing three college seasons with no injuries. And he has a bit of an understated pass rush, recording 3.0 quarterback sacks in each of his last three seasons for Iowa.
Despite a Day 3 projection, Less is a passionate defender who has a nose for the football, the audacity to create havoc on the line of scrimmage, and the raw power to push around offensive linemen to free himself up to make the tackle. He has the right temperament to earn a spot in the defensive line rotation, and like many before him, can leverage a few defensive snaps into a larger role. I love what he brings to the team here.