Rams respond to Stefon Diggs trade in latest 4-round 2024 NFL mock draft

With the 99th pick

of the 2024 NFL Draft, the LA Rams select Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, safety, from Texas Tech. With the arrival of hard-hitting veteran safety Kamren Curl, the team would be wise to target a coverage specialist to compete for playing time at the other safety slot. While viewed as a bit smallish for an NFL safety role, DTD brings a complete arsenal of coverage skills and scheme-fits that position him as an ideal prospect from this draft.

The Rams have tried the hard-hitting safety X 2 route (Nick Scott, Taylor Rapp in 2022) and hopefully have had enough of that failed experiment. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson is the antithesis of Rapp, a safety who has elite coverage skills, wraps up and makes the tackle, plays with great instincts and anticipation, and is constantly processing what he sees in order to be in the right spot as the football arrives.

Standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 197 pounds, he has adequate size for the NFL, but at the lower end of that range. Still, that has not hampered his ability to blanket cover receivers, and he continues to impress scouts and analysts with each new opportunity. In two NCAA football seasons, he put up seven interceptions and broke up 13 passes.

Perhaps one of the easily-ignored bonuses of added DTD to the secondary is his versatility. He immediately elevates the competition for safety, slot corner, and nickel or dime defensive back. That is a huge upgrade for a team that seemed to struggle to find the right player for multiple roles in the secondary as injuries began to take their toll.

DTD scores high across the board on all responsibilities for an NFL defensive back, and projects as a future NFL starter on multiple draft profiles. The team needs to round out depth the secondary, and do a fine job at achieving that goal with this addition.