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

With the 128th pick

of the 2024 NFL Draft, the LA Rams select Marshawn Lloyd, running back, out of USC. I have long lobbied for the hope that the Rams will stick with a big-bodied power running back, and in each season, those hopes are quickly dashed as the team continues to lean time and time again on the smaller more versatile runners.

And as a bonus, he was a standout performer in the 2024 Reese Senior Bowl:

This time, I decided to stop fighting fate and just go with the best player available. In this case, that best player is USC running back Marshawn Lloyd. But the moment that I researched his draft profiles in the quest to make the BPA selection in Round 4, the more I realized that Lloyd has HC Sean McVay offensive fit written all over him.

For starters, he stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 220 pounds. Former Rams RB Darrell Henderson Jr. stood 5-foot-8 and weighed 208 pounds. Current backup RB Ronnie Rivers stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 195 pounds. Feature RB Kyren Williams stands 5-foot-9 and weights 194 pounds. So there is absolutely a pattern there that Lloyd seems to fit.

Lloyd is a versatile offensive weapon who is as dangerous as a receiver who drifts to the flat or across the line of scrimmage as he his as a running back powering through to grind out yards on the ground. While he needs coaching to improve his pass blocking, he marries the acceleration of a small elusive back with the thunderous strides and powerful pop of a bigger bodied runner.

Lloyd is a player who could fill a niche role in this offense in the red zone, becoming a threat to either run or catch the football for the score. With two consecutive seasons scoring nine touchdowns, Marshawn Lloyd deserves to get strong consideration to join the team.