Shockingly, fans seem to agree on 1 of 2 players as top choice for Rams Draft at 19

At this time of year, it's rare to find a consensus among LA Rams fans. So that is why it seems newsworthy to share that the fanbase appears to be reaching a consensus of sorts over who the team should select with their first Round 1 draft pick in eight years. With the 19th pick of the 2024 NfL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select . . .

Aw, that would be too easy wouldn't it?

The mere fact of the team finally stepping up to an NFL Draft podium on Day 1 of any NFL draft event after an eight-year hiatus that was self-imposed is cause enough to truly celebrate. Much like the 10-7 performance of the 2023 NFL season, the LA Rams find themselves in a wonderful, and unexpected, place.

That is not to say that the team is unprepared for what comes next. After all, eight years is a long time to prepare for a moment that theoretically can land the team's roster not only a Day 1 starter, but someone whose NFL career can rise to the heights of an NFL Pro Bowl, or even All-Pro, honor down the road. That is the task for the team's front office: Peer into the history and eyes of hundreds of hopeful college football players and perceive which one wants it so badly that passion dwarfs even lofty talent.

It worked in 2023, and many believe that a similar strategy will yield similar results in 2024.

So, who can bring about that type of certainty? Well, the ideal candidate not only needs to possess undeniable talent that has shown up on the football field, but must convince scouts and personnel executives, and even coaches, that the on-field production was no fluke. Rather, it was just a sampling of things to come in the NFL.

More evidence will be collected throughout the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

From the eyes of Rams fans, two prospects have convincingly performed to that level. One is a rising star in the 2024 NFL Draft, and another is a falling star. Which one will wear the Horns in 2024? Let's investigate:

Who is the top choice for Rams draft at 19?

Toledo DB is skyrocketing

The immense pressure for the LA Rams secondary in 2024 is going to be very significant. And that pressure-cooker type of season that lies on the horizon is going to be very difficult for any rookie defensive back to endure. Even in the face of the team's 2023 rookie class success, this year's draft class faces an entirely new set of circumstances that can be summed up in one word.

Pressure.

Finding the right defensive back who can arrive, learn the team's defense, and flourish in his first NFL season despite facing star quarterbacks and receivers for the first timeis going to take a very special young man. And yet, many Rams fans believe that this young man will not only be able to handle a starting role in those pressure-cooker conditions, he will flourish in them.

Of course, we are talking about the defensive back that everyone seems to be talking about rightr now, the 6-foot-0, 195-pound defensive back out of Toledo, Quinyon Mitchell.

Mitchell may not have been on everyone's radar prior to the 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl competition, but his performance throughout practice leading up to the game changed all of that. Some of the most reputable NFL draft scouts noted Mitchell's performance in unprompted and unconditional praise for the defensive back. Best of all, he was awarded top honors by his peers, a true honor among honors for any NFL rookie hopeful in days leading up to the draft.

And Rams fans noticed too.

The Rams are looking for a top-tier defensive back with elite coverage skills, who is durable and savvy, who can pick off passes, and can deliver run support. Quinyon MItchell checks all of the boxes, and has proven to be one of the best prospects in this draft class in on-field competition.

He is a versatile defensive back, able to slide to outside or slot depending on the needs of the team and the situation of any given play. His ability to perceive and process the play as it unfolds around him is what makes him so unique, as he excels at being where the ball is going before or in stride with the receiver.

Before quarterbacks feared him, he was able to generate five interception in 2022, two as pick sixes. In 2023, his reputation ended hurlers willingness to test him, and interceptions fell to one. Best of all, he is incredibly powerful for a defensive back, as the oohs and ahhs over his bench press ability will likely be the talk of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine this year.

As a cornerback prospect, he is as tenacious as an artic blast, as swift as a bolt of lightning, as surprising as a snow squall, and as powerful as a flood-fueled raging river. He harnesses the forces of Mother Nature and dispenses that fury on the football field. It's no wonder fans love him.

UCLA Edge may drop into team's lap

While the LA Rams front office may see the rise of defensive back Quinyon Mitchell as a good thing, elevating the young man's value above and perhaps beyond the reach of the team holding the 19th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the next of two candidates that the team may be considering is that of a falling star at the edge position.

UCLA's edge rusher Laiatu Latu is unarguably the fiercest edge rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing a burly 261 pounds, he very much looks the part of a quarterback's worst nightmare. So what business do the Rams have sitting in the middle of Round 1 salivating over the top pass rusher in the class?

It's the dreaded spectre of medical history. Latu suffered a significant neck injury while playing for the University of Washington, an injury that was so significant that he medically retired from football in 2020. He subsequently transferred to UCLA, was medically cleared to play, and the rest is history.

The passion to play the game is as strong as the Force is in Luke Skywalker, but can he deliver on a football field?

You bet he can. Even in the midst of the 2023 NCAA season, Latu was already turning heads and being praised as the best pure pass rushing in the 2024 NFL Draft:

But will he fall to the Rams at 19? That is the multi-million dollar quest, right? After all, while he is a very compelling investment in Round 1, will teams agree to accept medical risks on a player whose injury-history in a very physical game could shorten his NFL career significantly?

When facing a decision point like this in the past, NFL GMs have typically gone the safer route. Injury risk, whatever the probability, can derail plans of success instantly and irrevocably. The 2024 NFL Draft has a plethora of talented prospects who all make complete sense to select in Round 1. So why would the Rams consider doing so?

Well, in this universe, proximity does play a significant role in familiarity with college football players who hope to advance to the NFL. Even without trying to do so, UCLA players are recognized and known by Rams and Chargers personnel, simply due to local coverage and casual conversations. So what did the Rams staff learn about Latu?

For starters, he possesses a complete set of refined pass rush moves that allow him to win on the point of contact out of sheer variety. And his ability to move in virtually any direction allows him to juke offensive linemen out of position and off balance. Perhaps best of all, he does have the ability to drop into coverage as well, and showcases solid football instincts.

One or the other. Which one will it be? For many fans, simply a situation with both players appearing on the draft board when the Rams do step up to the podium is a small victory unto itself. And either way, the Rams can be confident in landing a starter for years to come.