These 7 Rams UDFAs have the best chance to make the team
By Bret Stuter
III: WR Drake Stoops, Oklahoma
While the only 'loss' from the Rams roster in the offseason was the expiration of the contract for KR/PR/WR Austin Trammel, a void that was likely filled by the selection of former Texas rookie WR Jordan Whittington, this offense loves to add and develop weapons who can catch passes, and former Oklahoma rookie WR Drake Stoops has the reputation as being Rams material.
Coach Bob Stoops, Drake Stoops father, was the former coach of the Oklahoma Sooners and is now coaching for the UFL Arlington Renegades. So Drake Stoops is no stranger to football, having lived in the shadow of his father's coaching career his entire life. While Coach Stoops has never worked with Rams HC Sean McVay, he loves the fit for his son in the Rams offense:
The thing about legacy prospects is the fact that they have a much shorter learning curve than many rookies, and their confidence in their own abilities is unmatched by their peers. Just check out the Pro Day video of Drake Stoops in the Tweet below:
Stoops stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 189 pounds, but he has the confidence of a seasoned NFL veteran. And he also has the endorsement of former NFL All-Pro defensive lineman Gerald McCoy:
The thing about Stoops that is so special is the fact that he sounds like a Sean McVay type of receiver. Because he has been so immersed in football his entire life, he understands and delivers the nuances required from his position. That is a trait that I see making the jump with him to the NFL. In an interview by OU Daily Louis Raser, Stoops shared his insight into his role in the NFL.
"That is definitely something that people like is my ability to diagnose zones and option routes, finding the weak spot, and being able to get open and improvise after the play in scramble drill β that is definitely something that is an intangible. Also, being able to, in a 1-on-1 situation and man coverage, β¦ (Create) separation. In the NFL you do not need much (separation), quarterbacks are that good and that on time, so that is definitely one of my strong suits."
-Β Drake Stoops
While he has stiff competition, the Rams will certainly need youth, passion, and energy in the wide receiver room. Those are three qualities that rookie WR Drake Stoops already maxes out.