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Updated TE rankings for the Rams after the NFL Combine

By Bret Stuter

NFC Wild Card Playoffs - Los Angeles Rams Davis Allen
NFC Wild Card Playoffs - Los Angeles Rams Davis Allen / Ryan Kang/GettyImages
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The LA Rams have a lot of work to do. While the urgency of finding a significant number of starters in the 2024 NFL Draft is not nearly as great as one year ago, there is no doubt that the pressure to find immediate contributors who can excel on the football field is every bit as great this season. Perhaps greater. The Rams have 11 draft picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, four of them among the Top-100 picks, and one pick in Round 1.

No, you are not imagining that. The Rams are still scheduled to step up to the draft podium on Day 1 and announce their first Round 1 selection since naming rookie QB Jared Goff as the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. To nobody's surprise, expectations are hitting their apex for the team's 2024 rookie class.

And the 2024 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching.

One of the positions that is not getting a lot of attention is the draft's rookie class at the tight end position. That may be due to the fact that the positional group is not nearly as deep or talented this year as other positional groups, but that makes finding the right rookie prospect all the more important for the team.

Name

Position

Age

Height

Weight

School

'23 catches

'23 yards

'23 TDs

Draft projection

Brock Bowers

TE

21

6-foot-3

243 pounds

Georgia

56

714

6

Round 1

Ja'Tavion Sanders

TE

20

6-foot-4

245 pounds

Texas

45

682

2

Round 2

Cade Stover

TE

20

6-foot-4

247 pounds

Ohio State

41

576

5

Round 3

Ben Sinnott

TE

21

6-foot-4

250 pounds

Kansas State

49

676

6

Round 4

Theo Johnson

TE

23

6-foot-6

259 pounds

Penn State

34

341

7

Round 5

Dallin Holker

TE

23

6-foot-3

241 pounds

Colorado State

64

767

6

Round 5

Jaheim Bell

TE

23

6-foot-2

241 pounds

Florida State

39

503

2

Round 5

AJ Barner

TE

21

6-foot-6

251 pounds

Michigan

22

249

1

Round 5

Erick All

TE

23

6-foot-4

252 pounds

Iowa

21

299

3

Round 6

Jared Wiley

TE

23

6-foot-6

249 pounds

TCU

47

520

8

Round 6

Still, having said all of that, I believe that the position can get quite exciting for LA Rams fans on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft. FourTE prospects are very promising for three reasons: They all stand at least 6-foot-4 in height, they all tip the scales at 249+ pounds, and they all are at least 23 years old.

Penn State TE Theo Johnson is a rookie TE prospect who I liked before the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, and my appreciation of his fit in the Rams offense has only escalated. While he was likely already on many NFL team draft boards, he is certainly there now. He has all of the prerequisites that I believe the Rams front office seeks in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is a huge tight end, he has been productive at the position in NCAA football competition, he is a mature 23-year-old, and he loves football passionately.

And he performed incredibly well in the 2024 Reese Senior Bowl too.

If the Rams miss selecting a TE until late in the draft, they could pivot to TCU tight end Jared Wiley. Wiley was very productive as a receiver in 2023, but he takes pride in his ability to block. And that is music to my ears:

While the 2024 rookie class may not be getting headlines beyond Georgia TE Brock Bowers, there are some diamonds in the rough who I believe can be instant contributors to the roster in 2024. And if they earn enough playing time, could keep Hunter Long on the bench, and may even warrant platooning TE Tyler Higbee.

The LA Rams proved (to me) that rookies can deliver in Year 1 if given the chance to play. Having learned that lesson, I'm finding it hard not to envision similar scenarios for rookies in the 2024 class as well.

Thanks for reading. The more I learn about the 2024 NFL Draft class, the more eager I become.

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