Brutal year for rookie class. Bad luck, or…

[AvengerRam]

The Rams selected 9 players in the 2021 NFL Draft.

8 made the team.

7 of them have spent time on injured reserve this year.

Bad luck, or is this a COVID side-effect?

If you think about it, this year's rookies came off of a truncated college season and entered the NFL during a time of reduced on-site, in person training due to the pandemic. Is this a cause (reduced opportunities for organized conditioning) and effect (higher rater of injury) scenario?

I'd be curious to see if the league's rookie class had a similarly high incidence of injury this season. Perhaps there is a pattern, or perhaps the Rams were just snakebit this year.

It sure would be nice, though, to get Ernest Jones and Robert Rochell back.

 

[OldSchool]

They should let us at ROD draft for them

 

[nighttrain]

It sure would be nice, though, to get Ernest Jones and Robert Rochell back.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

Bad luck. There are rookies for other teams that are performing well.

 

[AvengerRam]

Bad luck. There are rookies for other teams that are performing well.

That’s not really the issue. The question is, has this year’s rookie class suffered an unusually high rate of injury, not whether those who have stayed healthy played well.

 

[OldSchool]

That’s not really the issue. The question is, has this year’s rookie class suffered an unusually high rate of injury, not whether those who have stayed healthy played well.

I haven't looked at the overall class numbers are there a lot among the rookie class or just the Rams?

 

[RamFan503]

Not sure it's the rookie class as a whole. There seem to have been an unusually high number of injuries to vets league wide too.

 

[Kupped]

The Rams selected 9 players in the 2021 NFL Draft.

8 made the team.

7 of them have spent time on injured reserve this year.

Bad luck, or is this a COVID side-effect?

If you think about it, this year's rookies came off of a truncated college season and entered the NFL during a time of reduced on-site, in person training due to the pandemic. Is this a cause (reduced opportunities for organized conditioning) and effect (higher rater of injury) scenario?

I'd be curious to see if the league's rookie class had a similarly high incidence of injury this season. Perhaps there is a pattern, or perhaps the Rams were just snakebit this year.

It sure would be nice, though, to get Ernest Jones and Robert Rochell back.

Bad luck, I'd say.

I imagine you could make an argument that Funk was a conditioning issue, since it was a muscle tear, but we saw some of the injuries happen in real time in games.
Jones, Atwell and Harris were all injured in games and none of their injuries looked like the product of conditioning to me.
Same with Skowronek and Rochell.

 

[Merlin]

2. Atwell: looks bad. His college film is some exciting stuff with him blowing past defenders and he can run some routes but what concerns me is he doesn't look fast on the field. Will that change when he knows the offense? I hope so. But we could also observe that he's probably a poor receiver type to pair with Stafford, who seems to like big targets with good hands. I'd say this pick if we had to grade it now is a "D" at best.

3. Jones: looks good. I would say it looks great but him getting hurt right when he started really hitting his stride tempers my enthusiasm a bit. I'd give that pick an "A" right now and think in a few years he will be a cornerstone to very good type player for us.

4. B Brown: meh. Could be good could be bad. We really don't know too much about B Brown other than he wasn't ready to help us as a rookie. So for me I'd go with a "D" on this one, passing grade for what looks like a rotational player but one that has a long way to go.

4. Rochell: looks ok. Another rotational guy, but got on the field a lot and got some snaps and experience. I'd give that one a "B" right now.

4. Harris: looks ok. I had some high hopes for this guy and still do. Early returns included him learning fast and getting involved which was really good to see from a 4th rounder. He got hurt happens. If not for the injury he'd probably be a "B" just like Rochell, where I think he'll factor in bigger next year and we'll see him on the field. A "C" is probably more fair though. He needs to put on muscle weight badly too, I don't like how easily he gets thrown down by defenders.

5. E Brown: looks like a bust. I didn't like his slow feet prior to the draft. Felt like a guy who wasn't quick enough to OLB nor big enough to DE. It's early but I think he was a miss.

7. Funk: looks ok. Oft-injured player who got injured. Imagine that. Still he fought back and is on the roster. Strong teams guy and depth RB not the worst mix for where he was picked. "B" given that this is round 7.

7. Skowronek: can't say enough good things about Benny. Good teams guy. Good depth guy. Has gotten on the field and helped us win big games. "A" choice there in round 7.

7. Garrett: forgot him whoops. For round 7 getting a guy who showed a little in preseason is nice. But he's not particularly good at teams so overall I guess a "B" is fine for him. Seemed like the Covid thing got under McVay's skin, haven't heard shit about Garrett since. But maybe he can be a rotational guy down the road.

 

[Classic Rams]

Like many I love what Jones brings. The rest have potential like Skow and Rochel. After that we'll see, but the 2 Browns I'm the least impressed with of all of them.

 

[Memento]

Like many I love what Jones brings. The rest have potential like Skow and Rochel. After that we'll see, but the 2 Browns I'm the least impressed with of all of them.

Neither Gaines nor SJD were impressive in their first year. I still am hyped for BB3. I think he could be a dominant force in a year with training and proper nutrition.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

That’s not really the issue. The question is, has this year’s rookie class suffered an unusually high rate of injury, not whether those who have stayed healthy played well.

Regardless of performance, I’m still going with bad luck

 

[Kupped]

Neither Gaines nor SJD were impressive in their first year. I still am hyped for BB3. I think he could be a dominant force in a year with training and proper nutrition.

SJD didn't see the field his rookie year, so I'm not worried about BB3. He's on the development plan... he should get some quality reps behind Gaines and Donald next year.

 

[ottoman89]

All I'm saying is.. I'd trade 20 first round picks to get my guy Tyler Linderbaum (C from Iowa) in thIs draft.

 

[Rynie]

Bad luck. There are rookies for other teams that are performing well.

Then there's Micah Parsons, who's playing better than a TON of veterans, let alone rookies.

 

[TXRams86]

They should let us at ROD draft for them

All I'm saying is.. I'd trade 20 first round picks to get my guy Tyler Linderbaum (C from Iowa) in thIs draft.

Exactly why @OldSchool used the blue font, lol.

Seriously though, bad luck I’d say. Like others I haven’t dived deep enough into each rookie’s individual season or injuries but it seems like across the league injuries are up? We hear more about smaller injuries popping up keeping players sidelined for a game or two.

 

[MachS]

All I'm saying is.. I'd trade 20 first round picks to get my guy Tyler Linderbaum (C from Iowa) in thIs draft.

Never gonna happen dude. This regime doesn't believe philosophically in drafting OL early. But dont worry there will be some great 6th and 7th round prospects that we can develop that offer a ton of positional versatility.

 

[Jacobarch]

Not sure it's the rookie class as a whole. There seem to have been an unusually high number of injuries to vets league wide too.

We say this every year...just sayin

 

[ottoman89]

Never gonna happen dude. This regime doesn't believe philosophically in drafting OL early. But dont worry there will be some great 6th and 7th round prospects that we can develop that offer a ton of positional versatility.

I know, sad truth!

 

[OnceARam]

This post is... too soon.