Jim Nagy on Rams Senior Bowl Participates

[CoachAllred]

Senior Bowl director gives thoughts on Rams’ 6 draftees from all-star game

Jim Nagy calls DT Braden Fiske a "force multiplier" after Rams drafted him in second round

www.turfshowtimes.com

DT Braden Fiske (Round 2, Pick 39)
Top P5 riser in entire ‘24 class. Disruptive penetrator with best get-off quicks & snap anticipation in DL class. High-end athlete with enough position flex to start right away. Force multiplier will raise competitive bar for rest of roster.
DS Kam Kinchens (Round 3, Pick 99)
Young early-out junior with playmaking ability in deep part of field. Ball skills are top asset (11 INT past two years). Good functional range belies suspect 40 time. Miami staff raved about toughness & overall makeup. Should seriously push for starting role as rookie.
OLB Brennan Jackson (Round 5, Pick 154)
Fun-to-watch high motor player adds rotational pass rush help & immediate core ST value. Ideal frame & fit for 3-4 OLB. Wish he didn’t get hurt in Mobile because he would’ve opened some eyes. Like Fiske, this dude never stops!
DT Tyler Davis (Round 6, Pick 196)
Good value pick as NFL-ready backup 3-tech behind Kobie Turner. Quick & strong-handed run-downs plugger. Plays bigger than measurables suggest. 5-year starter & team captain at Clemson fits Rams character profile.
PK Joshua Karty (Round 6, Pick 208)
Big-legged kicker that many specialist gurus we consult with thought was one of best PK prospects in past 5-10 years. Thought he might go 4th/5th round. Has leg talent & mental wiring to be long-term answer.
C/G Beaux Limmer (Round 6, Pick 217)
One of best value picks of draft. Inside swing depth upgrade should be fourth IOL behind Avila, Jackson, & Dotson. Mature, no nonsense dude with 41 college starts. Strong Senior Bowl week & elite Combine numbers (36.5 VJ, 39 bench reps). Head-scratcher he lasted til 6th.

Nagy’s thoughts on Kinchens seems to align with the Rams’ historical approach to 40-yard dash times that come in below standards set for each position. LA has been especially willing to gamble on the safety position, like they did with Jordan Fuller in 2020, because they feel football acumen and play recognition outweighs the ability to run fast in a straight line.

The executive director also noted that Karty, who could bring stability to the kicking position for LA who have been searching for such in life after Matt Gay, could be one of the best kicker prospects in the “past 5-10 years”. If that’s truly the case, the Rams got quite the bargain on Karty, especially considering the NFC West division rival San Francisco 49ers took Michigan’s Jake Moody in the third round of the 2023 draft. Getting Karty in the sixth could be great value for Los Angeles.

Another player that received considerable praise from Nagy was interior offensive lineman Beaux Limmer, who Nagy called “one of the best value picks of the draft”. While the Rams have invested heavily in the guard and center positions between the draft and free agency the last couple of seasons, Limmer should give the team insurance in case injury strikes and either Steve Avila, Jonah Jackson, or Kevin Dotson miss much time. Eventually, Limmer could have a chance to take over in two seasons or so after Jackson and Dotson’s free agent contracts run their course.

 

[Merlin]

Yeah man hitting big on a kicker alone would be a hell of a windfall. McVay's offense tends to get into FG range a lot. Plus if the defense is significantly improved this year they're gonna get into FG range a lot more. So it would be a real drag if our kicker isn't up to snuff.

What a difference from last year this time though. Rams overperformed in 2023 in spite of a lot of shortfalls. This year's roster should be a lot better. They may end up coming back to the norm a bit, but even if they only limp into the playoffs again they will be a much tougher out for whoever draws them. Should be tough to run on, and tough to stop. I just wonder how good that secondary will be.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Rams overperformed in 2023 in spite of a lot of shortfalls. This year's roster should be a lot better.

Everybody was freaking out about the dline because of Gaines and Floyd leaving. The Rams hit big on Turner and young. Now if they did the same thing with Verse and Fiske then the Rams are cooking.

We all know the Rams offense is gonna be one of the best in the league.

I have high hopes this season.

.

 

[PARAM]

Rams overperformed in 2023 in spite of a lot of shortfalls. This year's roster should be a lot better. They may end up coming back to the norm a bit, but even if they only limp into the playoffs again they will be a much tougher out for whoever draws them. Should be tough to run on, and tough to stop. I just wonder how good that secondary will be.

Overperformed or outperformed expectations?

Kyren, Puka, Dotson and Alaric were all surprises but I wouldn't call it overperforming. Had KW not missed 4 games and Dotson been the day 1 starter perhaps we'd have been better than 10-7?

Other than kicking woes, the shortfalls were lack of consistent pass rush and weakness in the secondary but both improved by the end if the season.

The largest shortfall they overcame was paying Ramsey, Floyd and Wagner huge jack for the #19 defensive performance in 2022.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Yeah man hitting big on a kicker alone would be a hell of a windfall. McVay's offense tends to get into FG range a lot. Plus if the defense is significantly improved this year they're gonna get into FG range a lot more. So it would be a real drag if our kicker isn't up to snuff.

What a difference from last year this time though. Rams overperformed in 2023 in spite of a lot of shortfalls. This year's roster should be a lot better. They may end up coming back to the norm a bit, but even if they only limp into the playoffs again they will be a much tougher out for whoever draws them. Should be tough to run on, and tough to stop. I just wonder how good that secondary will be.

The LA Rams are not coming back to any fucking norm young man!

They will be a freight train this year. They will roll right over every opponent they face. Scrub those evil thoughts from your mind.

 

[Merlin]

Overperformed or outperformed expectations?

Kyren, Puka, Dotson and Alaric were all surprises but I wouldn't call it overperforming. Had KW not missed 4 games and Dotson been the day 1 starter perhaps we'd have been better than 10-7?

Other than kicking woes, the shortfalls were lack of consistent pass rush and weakness in the secondary but both improved by the end if the season.

The largest shortfall they overcame was paying Ramsey, Floyd and Wagner huge jack for the #19 defensive performance in 2022.

I think they won more than their talent warranted. Defense was smoke and mirrors.

 

[RamsSince1969]

"And Moody was atrocious down the stretch this season. First, he missed two kicks in the season finale against the Rams -- in retrospect, that was a sign of things to come. Because in the playoffs, he missed one kick in all three games. And the final miss was an extra point attempt that got blocked in the Super Bowl."

 

[Psycho_X]

Yeah man hitting big on a kicker alone would be a hell of a windfall. McVay's offense tends to get into FG range a lot. Plus if the defense is significantly improved this year they're gonna get into FG range a lot more. So it would be a real drag if our kicker isn't up to snuff.

What a difference from last year this time though. Rams overperformed in 2023 in spite of a lot of shortfalls. This year's roster should be a lot better. They may end up coming back to the norm a bit, but even if they only limp into the playoffs again they will be a much tougher out for whoever draws them. Should be tough to run on, and tough to stop. I just wonder how good that secondary will be.

Getting Karty might be my favorite pick of the whole draft. I HATE having a bad kicker. I absolutely HATE having a good team that gets screwed over because they can't rely on field goals. Last year's choices in that regard was one of my few criticism's of McSnead's offseason planning in recent years. I really think Karty will be our kicker for the next decade.... I hope.

Also, agree that my only worry is the secondary, particularly CB. Only thing I didn't like about this draft was not picking a CB. We are really weak there if Tre'D doesn't come back to past form. I like the potential if he does get at least close to his pre-injury form but man our depth is suspect. Kendricks has not been the answer, Durant had some highs his rookie year but looked lost last season, and Tomlinson did not seem like he could overcome his physical shortcomings (pun intended) his rookie year. I like picking Darious back up and maybe our front 7 will be so good at creating pressure it won't matter but damn our outside corners scare me.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Karty low key could cover a few of the warts this team still has next year. Fingers crossed!

 

[Billy Baroo]

Geez, good looking group - and Verse to boot! What’s not to like? I can’t recall a Rams draft with so many accolades being thrown around top to bottom.

 

[majrleaged]

Geez, good looking group - and Verse to boot! What’s not to like? I can’t recall a Rams draft with so many accolades being thrown around top to bottom.

Yeah, it kind of makes me worry. Things always kind of work out better for the Rams when the general consensus is underrating their decisions.

 

[Loyal]

The LA Rams are not coming back to any fucking norm young man!

They will be a freight train this year. They will roll right over every opponent they face. Scrub those evil thoughts from your mind.

*twirls white beard and says..."I was King Neptune on the carrier and am an old salt and remember the days of John Robinson! Wog Rebellion!" ~ Ye Olde @Merlin

 

[El Chapo Jr]

Getting Karty might be my favorite pick of the whole draft. I HATE having a bad kicker. I absolutely HATE having a good team that gets screwed over because they can't rely on field goals. Last year's choices in that regard was one of my few criticism's of McSnead's offseason planning in recent years. I really think Karty will be our kicker for the next decade.... I hope.

Also, agree that my only worry is the secondary, particularly CB. Only thing I didn't like about this draft was not picking a CB. We are really weak there if Tre'D doesn't come back to past form. I like the potential if he does get at least close to his pre-injury form but man our depth is suspect. Kendricks has not been the answer, Durant had some highs his rookie year but looked lost last season, and Tomlinson did not seem like he could overcome his physical shortcomings (pun intended) his rookie year. I like picking Darious back up and maybe our front 7 will be so good at creating pressure it won't matter but damn our outside corners scare me.

You aren't alone there. I was extremely surprised we didn't add more at CB. Maybe if some of our UDFA CBs don't look so hot, we'll reach out to some vets?

 

[Merlin]

*twirls white beard and says..."I was King Neptune on the carrier and am an old salt and remember the days of John Robinson! Wog Rebellion!" ~ Ye Olde @Merlin

Robinson woulda made a great Royal Baby.

 

[Ramstien]

You're sick Merlin and we love it

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

You aren't alone there. I was extremely surprised we didn't add more at CB. Maybe if some of our UDFA CBs don't look so hot, we'll reach out to some vets?

If Snead continues his trends, either the 2025 or next drafts we will see some corners taken early. Next years draft has more corners and better corners at the top

 

[PhillyRam]

You aren't alone there. I was extremely surprised we didn't add more at CB. Maybe if some of our UDFA CBs don't look so hot, we'll reach out to some vets?

Guessing we add a vet like the way they added Witherspoon late during last year's offseason. A few bargains outthere that could help.

 

[Psycho_X]

Guessing we add a vet like the way they added Witherspoon late during last year's offseason. A few bargains outthere that could help.

Heck I'd be happy if we brought Witherspoon back on another 1 year deal. He obviously isn't getting any good offers as he's still unsigned. At this point he might wait to see if any teams have catastrophic injuries to their CBs in training camp/preseason to cash in on but overall I'd be good with giving him a couple million for another year. I'd be very comfortable with our group at that point.

 

[RamFan503]

Overperformed or outperformed expectations?

Yep. That's my view. The Rams had a lot of talent that no one paid attention to. Add the great draft class and the Rams simply were far better than the prognosticators gave them credit for. I think it's likely this team outperforms last year's team.

 

[Kupped]

Yep. That's my view. The Rams had a lot of talent that no one paid attention to. Add the great draft class and the Rams simply were far better than the prognosticators gave them credit for. I think it's likely this team outperforms last year's team.

Had incredible luck last year with injuries.. being younger helps with that. So, we'll see if that good fortune holds.
This year's team will have more, quality, depth, imo... allowing them to sustain more injuries.

I feel really good about the O line depth with the addition of Limmer and Jackson... and they have depth in the DB room as well, imo. It's not great, but it's got some experience at this point.