Mock Draft Tidbits / 2024 Draft Talk

[fanotodd]

DON'T LOVE! I don't think these edges go that high in other drafts so we're paying a premium for a guy who in other drafts would start as a mid round pick.

I don't want to force an edge pick in the first round nor trade up for one when even the best guys in this draft seem like high 2nd level edge rushers to me.

Very happy to stay put and grab a Verse or a Latu there or a Murphy and then trade up for Kneeland!*

*In fact, I like a scenario where we might get a good deal on a defender at 19 and then trade up from 52 for another defender sitting there at the end of the 1st or top of the 2nd. Has anyone discussed this possibility yet?

I certainly would be more inclined to maneuver our post 1rst round picks than mess with the pick at #19.
There is a lot of talent between #19 and #52. The same names just keep getting remixed in the first 20 or so picks in most of these mocks, but I find it interesting to see who might actually fall to the Rams at #52. Of course, trading up would nullify the finger crossing. There would be players like:
Braswell (Edge)
DRobinson (DE)
Pearsall (WR)
McConkey (WR)
Wilson (ILB)
and a few IDL.

 

[fanotodd]

View attachment 65133

Hey, I'm walking here!

Trying this on for size. FWIW, I think Kneeland goes top of 2nd round and Grayson is possibly gone before 99. But showing the thought process of building a more traditional D and not getting a top 3 pass rusher here but possibly a good one in Kneeland and then doubling down with Murphy.

Then we work to fill out the DT and DE roles later in the draft giving the line a maximum amount of depth and ability to platoon guys right away vs relying on one guy who's most likely a high end secondary rusher to provide all the extra rush next season.

Wow! Is Baker really gonna go that high? I have him in my mock, but in the 5th. In any case, I would like to see him drafted by the Rams. He has enough speed and size to play on the outside, and that 22 YPC is hard to look past.

 

[OldSchool]

View: https://twitter.com/Ihartitz/status/1777422716900876778

Particularly funny after reading some people say Thomas Jr doesn't play fast

 

[Londoner]

A hypothetical scenario: let's say we go BPA at 19 and then someone we have high on our board is not picked in R1. Do we package picks 52, 83 and 155 to move up to 33 and grab our guy? We are "overpaying" by 4.4 points to make that trade, according to this:

2025 NFL Trade Value Chart

 

[PARAM]

I hope we either move up in the first, down in the first or stand pat in the first.

We're going to have 4 of the first 100 picks. I simply hope they move that bottom line (#99) up.

 

[payote75]

As I've said numerous times as usual I'm probably wrong but for weeks I've been saying it and will stick to it.....

As much as I'd be ok with Jakes possible scenario of Harrison I will continue to say we are moving up in this draft to pick 7 only if Odunze is there unless Alt is top of their board but I feel we have something already possibly done just need to see it unfold.

Especially with the comments Demoff made I'm trying to find them if someone knows wt I'm referring to please post. He seemingly hints at the more picks the more cap and if you sometimes look at picks as cap you can dump a couple moving up and there by creating cap space.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

If we reflect on past receivers chosen by the Rams or acquired, it does seem that McVay tried to find a field stretcher with Van Jefferson and then Atwell and Cooks.

Cooks was good but the other two didn't seem to work out as planned. If they want that type of receiver, I think they can draft one after round three. With Nacua's ability to go deep I am not so sure a burner is necessary. I also don't see a receiver like that getting a lot of targets per game, with Puka and Cooper on the field. So picking a receiver early, to be a deep threat wouldn't be a good value at all. So I take Thomas or any other first or second round deep threat off my board.

If they do take a receiver early, I'm guessing its a do it all type to be Cooper's replacement, or a guy like Bowers to make a scheme shift. Otherwise, no early receivers.

 

[payote75]

If we reflect on past receivers chosen by the Rams or acquired, it does seem that McVay tried to find a field stretcher with Van Jefferson and then Atwell and Cooks.

Cooks was good but the other two didn't seem to work out as planned. If they want that type of receiver, I think they can draft one after round three. With Nacua's ability to go deep I am not so sure a burner is necessary. I also don't see a receiver like that getting a lot of targets per game, with Puka and Cooper on the field. So picking a receiver early, to be a deep threat wouldn't be a good value at all. So I take Thomas or any other first or second round deep threat off my board.

If they do take a receiver early, I'm guessing its a do it all type to be Cooper's replacement, or a guy like Bowers to make a scheme shift. Otherwise, no early receivers.

I agree Im just going on record after weeks of babbling I feel number 7 Odunze for all the reasons you said and I'd be ecstatic.


Having said that if it doesn't happen I think the other half of my babbling has been about Pearsall whom I love. Those Demoff comments were just a bit eerie with the right about of doubt sprinkled in could be playing with fans but also made a lot of sense when it got to the cap analysis

 

[WestCoastRam]

Wow! Is Baker really gonna go that high? I have him in my mock, but in the 5th. In any case, I would like to see him drafted by the Rams. He has enough speed and size to play on the outside, and that 22 YPC is hard to look past.

Well, it sure sounds like the online scouts are high on him. Guy is like a diet coke version of an X receiver. Not afraid to run in breakers and he could split time and learn from Robinson for a year.

He's basically a younger and more athletic Robinson.

 

[PhillyRam]

Hargrave was drafted in 2016.

I think the argument is that you can't really do it anymore in today's NFL.

The game is different than what it was even 4 years ago, even 2 years ago. Teams have begun to value interior pass rush much more than before and interior pass rush, while not as effective as the best edge rush is harder to find outside of the 1st round now.

I will say Turner seems to be an exception to the rule.

Nah...back then guys like Cox, Brockers, Donald, etc... we're 1st rd picks.

I think ever since the days of Warren Sapp, or even earlier, teams understood the value of a disruptive DT.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Nah...back then guys like Cox, Brockers, Donald, etc... we're 1st rd picks.

I think ever since the days of Warren Sapp, or even earlier, teams understood the value of a disruptive DT.

I should clarify, it's not that teams didn't value disruptive DT's, it's that now that value shows up even more in the draft process pushing guys up the board that wouldn't have been drafted in the 1st in past years. That doesn't negate the guys you mentioned, just adds to that pot and makes it that much harder to find a guy like a Chris Jones in the 2nd.

 

[DzRams]

If we reflect on past receivers chosen by the Rams or acquired, it does seem that McVay tried to find a field stretcher with Van Jefferson and then Atwell and Cooks.

Cooks was good but the other two didn't seem to work out as planned. If they want that type of receiver, I think they can draft one after round three. With Nacua's ability to go deep I am not so sure a burner is necessary. I also don't see a receiver like that getting a lot of targets per game, with Puka and Cooper on the field. So picking a receiver early, to be a deep threat wouldn't be a good value at all. So I take Thomas or any other first or second round deep threat off my board.

If they do take a receiver early, I'm guessing its a do it all type to be Cooper's replacement, or a guy like Bowers to make a scheme shift. Otherwise, no early receivers.

Yes, past receivers are informative. McVay has been trying for a while and has used considerable resources in the search and you left out one receiver.

2017 Watkins - traded a 2nd
2018 Cooks - traded a 1st
2020 Van Jefferson - 2nd round pick
2021 Atwell - 2nd round pick

I don't know why this history would lead one to think that they wouldn't target a vertical threat early. Puka and Kupp can get deep but they're not burners so they aren't affecting coverages in the same way a true deep threat would.

 

[WestCoastRam]

View: https://twitter.com/Nate_Tice/status/1777743006768259292

 

[dang]

Yes, past receivers are informative. McVay has been trying for a while and has used considerable resources in the search and you left out one receiver.

2017 Watkins - traded a 2nd
2018 Cooks - traded a 1st
2020 Van Jefferson - 2nd round pick
2021 Atwell - 2nd round pick

I don't know why this history would lead one to think that they wouldn't target a vertical threat early. Puka and Kupp can get deep but they're not burners so they aren't affecting coverages in the same way a true deep threat would.

There may very well be a very good one sitting there at R1.19 -R1.23 in Thomas.

 

[DzRams]

There may very well be a very good one sitting there at R1.19 -R1.23 in Thomas.

Agreed. I feel there is a pretty high probability that Thomas ends up being the pick.

 

[PhillyRam]

I should clarify, it's not that teams didn't value disruptive DT's, it's that now that value shows up even more in the draft process pushing guys up the board that wouldn't have been drafted in the 1st in past years. That doesn't negate the guys you mentioned, just adds to that pot and makes it that much harder to find a guy like a Chris Jones in the 2nd.

Actually, in a offense first league, it seems WRs, OL, and of course QBs go higher then they ever have. 6 OL could go top 20 this yr. 4 WRs could go top 20, and 5 QBs. That's 15 of the top 20 that will likley be those 3 positions. Throw in Bowers at TE, and there may only be 4 defensive players total taken in the top 20, and 3 of those could be CBs....and very possibly ZERO DL will be drafted in the top 20.

So not seeing any DTs getting pushed up the draft board right now. If anything it's the opposite. It's a league of explosive offenses and scoring points. Not saying I agree with that focus, but that's become the reality.

 

[Londoner]

It's a league of explosive offenses and scoring points.

So surely you need a good defence to stop your opponents’ offence from scoring?

Or is it that the rules have become so tilted in the favour of offensive play that building a solid defence is a waste of resources?

 

[WestCoastRam]

Actually, in a offense first league, it seems WRs, OL, and of course QBs go higher then they ever have. 6 OL could go top 20 this yr. 4 WRs could go top 20, and 5 QBs. That's 15 of the top 20 that will likley be those 3 positions. Throw in Bowers at TE, and there may only be 4 defensive players total taken in the top 20, and 3 of those could be CBs....and very possibly ZERO DL will be drafted in the top 20.

So not seeing any DTs getting pushed up the draft board right now. If anything it's the opposite. It's a league of explosive offenses and scoring points. Not saying I agree with that focus, but that's become the reality.

I think that's a reflection of the talent of the draft, not the value of offense over defense. The offensive guys avail are that good. QB not withstanding as there's always QB inflation.

 

[PhillyRam]

So surely you need a good defence to stop your opponents’ offence from scoring?

Or is it that the rules have become so tilted in the favour of offensive play that building a solid defence is a waste of resources?

That could be the case. Elite defenders struggle too stop above avg offensive players due to the rules. So teams focus on getting top level offensive players so they are unstoppable.

Again, not saying I agree with that thought process...just look at KC... Mahomes not with standing, their defense won them a SB because their offensive skill players around Mahomes were mediocre. Even Kelcie had a down yr with drops etc...

 

[Ramhusker]

So surely you need a good defence to stop your opponents’ offence from scoring?

Or is it that the rules have become so tilted in the favour of offensive play that building a solid defence is a waste of resources?

Seems to be the philosophy of McVay and Snead when you look at the size of the cake the O gets in Cap. But, new DC, no AD, something has to tilt back to D and it might be most of the picks in this draft but BPA is going to rule the day if the Rams trade up or pick at 19.