Truly impactful draft class

[WestCoastRam]

It keeps looking better. I would love to know what changed in these last two classes with draft philosophy. It cannot just be identifying leadership qualities.

I’ll be very interested to see if it continues. If Snead keeps hitting on the picks this will be really fun.

What if nothing changed and that's just the variance.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Yes. His penalty per play ratio has to be ridiculous.

Don't you mean play per penalty ratio

 

[FrantikRam]

Tomlinson is a cocky bastard which is fine by me. You need that as a corner. Just clean it up.

Earlier in the year - actually may been week one, when the Chiefs RT was lined up illegally far back and it was discussed on the broadcast - someone said that officials talk about player tendencies like that and specifically note to watch for it, which makes sense.

I think that's why DK and Tomlinson get flagged a lot. Or put another way, they just don't have the respect yet and committed some fouls early on. I'm 90% sure that the illegal contact that Tomlinson got called for when he had the INT is identical to the play where Lockett fell down and we picked off Geno to win the game in Seattle in 2021 on Thursday night. Seems like that amount of contact gets called half the time or less.

If I'm reviewing that film with him, I say that's the penalty but ultimately, great play.

 

[snackdaddy]

Avila, Puka, Young, Turner and Ethan Evans are definitely keepers. This is likely to be close a redshirt year for Zach Evans. We'll see him when the game is likely decided. Tomlinson's got some skills. They just have to be patient and teach him things. Like looking at film and letting him see why he committed the penalties. The thing is, we have guys like him and Zach Evans for 4 years. They have time to improve.

Don't know how this year will end up but we have a solid group of youngsters who should continue to improve going into next year. They just need to hit on offensive linemen in future drafts.

 

[Memphis Ram]

Don't you mean play per penalty ratio

lol. you're right.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

What if nothing changed and that's just the variance.

It’s possible but it’s a huge variance. Akers, Rapp, and Jefferson were second round picks. Young and Turner already looks like they have higher ceilings.

I do understand that in some years the draft just stinks. But I think the Rams may have had the best quality draft in the league this past year. I also know that they were targeting leadership and players that overcame the odds. That wasn’t a specific trait that they openly talked about after other drafts.

 

[Kupped]

It’s possible but it’s a huge variance. Akers, Rapp, and Jefferson were second round picks. Young and Turner already looks like they have higher ceilings.

I do understand that in some years the draft just stinks. But I think the Rams may have had the best quality draft in the league this past year. I also know that they were targeting leadership and players that overcame the odds. That wasn’t a specific trait that they openly talked about after other drafts.

Huge variance?
Other than whatever personality issues that developed with Akers... His actual play when he wasn't hurt was objectively good.
Rapp? Got a second NFL contract. He's a whipping boy.. but the guy played and contributed.
Jefferson is a Jag.. but still contributed.

That's not a HUGE variance.. those guys aren't busts, just not great picks.

Jordan Fuller.. Ernest Jones.. there are still value guys there.. and they brought in Alaric Jackson as a UDFA.. not a draft pick, per se.. but a guy they got right after the draft. Starting at LT and doing close to a mid-level job.

This year was an absolute home run.. but that's variance, imo. Look at 2017... that was a home run as well.

 

[Kupped]

Earlier in the year - actually may been week one, when the Chiefs RT was lined up illegally far back and it was discussed on the broadcast - someone said that officials talk about player tendencies like that and specifically note to watch for it, which makes sense.

I think that's why DK and Tomlinson get flagged a lot. Or put another way, they just don't have the respect yet and committed some fouls early on. I'm 90% sure that the illegal contact that Tomlinson got called for when he had the INT is identical to the play where Lockett fell down and we picked off Geno to win the game in Seattle in 2021 on Thursday night. Seems like that amount of contact gets called half the time or less.

If I'm reviewing that film with him, I say that's the penalty but ultimately, great play.

Just rewatched when Tomlinson was in the game and focused on him.

No one should be discouraged at all by his performance, imo.

Rams got this kid in the 6th.. and he'll be, at worst, the team's #3 corner next year.. and I don't mean that as faint praise.

He's got a shit ton of Darious Williams in him.. but he's even smaller, unfortunately.
He has to play the way he does.. but clean it up.. and I think experience will help him do that.

Amazing athlete and has a real feel for football.

 

[Merlin]

This is likely to be close a redshirt year for Zach Evans.

As good as this draft haul was I'm not too worried about Zach Evans.

Thing with RB is that there shouldn't be too much trouble for them to get on the field and be felt. They have a short shelf life but they show quickly too. Now if our RB room was very deep then I'd say it is understandable for him to get relegated low on the chart while he's learning the offense and how to pass protect. But when they need to add Henderson and give him playing time at the midseason point that's a bad look for young Mr. Evans.

So I look at Evans as a likely bust. If not it's a bonus. You're not gonna hit on all these guys and in fact some of the ones we're high on now might still fall off or get hurt. It's still way too early.

 

[Kupped]

As good as this draft haul was I'm not too worried about Zach Evans.

Thing with RB is that there shouldn't be too much trouble for them to get on the field and be felt. They have a short shelf life but they show quickly too. Now if our RB room was very deep then I'd say it is understandable for him to get relegated low on the chart while he's learning the offense and how to pass protect. But when they need to add Henderson and give him playing time at the midseason point that's a bad look for young Mr. Evans.

So I look at Evans as a likely bust. If not it's a bonus. You're not gonna hit on all these guys and in fact some of the ones we're high on now might still fall off or get hurt. It's still way too early.

I don't look at it like that yet.

Pass pro is huge for McVay and the NFL in general.. and he's obviously not there yet.
The fact that they've worked so hard to keep him on the roster, despite not playing him, shows me they believe in his future.

I'd just love to see him get a few carries with the entire first team offense.. to see what can happen.

 

[WestCoastRam]

It’s possible but it’s a huge variance. Akers, Rapp, and Jefferson were second round picks. Young and Turner already looks like they have higher ceilings.

I do understand that in some years the draft just stinks. But I think the Rams may have had the best quality draft in the league this past year. I also know that they were targeting leadership and players that overcame the odds. That wasn’t a specific trait that they openly talked about after other drafts.

Agree with a lot of this. I think variance accounts for a lot of it but it does seems like they tweaked things this year towards attributes like leadership in an effort to mitigate how many rookies they were gonna have.

But another big thing they did was change from looking for role-players to players who could eventually become complete players if things hit right. Jourdan mentioned that change.

 

[Merlin]

Huge variance?
Other than whatever personality issues that developed with Akers... His actual play when he wasn't hurt was objectively good.
Rapp? Got a second NFL contract. He's a whipping boy.. but the guy played and contributed.
Jefferson is a Jag.. but still contributed.

Have to agree with Elm here. Disregarding personality issues with Akers is to disregard what got him traded. It also affected his ability to show up on gameday and availability to some extent as they worked through all that. His inability to be counted on both in his health and his mental health side made him a not-good round 2 pick.

Also Rapp wasn't a whipping boy. We really need to quit victimizing everyone who gets criticized around here. That shit can ruin good conversations. He was completely out of his depth in certain usages so as a second round pick I think he came up short.

Jefferson same thing. And I'd add Everett to that as well. Tutu is much of the same, a marginal guy who can play at this level but not a difference maker. Rams have not drafted all that well overall, particularly in round 2 for whatever reason, they have some real stinker draft years and even though it's early this one stands out clearly. It is night and day I think.

What's really interesting too is that two of the best players McVay has had (AD & Gurley) were drafted by Fisher. Chalk up the rest of that list and most were traded for. Kupp stands as a great example of a positive, as does Nacua, but we don't have to sugar coat this.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Huge variance?
Other than whatever personality issues that developed with Akers... His actual play when he wasn't hurt was objectively good.
Rapp? Got a second NFL contract. He's a whipping boy.. but the guy played and contributed.
Jefferson is a Jag.. but still contributed.

That's not a HUGE variance.. those guys aren't busts, just not great picks.

Jordan Fuller.. Ernest Jones.. there are still value guys there.. and they brought in Alaric Jackson as a UDFA.. not a draft pick, per se.. but a guy they got right after the draft. Starting at LT and doing close to a mid-level job.

This year was an absolute home run.. but that's variance, imo. Look at 2017... that was a home run as well.

So are you saying that Snead hasn’t done anything different than he’s been doing all of these years? It’s all just pot luck?

I would disagree with that. Snead has had a past habit of using physical metrics to make his mid to late round picks in the past. Even with some of his early picks, it was the case. Great character seemed to be a prominent trait to this years class. We’ve all read about it.

 

[Ramstien]

I like Snead but I have to admit that some of his early picks have been questionable or straight up misses. He has had his greatest success in rounds 3 through 5 and has had a few hits in the 6th and 7th. I wonder how many of the early picks has the head coaches fingerprints on them.

 

[Jacobarch]

I like Snead but I have to admit that some of his early picks have been questionable or straight up misses. He has had his greatest success in rounds 3 through 5 and has had a few hits in the 6th and 7th. I wonder how many of the early picks has the head coaches fingerprints on them.

Didn't Snead pick Donald, Gurely, and Goff? All pretty good/great players by any account. All GM's and coaches have more failures with draft picks than success stories. Id consider Snead's tenure with the rams a very successful one at this point in his career.

 

[Merlin]

Didn't Snead pick Donald, Gurely, and Goff?

He's tied to them for sure. But Fish drove the bus when he was here.

 

[Kupped]

He's tied to them for sure. But Fish drove the bus when he was here.

Well.. they also had first round picks.
There’s that.
The 2017 class was an outstanding class.. amazing stuff.
I just don’t see much in the way of “changing how they do things” versus “better luck.”

One thing they avoided doing this year was drafting traits guys.

The last time they did that, it didn’t work out. Rochelle and Harris.

I do think the idea that there was a flawed process with Akers is high comedy.

Shit happens. No one bats 1.000 on draft picks.

 

[Jacobarch]

He's tied to them for sure. But Fish drove the bus when he was here.

And we know this how? I've never seen anything that's actually confirmed this. Just rumors.

 

[Kupped]

Have to agree with Elm here. Disregarding personality issues with Akers is to disregard what got him traded. It also affected his ability to show up on gameday and availability to some extent as they worked through all that. His inability to be counted on both in his health and his mental health side made him a not-good round 2 pick.

Also Rapp wasn't a whipping boy. We really need to quit victimizing everyone who gets criticized around here. That shit can ruin good conversations. He was completely out of his depth in certain usages so as a second round pick I think he came up short.

Jefferson same thing. And I'd add Everett to that as well. Tutu is much of the same, a marginal guy who can play at this level but not a difference maker. Rams have not drafted all that well overall, particularly in round 2 for whatever reason, they have some real stinker draft years and even though it's early this one stands out clearly. It is night and day I think.

What's really interesting too is that two of the best players McVay has had (AD & Gurley) were drafted by Fisher. Chalk up the rest of that list and most were traded for. Kupp stands as a great example of a positive, as does Nacua, but we don't have to sugar coat this.

Oh, you can keep that “victimizing” shit to yourself. What’s up, you watching too much cable news?

I get real tired of lazy finger-pointing and narratives.

I don’t know Rapp and know sure as fuck he doesn’t need “protecting.” Jesus. Who was suggesting he was perfect, or something? He was FAR from a bust and was actually a productive player. He was picked 61… would’ve been nice to get more out of him, coulda been a lot worse.

Not gonna write an essay on the rest of it. Pointed out I don’t see much different in process and draft profiles. Lots of high character productive guys.

 

[Kupped]

So are you saying that Snead hasn’t done anything different than he’s been doing all of these years? It’s all just pot luck?

I would disagree with that. Snead has had a past habit of using physical metrics to make his mid to late round picks in the past. Even with some of his early picks, it was the case. Great character seemed to be a prominent trait to this years class. We’ve all read about it.

I’ve only seen him really going after “traits” with Rochelle and Harris…. Unless we’re going all the way back to Greg Robinson..