Who is Your Top 6 Les Snead draft Picks?

[Corbin]

Ranking Les Snead's 6 best draft picks as GM of the Rams

With 12 drafts in the books, Rams GM Les Snead looks to continue his strong resume in 2024. Here are his six best picks since 2012.

theramswire.usatoday.com

Ranking Les Snead's 6 best draft picks as GM of the Rams​

​

Brock Vierra

April 17, 2024 4:57 am PT




Malik Washington | NFL Draft 2024



Job security for general managers in the NFL is virtually nonexistent. The job is cutthroat, high-pressure and built off of a person’s ability to predict the future. As many executives around the NFL aim to acquire such a position, many owners are quick to pull the plug on their team builders so long tenures are not a common thing for such a job.
However, Les Snead will be participating in his 13th NFL draft as a general manager, a height many aspire to reach but one too great for most. Snead’s tenure with the Rams has been a rollercoaster, featuring many successes and many failures.
He’s navigated multiple roster reconstructions, a relocation and retirements on his way to a Super Bowl title.
Here are Snead’s six best draft picks since he joined the Rams in 2012.

1. DT Aaron Donald, 13th overall (2014)​

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
For a franchise known for great defensive linemen like Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones, Aaron Donald is in a class of his own. Arguably the greatest Ram in history, he not only put fear in opposing offenses but also a ring on his teammates’ fingers through clutch performances against the 49ers and Bengals during the team’s Super Bowl run.
The future Hall of Famer has a long list of accolades, including three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards – tied with J.J. Watt and Lawrence Taylor for the most all-time.

2. WR Cooper Kupp, 69th overall (2017)​

Joe Rondone-Arizona Republic
Hailing from Eastern Washington, Kupp wasted no time introducing himself to the league. Marked as the best pass catcher in the 2017 NFL draft by former Pro Bowl WR Steve Smith, Kupp has hauled in 567 catches in his career for over 7000 yards.
Kupp won the 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year award behind his league-leading 145 catches, 1947 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. Kupp would proceed to break the NFL record for catches during a playoff run that year en route to a Super Bowl victory – a victory ensured by Kupp’s game-winning touchdown catch. Kupp would also be named Super Bowl MVP.

3. RB Todd Gurley, 10th overall (2015)​

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
There was a time in which there was a genuine discussion of whether Todd Gurley would break Emmitt Smith’s rushing record. Todd Gurley rushed for over 5,400 yards in five years with the Rams. Despite an injury-riddled career, Gurley constantly defined what it meant to be a true team player.
Taking a knee before scoring a touchdown on multiple occasions to ensure a Rams victory, Gurley’s play was as selfless as it was electric. The man was a certified baller whose stardom was extinguished before it even hit its peak.

4. WR Puka Nacua, 177th overall (2023)​

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The star coming out of BYU currently owns the NFL records for most catches and receiving yards by a rookie in NFL history. One of the primary reasons the Rams made a surprising run to the playoffs, the Rams haven’t seen such production from a rookie since Torrey Holt – production made even more impressive by the fact that Cooper Kupp was injured to start the year.
If Nacua continues on his historic run, we are talking about perhaps one of the most prolific careers in NFL history. Yet another potential gold jacket selection by Snead.

5. RT Rob Havenstein, 57th overall (2015)​

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
The true anchor of the Rams’ offensive line, Rob Havenstein has been neutralizing the NFL’s best pass rushers for nine years. Entering Year 10, the always-consistent Havenstein continues to contribute even though he rarely gets the shine he deserves.
He’s started in every one of the 130 games he’s played for the franchise, winning two NFC championships and a Super Bowl in the process. The last St. Louis Ram on the roster, Havenstein has been a pillar of the Rams and Snead’s success.

6. QB Jared Goff, 1st overall (2016)​

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Snead’s most courageous draft pick comes out of the University of California. To acquire the No. 1 pick, Snead traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks and Day 3 compensation for Goff and in Goff’s first full season as a starter, the gamble paid off.
During his time in Los Angeles, Goff won two NFC West titles, an NFC championship and made the playoffs in three of the four years he was primary starter. Goff never had a losing season while averaging over 4,000 passing yards per season. Even during his exit, he was traded for Matthew Stafford and while Stafford won a ring with the Rams, Goff has broken another playoff win drought in Detroit.

 

[Corbin]

Anyone notice that's not Rob Havenstein in the photo? lol

 

[Corbin]

1. AD ( no brainer and looking back it makes sense with the type of coach Fisher was)
2. TG30 (It takes some balls to take a Top 10 pick coming off an ACL. Still wonder how that SB goes if he is normal TG smfh)
3. Jared Goff (It's what started our franchise on the uptrend)
4. Cooper Kupp
5. Tyler Higbee (all time leader in TE's for our franchise, yes please)
6. Rob Havenstein

 

[Memento]

Since I apparently have nothing but time, here's a top twenty-five list (as a note, I'm considering only how their career as a Ram went/are going/how they'll be, not the overall career, so a few will be lower on the list).

1. Aaron Donald, 2014. (First-ballot HOFer. Arguably the best defensive player we've ever had - and there's a lot. 'Nuff said.)

2. Cooper Kupp, 2016. (What can you say about Coop? Should've won the MVP in his Triple Crown year. Was definitely robbed. Will be a HOFer with a few more good years.)

3. Todd Gurley, 2015. (A short peak, but he should've been an MVP, and only wasn't because the awards only go to quarterbacks. Gurley proved that running backs matter.)

4. Puka Nacua, 2023. (Nacua had a dominant rookie season, but much like Kupp did, he had a fair few mistakes in his rookie year. He's going to be even better, trust me.)

5. Rob Havenstein, 2015. (Havenstein is just so damn consistent, year in, year out. He's been our right tackle for almost a decade. Not bad for a second-round pick that everyone - including me - thought we reached on.)

6. Kobie Turner, 2023. (The Conductor should've been the DPotY. He was fucking ROBBED. I still think he's going to have an amazing career, even without AD.)

7. Jared Goff, 2016. (Goff may not have been the quarterback to lead us to the promised land, but he was certainly one of the best we've drafted and developed. Definitely a worthy first overall draft pick, despite all of the naysayers.)

8. Tyler Higbee, 2016. (Higbee holds the records for a lot of our tight end records, if not all. He's been a fantastic tight end, morphed from receiver to blocker, and even with challenges from Gerald Everett and Davis Allen, has held strong.)

9. Ernest Jones, 2020. (Jones should be re-signed; he's, in my honest opinion, the best inside linebacker we've had since London. He's smart, a solid cover linebacker, and a fantastic blitzer. Get on it, Snead!)

10. Steve Avila, 2023. (He's going to be our center for the next ten years and make us all forget about Creed Humphrey. Loved the pick when it was made, still love it.)

11. Kyren Williams, 2022. (This 2023 season is going to be a springboard for K-Will.

12. Byron Young, 2023 (I think he's going to be even better than he was last year, especially with another edge rusher to focus on. I'll say this: Agent Zero should've been at least second in the DRotY poll, and he'll prove that.)

13. Trumaine Johnson, 2012) (Tru was a consistent All-Pro at one point, and I think a lot of us forget that. He was a guy who also proved me dead wrong on draft day, and made me start to consider players who had checkered pasts.)

14. Janoris Jenkins, (I put him slightly below Tru because his peak was shorter, but Jackrabbit certainly proved me dead wrong during his draft day.)

15. Michael Brockers, 2012. (Brockers may have had a short impact, but as a nose tackle, he was incredible for giving AD space to work his magic., and he was one of my favorites. Love that we didn't trade him for the opportunity to draft Kevin White.)

16. Alec Ogletree, 2013. (Tree was a very underrated linebacker at one point. Yes, he missed a lot of tackles, but he still made a Pro Bowl with his play, and that means something.)

17. John Johnson III, 2016. (JJ3 has been a solid safety in the backend, even if his peak was rather short. He has a lot of great plays for us, including a pivotal pick against the Saints in the conference championship.)

18. Greg Zuerlein, 2022. (A multiple time Pro-Bowler, and one of the most dominant legs we've ever had. GZ was an elite, if inconsistent, kicker at his peak.)

19. Lamarcus Joyner, 2014. (Joyner was ridiculously underrated, especially given that he started as a nickel cornerback instead of a safety. Hard, fierce hitter who could cover quite well, even though he lacked the ball skills of the great ones.)

20. Greg Gaines, 2019, 4th. (Grizzly Gaines was an absolutely consistent force when he played. As a run-stopper, he had few equals, even if his time with us was short.)

21. Cobie Durant, 2022, 4th. (I'm still a believer in Durant. He has the perfect corners to learn from in Tre'Davious White and Darious Williams, and I think he could be elite.)

22. Ethan Evans, 2023, 7th. (I think Ethan Evans could be an All-Pro punter at his peak. He certainly won't get many opportunities with our offense, but he doesn't have to in order to be great.)

23. Pharoh Cooper, 2016, 4th. (Did you remember that Pharoh was an All-Pro returner? I did. He had the shortest peak, but still, an All-Pro at returner is nothing to sneeze at.)

24. Joseph Noteboom, 2018, 3rd. (Maybe not peak, but sheer longevity. Noteboom is one of the better pass-protectors we've had on the blindside.

25. Tavon Austin, 2013, 1st. (Yes, Tavon gets his due. He lasted a long while with us and had a few awesome plays for us. Sadly, he never showed out like he did in college; if he did, maybe Fisher doesn't get fired. Still, he had some moments, and that means a lot.)

Honorable mentions (those that have made plays):

Taylor Rapp (2019, 2nd)

Gerald Everett (2016, 2nd)

Samson Ebukam (2016, 4th)

Josh Reynolds (2016, 4th)

Quentin Lake (2022, 6th)

Jordan Fuller (2020, 6th)

Bobby Brown III (2021, 4th)

Desjuan Johnson (2023, 7th)

Russ Yeast (2022, 7th)

Davis Allen (2023, 5th)

Nick Hampton (2023, 5th)

Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (6th)

Chatarius Atwell (2021, 2nd)

Van Jefferson (2020, 2nd)

Cam Akers (2020, 2nd)

Darrell Henderson (2019, 3rd)

Nick Scott (2019, 7th)

David Edwards (2019, 7th)

Brian Allen (2018 4th)

John Franklin-Myers (2018; why the FUCK did we cut him again?!)

Sebastian Joseph-Day (2018, 6th)

E.J. Gaines (2014, 6th)

T.J. McDonald (2013, 3rd)

Stedman Bailey (2013, 3rd)

Chris Givens (2012, 4th)

 

[PhillyRam]

Since I apparently have nothing but time, here's a top twenty-five list (as a note, I'm considering only how their career as a Ram went/are going/how they'll be, not the overall career, so a few will be lower on the list).

1. Aaron Donald, 2014. (First-ballot HOFer. Arguably the best defensive player we've ever had - and there's a lot. 'Nuff said.)

2. Cooper Kupp, 2016. (What can you say about Coop? Should've won the MVP in his Triple Crown year. Was definitely robbed. Will be a HOFer with a few more good years.)

3. Todd Gurley, 2015. (A short peak, but he should've been an MVP, and only wasn't because the awards only go to quarterbacks. Gurley proved that running backs matter.)

4. Puka Nacua, 2023. (Nacua had a dominant rookie season, but much like Kupp did, he had a fair few mistakes in his rookie year. He's going to be even better, trust me.)

5. Rob Havenstein, 2015. (Havenstein is just so damn consistent, year in, year out. He's been our right tackle for almost a decade. Not bad for a second-round pick that everyone - including me - thought we reached on.)

6. Kobie Turner, 2023. (The Conductor should've been the DPotY. He was fucking ROBBED. I still think he's going to have an amazing career, even without AD.)

7. Jared Goff, 2016. (Goff may not have been the quarterback to lead us to the promised land, but he was certainly one of the best we've drafted and developed. Definitely a worthy first overall draft pick, despite all of the naysayers.)

8. Tyler Higbee, 2016. (Higbee holds the records for a lot of our tight end records, if not all. He's been a fantastic tight end, morphed from receiver to blocker, and even with challenges from Gerald Everett and Davis Allen, has held strong.)

9. Ernest Jones, 2020. (Jones should be re-signed; he's, in my honest opinion, the best inside linebacker we've had since London. He's smart, a solid cover linebacker, and a fantastic blitzer. Get on it, Snead!)

10. Steve Avila, 2023. (He's going to be our center for the next ten years and make us all forget about Creed Humphrey. Loved the pick when it was made, still love it.)

11. Kyren Williams, 2022. (This 2023 season is going to be a springboard for K-Will.

12. Byron Young, 2023 (I think he's going to be even better than he was last year, especially with another edge rusher to focus on. I'll say this: Agent Zero should've been at least second in the DRotY poll, and he'll prove that.)

13. Trumaine Johnson, 2012) (Tru was a consistent All-Pro at one point, and I think a lot of us forget that. He was a guy who also proved me dead wrong on draft day, and made me start to consider players who had checkered pasts.)

14. Janoris Jenkins, (I put him slightly below Tru because his peak was shorter, but Jackrabbit certainly proved me dead wrong during his draft day.)

15. Michael Brockers, 2012. (Brockers may have had a short impact, but as a nose tackle, he was incredible for giving AD space to work his magic., and he was one of my favorites. Love that we didn't trade him for the opportunity to draft Kevin White.)

16. Alec Ogletree, 2013. (Tree was a very underrated linebacker at one point. Yes, he missed a lot of tackles, but he still made a Pro Bowl with his play, and that means something.)

17. John Johnson III, 2016. (JJ3 has been a solid safety in the backend, even if his peak was rather short. He has a lot of great plays for us, including a pivotal pick against the Saints in the conference championship.)

18. Greg Zuerlein, 2022. (A multiple time Pro-Bowler, and one of the most dominant legs we've ever had. GZ was an elite, if inconsistent, kicker at his peak.)

19. Lamarcus Joyner, 2014. (Joyner was ridiculously underrated, especially given that he started as a nickel cornerback instead of a safety. Hard, fierce hitter who could cover quite well, even though he lacked the ball skills of the great ones.)

20. Greg Gaines, 2019, 4th. (Grizzly Gaines was an absolutely consistent force when he played. As a run-stopper, he had few equals, even if his time with us was short.)

21. Cobie Durant, 2022, 4th. (I'm still a believer in Durant. He has the perfect corners to learn from in Tre'Davious White and Darious Williams, and I think he could be elite.)

22. Ethan Evans, 2023, 7th. (I think Ethan Evans could be an All-Pro punter at his peak. He certainly won't get many opportunities with our offense, but he doesn't have to in order to be great.)

23. Pharoh Cooper, 2016, 4th. (Did you remember that Pharoh was an All-Pro returner? I did. He had the shortest peak, but still, an All-Pro at returner is nothing to sneeze at.)

24. Joseph Noteboom, 2018, 3rd. (Maybe not peak, but sheer longevity. Noteboom is one of the better pass-protectors we've had on the blindside.

25. Tavon Austin, 2013, 1st. (Yes, Tavon gets his due. He lasted a long while with us and had a few awesome plays for us. Sadly, he never showed out like he did in college; if he did, maybe Fisher doesn't get fired. Still, he had some moments, and that means a lot.)

Honorable mentions (those that have made plays):

Taylor Rapp (2019, 2nd)

Gerald Everett (2016, 2nd)

Samson Ebukam (2016, 4th)

Josh Reynolds (2016, 4th)

Quentin Lake (2022, 6th)

Jordan Fuller (2020, 6th)

Bobby Brown III (2021, 4th)

Desjuan Johnson (2023, 7th)

Russ Yeast (2022, 7th)

Davis Allen (2023, 5th)

Nick Hampton (2023, 5th)

Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (6th)

Chatarius Atwell (2021, 2nd)

Van Jefferson (2020, 2nd)

Cam Akers (2020, 2nd)

Darrell Henderson (2019, 3rd)

Nick Scott (2019, 7th)

David Edwards (2019, 7th)

Brian Allen (2018 4th)

John Franklin-Myers (2018; why the FUCK did we cut him again?!)

Sebastian Joseph-Day (2018, 6th)

E.J. Gaines (2014, 6th)

T.J. McDonald (2013, 3rd)

Stedman Bailey (2013, 3rd)

Chris Givens (2012, 4th)

SJ Day over Pharaoh Cooper, all day everyday. Cooper may have been an All Pro return guy for a yr, but he also single handedly lost a home playoff game for the Rams.

 

[Memento]

And another post for the UDFAs. We wouldn't be anywhere without those UDFAs making a difference (and honestly, I think it's Les's biggest strength):

2012:

Johnny Hekker, Rodney McLeod, Cory Harkey.

(Hekker should be a HOFer after his career. McLeod was a great deep safety, and Harkey played a huge role as a blocker.)

2013:

Benny Cunningham, Daren Bates, Cody Davis.

(Cunningham was actually a solid running back at one point. Bates and Davis were special teams aces.)

2014:

Ethan Westbrooks.

(Our crown jewel, and a good one as a pass-rusher.)

2015:

Malcolm Brown, Matt Longacre

(Brown was a solid backup running back and Longacre a solid pass-rusher. Sadly, Troy Hill doesn't count; he was signed by Cinci first)

2016:

Morgan Fox, Cory Littleton

(Blake Countess and Marqui Christian don't count; Countess signed with the Eagles first, and Christian was a Cardinals fifth round pick. But Littleton was a dominant linebacker, and Fox a solid pass-rusher.)

2017:

None.

(Not a lot of good UDFAs here.)

2018:

None.

(Darious Williams was a rookie, but had been signed by the Ravens first. Otherwise, not much.)

2019:

Troy Reeder, Kendall Blanton

(Yes, I'll include Blanton because he played such a huge role against the hated 69ers. And Reeder has been around the NFL for a while. That counts for something.)

2020:

Michael Hoecht, Jonah Williams, Christian Rozeboom

(Absolutely solid three.)

2021:

Alaric Jackson

(A starting left tackle who is actually good? Yes, please!)

2022:

Jake Hummel (Ronnie Rivers was signed by the Cardinals first).

2023:

Alex Ward (yes, a long-snapper, but...I think he could be very good.)

So yeah, Snead has made several incredibly shrewd scouting moves, and he'll continue to make them.

 

[Memento]

SJ Day over Pharaoh Cooper, all day everyday. Cooper may have been an All Pro return guy for a yr, but he also single handedly lost a home playoff game for the Rams.

He did not single-handedly lose that game. Our offense didn't show up against Atlanta, and our secondary sucked, if I recall correctly. We were just happy that we got to the playoffs after the debacle of the prior year.

 

[PhillyRam]

He did not single-handedly lose that game. Our offense didn't show up against Atlanta, and our secondary sucked, if I recall correctly. We were just happy that we got to the playoffs after the debacle of the prior year.

Well, the offense couldn't get on the field because he kept fumbling punts to the other team. Hard to score from the bench.

And yes the offense wasn't great, but hard to get into a rhythm when you can't get the ball, thrn falling behind it seemed everyone was pressing.

If he doesn't fumble twice in the first half, the Rams likley get things figured out earlier and win that game. As it was, it was a 1 score game late into the 4th...add in fumbles that led to points for Atlanta, while denying our offense an opportunity, seems to me he cost us that game.

 

[Memento]

Well, the offense couldn't get on the field because he kept fumbling punts to the other team. Hard to score from the bench.

And yes the offense wasn't great, but hard to get into a rhythm when you can't get the ball, thrn falling behind it seemed everyone was pressing.

If he doesn't fumble twice in the first half, the Rams likley get things figured out earlier and win that game. As it was, it was a 1 score game late into the 4th...add in fumbles that led to points for Atlanta, while denying our offense an opportunity, seems to me he cost us that game.

We couldn't cover Julio. I refuse to blame one player for a loss unless he makes a ton of absolutely costly mistakes. Two muffed punts doesn't do it enough for me, much like I refuse to blame Az for the Saints game.

I don't like to scapegoat players. Pharoh played incredibly well that season before the playoff game. Gurley couldn't do anything. Goff couldn't do anything. The secondary, like I said, was atrocious (which is why we went for Peters and Talib the next season).

Point is, nobody showed up for those games. It wasn't just Pharoh.

 

[PhillyRam]

We couldn't cover Julio. I refuse to blame one player for a loss unless he makes a ton of absolutely costly mistakes. Two muffed punts doesn't do it enough for me, much like I refuse to blame Az for the Saints game.

I don't like to scapegoat players. Pharoh played incredibly well that season before the playoff game. Gurley couldn't do anything. Goff couldn't do anything. The secondary, like I said, was atrocious (which is why we went for Peters and Talib the next season).

Point is, nobody showed up for those games. It wasn't just Pharoh.

Plz...he choked. And I refuse to make excuses for a player who completely changed the way the game was played.

The Rams trailed 13-10 at half, despite forfeiting 2 offensive possessions due to the inability to field a punt.

They outgained Atl in the game and had only one fewer first down....and that's with having their offense lose 2 possessions, while keeping their defense on the field twice with consecutive possessions by Atlanta.

Those were crushing turnovers because it kills your defense in terms of them getting tired, while putting your offense on ice on the bench.

 

[snackdaddy]

I remember quite a few people said we picked the wrong quarterback when we drafted Goff. He proved that to be wrong. Did he do enough to warrant the number one overall pick? I think so when you look at the overall top picks the past decade. Now let Goff debate begin.

 

[Memento]

Plz...he choked. And I refuse to make excuses for a player who completely changed the way the game was played.

The Rams trailed 13-10 at half, despite forfeiting 2 offensive possessions due to the inability to field a punt.

They outgained Atl in the game and had only one fewer first down....and that's with having their offense lose 2 possessions, while keeping their defense on the field twice with consecutive possessions by Atlanta.

Those were crushing turnovers because it kills your defense in terms of them getting tired, while putting your offense on ice on the bench.

View attachment 65226

The team choked. Not just Pharoh. We gave up two fourth down possessions. We only ran the ball sixteen times, despite gaining chunks of yardage from Gurley. One out of four in the redzone.

That's not going to win. And the secondary was giving up first down after first down.

I'm not even that invested in defending Pharoh, but I refuse to put the blame of a loss on one single player because it's almost never that single player.

 

[fanotodd]

Since I apparently have nothing but time, here's a top twenty-five list (as a note, I'm considering only how their career as a Ram went/are going/how they'll be, not the overall career, so a few will be lower on the list).

1. Aaron Donald, 2014. (First-ballot HOFer. Arguably the best defensive player we've ever had - and there's a lot. 'Nuff said.)

2. Cooper Kupp, 2016. (What can you say about Coop? Should've won the MVP in his Triple Crown year. Was definitely robbed. Will be a HOFer with a few more good years.)

3. Todd Gurley, 2015. (A short peak, but he should've been an MVP, and only wasn't because the awards only go to quarterbacks. Gurley proved that running backs matter.)

4. Puka Nacua, 2023. (Nacua had a dominant rookie season, but much like Kupp did, he had a fair few mistakes in his rookie year. He's going to be even better, trust me.)

5. Rob Havenstein, 2015. (Havenstein is just so damn consistent, year in, year out. He's been our right tackle for almost a decade. Not bad for a second-round pick that everyone - including me - thought we reached on.)

6. Kobie Turner, 2023. (The Conductor should've been the DPotY. He was fucking ROBBED. I still think he's going to have an amazing career, even without AD.)

7. Jared Goff, 2016. (Goff may not have been the quarterback to lead us to the promised land, but he was certainly one of the best we've drafted and developed. Definitely a worthy first overall draft pick, despite all of the naysayers.)

8. Tyler Higbee, 2016. (Higbee holds the records for a lot of our tight end records, if not all. He's been a fantastic tight end, morphed from receiver to blocker, and even with challenges from Gerald Everett and Davis Allen, has held strong.)

9. Ernest Jones, 2020. (Jones should be re-signed; he's, in my honest opinion, the best inside linebacker we've had since London. He's smart, a solid cover linebacker, and a fantastic blitzer. Get on it, Snead!)

10. Steve Avila, 2023. (He's going to be our center for the next ten years and make us all forget about Creed Humphrey. Loved the pick when it was made, still love it.)

11. Kyren Williams, 2022. (This 2023 season is going to be a springboard for K-Will.

12. Byron Young, 2023 (I think he's going to be even better than he was last year, especially with another edge rusher to focus on. I'll say this: Agent Zero should've been at least second in the DRotY poll, and he'll prove that.)

13. Trumaine Johnson, 2012) (Tru was a consistent All-Pro at one point, and I think a lot of us forget that. He was a guy who also proved me dead wrong on draft day, and made me start to consider players who had checkered pasts.)

14. Janoris Jenkins, (I put him slightly below Tru because his peak was shorter, but Jackrabbit certainly proved me dead wrong during his draft day.)

15. Michael Brockers, 2012. (Brockers may have had a short impact, but as a nose tackle, he was incredible for giving AD space to work his magic., and he was one of my favorites. Love that we didn't trade him for the opportunity to draft Kevin White.)

16. Alec Ogletree, 2013. (Tree was a very underrated linebacker at one point. Yes, he missed a lot of tackles, but he still made a Pro Bowl with his play, and that means something.)

17. John Johnson III, 2016. (JJ3 has been a solid safety in the backend, even if his peak was rather short. He has a lot of great plays for us, including a pivotal pick against the Saints in the conference championship.)

18. Greg Zuerlein, 2022. (A multiple time Pro-Bowler, and one of the most dominant legs we've ever had. GZ was an elite, if inconsistent, kicker at his peak.)

19. Lamarcus Joyner, 2014. (Joyner was ridiculously underrated, especially given that he started as a nickel cornerback instead of a safety. Hard, fierce hitter who could cover quite well, even though he lacked the ball skills of the great ones.)

20. Greg Gaines, 2019, 4th. (Grizzly Gaines was an absolutely consistent force when he played. As a run-stopper, he had few equals, even if his time with us was short.)

21. Cobie Durant, 2022, 4th. (I'm still a believer in Durant. He has the perfect corners to learn from in Tre'Davious White and Darious Williams, and I think he could be elite.)

22. Ethan Evans, 2023, 7th. (I think Ethan Evans could be an All-Pro punter at his peak. He certainly won't get many opportunities with our offense, but he doesn't have to in order to be great.)

23. Pharoh Cooper, 2016, 4th. (Did you remember that Pharoh was an All-Pro returner? I did. He had the shortest peak, but still, an All-Pro at returner is nothing to sneeze at.)

24. Joseph Noteboom, 2018, 3rd. (Maybe not peak, but sheer longevity. Noteboom is one of the better pass-protectors we've had on the blindside.

25. Tavon Austin, 2013, 1st. (Yes, Tavon gets his due. He lasted a long while with us and had a few awesome plays for us. Sadly, he never showed out like he did in college; if he did, maybe Fisher doesn't get fired. Still, he had some moments, and that means a lot.)

Honorable mentions (those that have made plays):

Taylor Rapp (2019, 2nd)

Gerald Everett (2016, 2nd)

Samson Ebukam (2016, 4th)

Josh Reynolds (2016, 4th)

Quentin Lake (2022, 6th)

Jordan Fuller (2020, 6th)

Bobby Brown III (2021, 4th)

Desjuan Johnson (2023, 7th)

Russ Yeast (2022, 7th)

Davis Allen (2023, 5th)

Nick Hampton (2023, 5th)

Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (6th)

Chatarius Atwell (2021, 2nd)

Van Jefferson (2020, 2nd)

Cam Akers (2020, 2nd)

Darrell Henderson (2019, 3rd)

Nick Scott (2019, 7th)

David Edwards (2019, 7th)

Brian Allen (2018 4th)

John Franklin-Myers (2018; why the FUCK did we cut him again?!)

Sebastian Joseph-Day (2018, 6th)

E.J. Gaines (2014, 6th)

T.J. McDonald (2013, 3rd)

Stedman Bailey (2013, 3rd)

Chris Givens (2012, 4th)

You lost me at Tavon Austin. That pick buried the Fisher Regime, AFAIC. The Rams could have drafted:
Hopkins
Patterson (who has had a much more productive career as a returner)
Keenan Allen

and our beloved Robert Woods.

…but kudos on the UDFA list. When you put it that way, Snead has crushed it on those pickups.

 

[Memento]

You lost me at Tavon Austin. That pick buried the Fisher Regime, AFAIC. The Rams could have drafted:
Hopkins
Patterson (who has had a much more productive career as a returner)
Keenan Allen

and our beloved Robert Woods.

…but kudos on the UDFA list. When you put it that way, Snead has crushed it on those pickups.

He still lasted a while in the league and with us. Had quite a few punt returns and long passing touchdowns called back by undisciplined and stupid penalties.

Was he a bad pick? Absolutely. But honestly, he put more production than anyone in the honorable mentions. This year's draft will knock him off of the top twenty-five, guaranteed.

 

[PhillyRam]

The team choked. Not just Pharoh. We gave up two fourth down possessions. We only ran the ball sixteen times, despite gaining chunks of yardage from Gurley. One out of four in the redzone.

That's not going to win. And the secondary was giving up first down after first down.

I'm not even that invested in defending Pharoh, but I refuse to put the blame of a loss on one single player because it's almost never that single player.

Well, McVay made it pretty clear by dumping him after 2 yrs.

 

[Kupped]

Best what? Best players? Best values?
Does duration of career matter?
I don't have much of a problem with the top 6 listed if it's as "best players drafted" by Les Snead.
Best value might be different... but it's harder to assess that when including still-active players.

 

[Corbin]

Best what? Best players? Best values?
Does duration of career matter?
I don't have much of a problem with the top 6 listed if it's as "best players drafted" by Les Snead.
Best value might be different... but it's harder to assess that when including still-active players.

No stipulations, whatever you think you want to do or is most important on that list.

 

[PhillyRam]

He still lasted a while in the league and with us. Had quite a few punt returns and long passing touchdowns called back by undisciplined and stupid penalties.

Was he a bad pick? Absolutely. But honestly, he put more production than anyone in the honorable mentions. This year's draft will knock him off of the top twenty-five, guaranteed.

You have to factor where a guy was picked and their production for that draft position.

Travon Howard was a better pick than Austin when you consider one was a trade up into the top 10 or 12, while the other was a 7th rounder who stuck here for nearly 5 yrs and made some big plays as a reserve.

 

[fanotodd]

Austin, I believe, was picked at #8, costing the Rams both their 1rst and 2nd rounders to move up.
This, IMO, wrecked what could have been after a fantastic first year rebuilding the Rams and making them competitive again. The Rams never developed an offense under Fisher. To be fair, he never had a reliable, legit QB who could take them anywhere either—hence the giant leap to get Goff.
Which segues into my list:

1) Aaron Donald
2) Jarrod Goff
3) Todd Gurley
4) Cooper Kupp
5) Rob Havenstein
6) Tyler Higbee
Why? These are the foundational pieces who led the Rams to two SB appearances and one title.

En route to our next SB, I submit
1) the Conductor, Kobe Turner
2) Puka Nacua
3) Steve Avila

 

[PARAM]

Top 6?

Donald (1st....the second of that draft), Kupp (3rd) , Puka (5th), Avila (2nd), Kyren (5th), E Jones (3rd).

Gurley was a first round pick (#10) with an injury history and he was injured. How is that a "great pick"?
Goff was the first overall pick and they traded him away. How is that a "great pick"? We had to give Detroit Goff and two first round picks for Stafford.
Havenstein was a good pick but I chose Avila instead