I was looking at more players at the position as well, as I usually overlook primarily OLB since the Rams ran a 3-4. I was aware of them, but I never put too much time into looking at them. There are a few players I looked at that could be sitting there when the Rams’ first pick in the 2nd comes. There are going to be some talented edge rushers there, it’s been stated here many times that the great depth at cornerback and the edge will push some good players further than they should go. Here are some that I liked and wouldn’t mind the team grabbing in the early 2nd or 3rd.
Ejuan Price – 6’0” – 230 LBS – PittHis listed measures seem small for the position and could be trouble in the run game, but this guy is like the Aaron Donald on the edge and just happens to go to the same school as he did. I really like this guy and he can put his hand in the dirt as well and still be productive. This guy is constantly going and has an engine that doesn’t quit with very active hands. His size could push him back, but his size is great for bending and getting around the corner and whoever takes him is going to have themselves a great pass rusher. Over the last two seasons he has 27 sacks, 25 quarterback hits, and 67 quarterback hurries.
Tim Williams – 6’3” – 240 LBS – AlabamaMost productive pass rusher in the nation over the last three seasons, but did not play a ton of snaps his first two seasons due to the depth of that defense. Played his most amount of snaps this past year since there wasn’t a ton of depth on the team. Had concerns in the run game as he hadn’t played a ton, but played a lot this season and proved to hold his own there. Has violent hands and a bevy of moves to beat tackles. Williams had 59 total pressures on 278 pass rushing snaps this past season, or 16.7 percent of his pass rush snaps which was second in the nation. Only played 685 snaps his entire career at Alabama, so I’d wonder about how he holds up in a full season in the NFL.
Takakarrist McKinley – 6’2” – 255 LBS – UCLAExtremely explosive player and has great speed to be a disaster on the edge. He has improved in the run game and he is clearly still developing, plus you can see that he wants it. Did I mention his speed? His non-stop motor and tenacity gives me the impression that he has Von Miller like potential. I’ve seen him compared to being the next DeMarcus Ware as well, but I say Miller. He doesn’t have any passes thrown his way, so his coverage ability is an unknown at this point. He added muscle going into this past season and maintained his ridiculous speed. He uses a lot of moves, so he’s not a one trick pony.
T.J. Watt – 6’5” – 250 LBS – WisconsinThis was his second year at Wisconsin and his first year as a starter, so I can only imagine what he will do with more playing time going forward. I also like that his brother is J.J. Watt, so I imagine he will have someone that has proven to be one of the best at his position to train and help him get even better. He can play the run game as shown in the game against LSU when they held one of the best running backs in the country in check, where he had five stops. Played TE when he got to Wisconsin, but switched to OLB after injuring both of his knees that kept him out for his first two seasons. Didn’t seem affected with the position change and with his success so early on, this guy is going to be a player that teams regret passing on. This guy would be great for a Wade Phillips ran defense and I would be ecstatic to have him on the Rams. He has been targeted 11 times in the passing game and given up 58 yards, has one interception, three passes defended, and one touchdown.
Tarell Basham – 6’4” – 250 LBS – OhioThis is a player that I see getting over looked, probably because he played at Ohio, but he has been amazing. He had nine sacks, 10 quarterback hurries, and 50 quarterback hurries this past season for 69 total pressures. He plays better as a down lineman, but I think he could stand up and rush the passer as well. Pretty fast for his size and a sure tackler with only eight missed tackles in his three-year career. He’s strong and plays well in the run game, but could work on getting off the ball better. Basham also needs to add more moves to his pass rush in order to be successful, but with his high motor, I think he can do it and I like his value as I see him possibly falling to day three of the draft.
I’m not to the point where I want to be on scouting these players, but I’m working on it and these are just a few guys I wanted to mention as possibilities for the Rams. I will continue to look at players at the position as I’ve never really looked at them too in-depth since the Rams always used their edge rushers in a 4-3. Feedback is welcome and encouraged.
