Kiper believes ‘18 NFL draft will “fall very well” for Rams at CB...

Mel Kiper believes 2018 NFL Draft will 'fall really well' for Rams at CB
Cameron DaSilva

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

In the NFL offseason, moves that teams make are like dominos. When one falls, there’s it impacts the next one, and the one after that. With the Rams, that’ll absolutely be the case when it comes to their free-agent class.

Trumaine Johnson, Sammy Watkins and Lamarcus Joyner are all set to hit free agency, and although it’ll be difficult to retain all three, there’s a chance the Rams make it happen. If they were to fit all of them under the cap, it would have a big effect on their draft strategy – particularly with Johnson.

As it stands right now, the Rams are looking at cornerback and edge rusher as their primary positions of need in the draft. Holding the 23rd and 87th picks as their first two selections, it’ll be difficult to address both holes with immediate starters.

As far as Mel Kiper is concerned, though, the Rams won’t have a hard time finding value at cornerback with the 23rd overall pick. He thinks the draft will work in their favor at that spot.

“I think it’s going to fall really well for the Rams late first round. I really do. I think Josh Jackson, if he were there, he’s a [6-1] corner, he’s got great ball skills, great awareness. I think he would definitely be in the mix. Mike Hughes from Central Florida had a great year. He’s a return man. M.J. Stewart, North Carolina. Donte Jackson, LSU, is a little raw, but he’s talented. He’s probably going to run the fastest 40 of any of the cornerbacks in the draft, I would believe. Carlton Davis from Auburn has the great length at the cornerback spot. Like I said, it’s going to fall well.”


Kiper adds that if Josh Jackson runs well at the combine, there’s no chance he’ll be available at No. 23. If he runs an “average” 40-yard dash time, he could still be there when the Rams go on the clock.

That’s the biggest concern with Jackson’s game right now, too. There’s no question he has NFL-caliber ball skills and instincts, but some wonder about his straight-line speed and ability to stay with faster receivers downfield.

Either way, if the Rams opt to let Trumaine Johnson walk, they’ll almost certainly have several strong options at No. 23 – from Jackson to Denzel Ward to Hughes and Davis. At the very least, that should ease the concerns of fans who wonder about the team’s future at cornerback.