I decided 6 years ago I was going to change the way I operated as far as my half assed scouting. I would still do 3 mocks, but it would be post senior bowl, post combine, and pre-draft. The senior bowl answers some questions, like can a D2 player compete with the big guys. How do they handle a pro style offense? How do they interview? The combine can confirm some stuff you think you see or don't see, but the combine is more for the interviews, drug tests and weigh ins.

As with any mock some assumptions have to be made. Here are mine:
1. I'm going to add the 4 comp picks. I'll assume they are at the end of rounds 4,5,6 and 7. So these picks are obviously fluid. So its 5-5-5-7, and the new mock will reflect that.
2. Free Agency is going to be important and tricky, with the limited (or negative cap space). I expect some contracts to be monkeyed with.
3. I think Rapp is gone for sure and probably Scott as well. They drafted 2 kids last year and should have a fully healthy Jordan Fuller. This seems correct, Rapp is still out there, so I cannot state I am correct yet on this one.
4. ARob or Gaines is gone. I expect the Rams to resign Gaines. Seems both are gone.
5. David Edwards is gone or brought back on an extremely cheap deal. That is team friendly in a way he can be cut at any time. He just cannot stay healthy. this seems correct
6. Mayfield is gone. Correct
7. As far as FA signings, and or trades. I have my doubts the Rams move Ramsey. I can see Noteboom and/or Allen being cut or moved though.
8. I think the Rams try and get a vet edge rusher. Fowler, Houston, Ingram and my favorite Winovich are a few names. TBD, but it seems like it will be bargain bin guys like Winovich if any
9. I also think they try and improve at CB. No idea who, but they need a solid starter. oof, this is gonna be tough to do.
10. LG is the other spot they try to improve. Doesn't seem like it
11. Akers I think survives for 1 more year. So far he has.

So, with that all figured in, the Rams need help at OG, Edge, CB, OC, TE and DL. And maybe OT depending on Noteboom and Jackson. Sounds like both will be good to go this year, so LT not so important IMO

I'm gonna do something in this draft I really don't do or like to do because its just too much of a crap shoot. I'm gonna trade down from 2.36 to 2.44 with ATL and also getting one of their 4th rounders 4.110. Pick points work out to Rams giving them 540 points in 2.36 and ATL giving the Rams 534 points in 2.44 and 4.110. Atlanta has 4.113 as well, so moving up doesn't leave them without a 4th rounder.

2.44 Joe Tippmann - IOL - Wisc. - 6'-6" 313 lbs. - I know I said I am going to quit picking OCs high, but this one is a tad different. He has the size and strength to play OG as well. His combination of size, strength and athletic ability along with position flexibility make this a slam dunk pick. The Rams like Wisc OL so this also makes senses. He can slide into the LG spot immediately and replace Allen down the road (hopefully sooner than later)

Previous pick: Cody Mauch IOL - NDSU - 6'-5" 305 lbs. - He checks alot of boxes, he played LT for the Bison, but played LG and OC at the Senior Bowl. His arm length is an issue, but inside it isn't. The Rams love Senior Bowl guys and they also love moving OTs in college inside. He also plays with a mean streak and to the echo of the whistle. He makes a ton of sense in too many ways.

Other guys to keep an eye on:
John Michael Schmitz - OC/OG Minn - another Senior bowl guy, the top OC in the draft IMO, and adds size and nasty to the inside of the OL. I'm just tired of mocking OCs to the Rams and being wrong. He emay be gone, but if he isn't, he could easily be the pick.

Edge - Foskey from ND at 6-5" 262 is a guy that fits what the Rams need.. McDonald Iowa State would be a great pick as well. Only 6'-3 1/2" and 241, but love his game. I think he is gone by 44 though. Felix Anudike-Uzomah is another guy I love, but he is a tad raw and may need a year. B.J. Ojulari is a name to keep an eye on as well. I like him more that most. I wish he had more production in college. Edge wildcard: Nolan Smith, a tad undersized and lacked production on a stacked Georgia team, but he is all effort and a team leader. Lots of upside. This is still the pick I would make.

Jahmyr Gibbs, RB from Alabama. Undersized as a 3 down back, but he is an offensive weapon. And Snead has said that they like to draft impact players early. 5'-11" 200 lbs and should run in 4.32 range. Rams could deploy him anywhere on the field. In motion, at HB, out of the slot. He's dangerous.

Any of the top 5 TEs may be in play due to McVay wanting to get the offense back on track. Mayer, safest pick, Washington a blocking TE with serious mismatch upside, Musgrave - the highest ceiling?, Kincaid and Tucker round it out. FYI, the Rams met with Mich TE Schoonmaker at his pro day. Midround pick that can block and work the middle of the field. This tells me the Rams are not done with TEs yet and will draft one somewhere.

3.69 Byron Young - EDGE - Tenn. - 6'-2" 250 lbs. - This guy just competes. He is super bendy and athletic. A bit undersized, but consistently finds his way to the QB. Seems like a super coachable kid as he has elevated himself from JuCo football to Tenn. Thats not by accident. Senior Bowl standout, so that matters to the Rams.

previous pick - Will McDonald - Edge - Iowa State - 6'-3 1/2" 241 lbs. - He's got alot going for him, impressed at the Senior Bowl, so why is he a 3rd round pick? He is almost 24 years old, and is looking at a position switch from DL to standup edge rusher. But he is a plus athlete, big motor kid. And I think the Rams are gonna love him. I have to think he is long gone.

Other names to look for:
CBs should be up on the list, Julius Brents KSU, is a big zone corner that would add some needed size to the DB room. Banks from Maryland is also in that range. Can play both man and zone.

Zach Charbonnet - has bellcow size and I think enough juice to be a HR threat. I like him a lot in the 3rd round. A big combine might ruin that thought though. Same goes for Roshon Johnson from Texas.

Any TE that tumbles into this range might be very tempting.

3.77 Darius Rush - CB - South Carolina - 6'-2" 198 lbs. - Great size and long arms, good ball skills, effective blitzer and aggressive in the run game. He is a converted WR, so he is still learning, meaning his ceiling could go higher. He played in a 4-2-5 with Cover 3 and quarters defense, so he should be able to slide into the Rams D with little growing pains. I think in time, he can play the STAR position Ramsey vacated, he has the size and temperament to me a safety, or he could just stay outside as a CB. ST upside as well.

Other names that make sense:

see pick 3.69, I'll add a few more names though: I would say OT Matthew Bergeron, but I think he is long gone now. S Sydney Brown, QB Hendon Hooker, although Im not as sold on him as Alyo is. TE like Laporta is in play. Andrei Iosivas WR, is a kid I love, held more than his own at the Senior Bowl.

4.110 (from Atl) Kendre Miller - RB - TCU - 5'-11" 215 lbs. - Workhorse back that blends power, patience, vision and really nice contact balance. Has some wiggle to him. Developing as a pass catcher. Good in pass pro and has enough juice to hit the occasional HR. Here is the powerful back this board has been screaming for.

Preivious pick, kinda - Payne Durham - TE - Purdue - 6'-5" 258 lbs. - The Rams need another TE and they need one rather quickly. Not the greatest athlete, but he can block inline and is a seam mismatch. He doesn't scream TE1 to me, but a serious TE2. This was a projected comp pick. I think he still works here, but 4.110 seems too early. Maybe not

Other names to watch: Josh Whyle is another TE that makes a ton of sense.

RB Tank Bigsby from Auburn had a rough year behind a crap line, but if he slides to the end of the 4th, he'd be tough to pass on.

Safety help: I'm looking at you Trey Dean from Florida.

CB: Darrel Luter Jr from S. Alabama is a nice developmental CB.

OCs: take your pick from Wypler from OSU and Oluwatimi from Mich if either is there. Both scheme fits.

5.167 Charlie Jones - WR - Purdue - 5'-11" 175 lbs. - Looks like an advanced route runner with 4.43 speed. Great hands, shifty in the open field and decent play strength. Do I wish he was 6'-1" 205 lbs? yes, but he's not a midget. He competes his butt off and does his best work over the middle. I liken him to Robert Woods in that regard.

Previous pick: Andrei Iosivas - WR - Princeton - 6'-3" 212 lbs. - This is probably a round too low. Haven't gotten too deep into my boards yet. Track speed, a bit stiff, and raw. But plenty of upside on a frame you can't teach. He's long gone by here, combine and senior bowl ensured that.

Other names to watch and this goes for all 3 5th round picks: WR Jonathan Mingo makes some sense with the luck they had with Skow. If CB Riley Moss falls to the 5th, I'd love that pick. Jake Bobo ran a 4.67 at his pro day in the mist and fog, but the Rams have shown interest. I like him. Is he a 5th or 6th rounder?

5.171 Payne Durham - TE - Purdue - 6'-6" 253 lbs. - a nice #2 TE in 12 personnel. A great Redzone target due to his size. He ran a slow 4.87 otherwise he would be gone by now. I like his combination of size and toughness. Completes the TE room, with an eye on replacing Higbee down the road. Did well at Senior Bowl and Rams have history with Purdue TEs (is that a good or bad thing?)

5.177 Arquon Bush - DB - Cinn. - 6'-0" 190 lbs. - Here is another chess piece for the defense. Has played CB, Nickel, and safety. Willing tackler in run support and enough of an athlete to hang in the slot. Does his best work in zone. He'll add depth to both SAF and CB rooms.

6.189 - Clayton Tune - QB - Houston - 6'-2" 216 lbs. - not a dual threat exactly, but he can run, extend plays off script and isn't a statue in pocket. Has enough arm to make all the throws. 3 time team captain. I'm keeping this pick cuz I like this kid alot.

Who else makes sense: At this point in the draft I'm looking at 4 QBs. Tune, Haener, Duggan and Bagent. Tune is a dual threat with great size. Haener is a scrappy, smart, undersized winner. Duggan is undersized, tough and limited with his arm. Bagent is a big armed, athletic QB with great size and coming from D2, a project with lots of upside. Pick your favorite and insert here.

As far as other names, safeties, OL depth, edge depth, ST help all make sense.

6.191 Robert Beal Jr. - EDGE - Georgia - 6'-4" 247 lbs. - The Rams miss on Nolan Smith, but get his running mate. He needs to add more tools to his pass rush toolbox, but he is quick, athletic and has an all day motor. He just needs to put it all together to reach his potential. Shrine Bowl participant.

Previous pick - Darius Rush - CB - South Carolina State - 5'-11 1/2" 196 lbs. - I loved watching the gamecocks and Beamer ball this year, and Rush was one of the reasons. Nice size and length, and he looked very instinctual. Now his technique is raw and needs work, but the stuff he has cannot be taught, what he lacks can be. I'm probably way low on him after the Senior Bowl. what was I thinking, putting him in the 6th round. I have him with a solid 3rd round grade as I finalize my rankings.

6.191 Bennett Williams - SAF - Oregon 6'-0" 206 lbs. - heady player that did a little of everything for Oregon's 4-2-5 defense. Had a sack, a couple of INTs and 44 tackles. versatile players with ST upside make a ton of sense here. Plus the Rams were the only team not to attend Oregon's pro day, masking their interest in him.

Previous pick: Daniel Scott - S - Cal - 6'-0 1/2" 210 lbs. - He can in time replace Rapp. Size and willingness in the run game, likes to smack WRs around (sometimes illegally) Love his intensity, and made plays on the football in the passing game. I like Williams pass defense better.

Who else makes sense? Evan Williams FSU (the good FSU) is a nice target if you are looking for more of a FS type.

7.237 Jordan McFadden - OL - Clemson - 6'-2" 305 lbs. - A left and right OT, his lack of length moves him inside. Nasty temperament and plays to the whistle. This seems like a Anchrum pick all over, but I like McFadden more. In time, I think he can be the starting LG with Tippmann at OC. Rams OL getting nastier.

Previous pick - PJ Mustipher - DT - Penn State - 6'-4" 320 lbs. - power, size and length. The Rams are gonna need to replace some size and power this off season, and Mustipher isn't super exciting to watch, but has a big motor and size you can't teach. I still like him and would not be disappointed with this pick.

7.251 Bumper Pool - ILB - Arkansas - 6'-2" 232 lbs. - Tackling machine that has experience dropping into zone coverage in cover 2 and cover 3. Violent hitter, esp for his size. May not be the rangiest ILB, but as a early down guy, his run defense is very good. High motor and relentless in pursuit as well.

Previous pick- D'Jordan Strong - DB - Coastal Carolina - 5'-11" 190 lbs. - can play a mix of man and zone, plays with an attitude I like in my DBs. A bit undersized. I think he could work as a boundry CB, a slot corner or move to safety. Either way, he adds depth to the secondary and with his attitude, should contribute to STs. If I hadn't added so many DBs already, he makes sense.

This turned out way better than I thought it would as I started to piece this together. Here is a recap of my haul with only 1 trade (and IMO a trade that is fair and makes sense)

2 OL, 1 early that has OG/OC that can start immediately. 1 that has OG/OT in a pinch ability and could start down the road.
2 CBs, again, 1 early and 1 later. Both are zone guys and have good size and the ability to move around the backend.
2 EDGE, again 1 early with the ability to be a pass rush specialist early in his career, the other a later round guy thats only available because of a drop in production.
1 SAF to provide depth and flexability
1 RB - a workhorse the board has been begging for.
1 WR - a WR that can work the middle of the field, something missed since Trees has been gone.
1 TE - a perfect TE #2 that can block in 2 TE sets and be a redzone threat. He compliments what the TE already has.
1 QB - late developmental type with tons of production
1 ILB - ST depth and can compete with Rozeboom and Hammel for a starting spot next to Jones

So if I were to say CB, EDGE, IOL and DL were are 4 areas of need, I hit on 3 of them and hit on them hard. IDL was tricky for me and I'm sure they will probably draft one, I just never found value. DL is weak this year IMO. That said, Clancey from Pitt would be tempting if he falls into that Rams 2nd round range. It'll be close. Cory Durden NCST is a name to keep an eye on late. As is Dante Stills in FA.

I didn't get cute with the picks and I hope the Rams do the same. I went to familiar faces for the 2 OL. I went to the SEC for edge rushers. I went with proven CB talent producers in Oregon, Cinn and South Carolina. I just realized I doubled up on offensive weapons from Purdue and I grabbed a RB from proven winner TCU.

The OL got nastier, the RB room just got tougher, the TE room added a legit blocker that can give McVay the option for 12 personnel. The defense got faster on the edges, LBer and CB.

Anyhow questions, comments and critiques are always welcome.

PS, if there are mistakes or it seemed disjointed, our 11 year old dog, Spartacus was hit and instantly killed halfway thru writing this mock. I needed to finish this to keep my mind off my lost friend. This is therapeutic to me. But I will admit I am more than a bit distracted. And for that I apologize.

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Don't waste your time looking back, you're not going that way. - Ragnar Lothbrok