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theramswire.usatoday.com] Rams being 'closely linked' to WRs Jayden Reed and Kayshon Boutte
Cameron DaSilva
April 13, 2023 8:16 am PT
On paper, the Rams’ receiving corps should be pretty good. Cooper Kupp is a top wideout, Allen Robinson is a former Pro Bowler and Van Jefferson is an experienced WR3. However, wide receiver is still a priority position for the Rams this offseason as they head into the draft – whether they trade Robinson or not.
They’ve already been linked to a few receivers based on their pre-draft meetings, but two names have been closely connected to the Rams, according to ESPN’s Jordan Reid. He shared in an NFL-wide pre-draft article that the Rams are eyeing Michigan State’s Jayden Reed and LSU’s Kayshon Boutte.
The Rams lack reliable receivers who can take some of the workload off Cooper Kupp, which is especially important with him returning from a serious ankle injury. Jayden Reed (Michigan State) and Kayshon Boutte (LSU) have been closely linked to the Rams as middle-round picks.
Reed is a versatile player, showing the ability to line up outside and in the slot on offense. He can also return punts and kickoffs, which is a position the Rams need to address with Brandon Powell now gone. He caught 26 touchdown passes in his college career, totaling 2,866 yards receiving with an average of 14.1 yards per catch.
Reed’s stock may be on the rise, but that’s not the case for Boutte. He ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash and only had a vertical of 29 inches, failing to show much explosiveness or burst during pre-draft testing. He was off to a great start in 2021 with 509 yards and nine touchdowns in his first six games, but last season at LSU, he only caught 48 passes for 538 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games.
Reid also reported that “sources close to the Rams say the team will be trying to add pass-rushers and pass-catchers,” which isn’t much of a surprise. They need pass rushers around Donald and with Jefferson being in the final year of his contract, it wouldn’t hurt to add a receiver in the draft.
Reed would be a logical target for the Rams in the middle rounds, but Boutte has a lot to prove as a receiver prospect.
