Rams can’t escape these 4 prospects in latest mock drafts…

Rams can’t escape these 4 prospects in latest mock drafts
Byron Murphy and Johnny Newton are in every Rams mock draft since Aaron Donald retired

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Kenneth Arthur



Most NFL Mock Drafts go like this: “See depth chart, make pick” and there really isn’t any analysis outside of that. So the fallout of Aaron Donald’s retirement hasn’t been at all surprising in mock drafts, the assumption is that the L.A. Rams will simply draft a player who plays the same position or similar to him.

Maybe that’s what they will do, but never make assumptions of Les Snead. He will often do the opposite.

These four prospects I’m seeing all the time for the Rams in mock drafts:

DT Byron Murphy, Texas

A side called NFL Draft Plex has the Rams picking Murphy, which is probably the most common Rams connection in the draft right now.

The Rams and Byron Murphy II still seems like an obvious fit — unless another team beats LA to the punch.

There is never anything “obvious” about the 19th pick in the draft. WalterFootball has the Rams picking Murphy too.

Aaron Donald has retired, which is a bummer because the Rams had a great chance to make a Super Bowl run. Donald will obviously need to be replaced.

Byron Murphy has been impressive as both a run defender and a pass rusher. The only negative is that he lacks length.

Everything always comes back to Aaron Donald retiring. Let’s keep in mind that the team knew AD was retiring but didn’t address the position in free agency. Is that because they’re just certain that they can get an adequate player in the draft or is it that the team isn’t overly concerned with getting a defensive tackle? It could be the latter, which implies that the Rams are just as happy with a day two pick, which they did with Kobie Turner in 2023, as a first rounder. It could be Murphy or Newton, but it doesn’t have to be a front-seven player at all.

Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team has the Rams picking Murphy too.

DT Johnny Newton, Illinois

NFL Spin Zone has the Rams picking Newton.

“With Aaron Donald retiring, the Rams have a huge need at DT, so they’ll try to fill that with Johnny Newton, who can help them in the present and in the long-term. Newton joins a young but very talented defense.”

The Huddle has it too.

EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA

Josh Edwards of CBS has Latu, as many mock drafters do.

Los Angeles explored the idea of trading for Brian Burns a few years ago and, if it had its druthers, it would like to have a respectable pass rusher to plug in opposite Byron Young, who had a really promising rookie season.

Here is another mock with Latu to the Rams. The Chicago Sun-Times has Latu to the Rams.

EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State

CBS’s Bryan DeArdo mocked Verse to the Rams on Sunday. An ESPN writer named James Meche has Verse also.

“Naturally, I would take an interior defensive lineman to replace Aaron Donald but that might be too easy. How about getting a top edge rusher in the class?”

I don’t see how this is any less “easy”!

At least Chad Reuter, who is always always always wrong it seems, has the Rams picking Chop Robinson. At least it’s original.