My 2020 Rams draft recap - long

I'm going to do this on time this year, just in case we can all leave the house and no one ever sits inside and looks at the internet again.

I will give you my review, followed by my draft evals if I have them (hint, the kicker is thin on info LOL )

[ramsrule.com]

in the above link i responded to 43 where I thought Edge and WR would be round 2, followed by RB and C round 3, S in round 4, then Cb depth round 6 and ILB depth round 7.

I mocked Terrell Burgess and Terrell Davis to the Rams, so next year I only will mock Terrells to the Rams that happen to be team captains and I should nail 50% of the mock.

In all seriousness. I didn't do too bad in my analysis. The first 5 picks were WR, RB, Edge, S, TE. I thought they would be WR, Edge, RB, C, S. I got 4 of 5 spots right with 2 of 5 names right. As far as the last 2 rounds. I got ILB in the 7th right, name wrong. And in the 6th I said CB, they went S. Both DBs.

Not to brag, but I felt like this was a good year for me. Unfortunately it took a post from 43 to bring it out. And frankly I don't want to give him credit for squat.

Onto the picks:

I liked the Akers pick. I wanted Dobbins in the worst way, but I get Akers. One guy on the radio late friday night said he works prepping prospects for the interview process and of the 80 kids he worked with Akers was in his top 5. That was unsolicited, and he was not lead in that direction... fox radio SXM I believe. I also mentioned, I believe on the A very weird Fantasy podcast/Youtube that Akers might be the best RB of the drat class when its all said and done. He had nothing at Free Shoes U. No OL, no Qb, no anything. It was him gameplanned against week in and week out, he didn't quit, complain or half-ass it. He flat out worked and dominated. He would have been a 1st rounder for Alabama or OSU or Oklahoma. Thats a fact if facts were things I couldn't prove to be facts. My only concern is his vision and patience. You need both for an OZS and we haven't seen that from him. We have from Dobbins. Akers has bellcow size and elite wiggle with HR speed. Not many RBs can claim they have all 3...

Van Jefferson is a favorite of mine, I thought I had him as high as anyone that talks about prospects. I have said repeatedly that for me, a WR needs 2 of 3 of these: Great hands, good route running or speed. He checks the first 2 boxes, and his playing speed is under rated. Son of a former pro and current WR coach. He gets all the nuances of route running with some of the softest hands you will see. I liked Mims, but he doesn't run routes like Jefferson and his hands aren't nearly as dependable. he may be more explosive and more physical, but Jefferson is more dependable. The Rams inteviewed both, so I am assuming Jefferson was the more impressive interview. Which wouldn't surprise me from what I've heard about Jefferson.

Terrell Lewis - I mocked him in the 2nd and the Rams got him in the 3rd, so I was higher on him than the Rams. He is long, explosive, can win dip and ripping or bull rushing inside. He can put his hand in the dirt, or drop into coverage.He has a 1st man off the bus body. He has a pass rush plan. Good motor. He is raw and needs developing simple due to a lack of game reps. But if he stays healthy, he is a game wrecker. I might get his jersey. If I like the jerseys. LOL

Terrell Burgess is a guy Iike quite a bit. After the top 2 round guys, I only really liked Burgess and Robinson. I said as much in my reply to 43: S - I know people want a safety, and I get why, but it almost has to be Terrell Burgess in the late 3rd to the middle of the 4th round. Everyone else is too early (I just don't see a S in round 2 or early round 3) and everyone after Burgess is just not very exciting IMO. Plus the rams talked to him at the Senior Bowl, their favorite place to find talent.
He is going to be either a nickel CB or a single high for the Rams or both, but make no mistake, he will get playing time. My only concern is his lack of ball skills. That is something oyu have or don't. And I'm not sure he does. But personally I like CB to S prospects like JJ3, and I think he develops just fine.

Brycen Hopkins was my #1 TE in the draft, so a 4th round pick for him is a no brainer. YOur typical new age TE that doesn't offer much in the way of blocking but will tear you apart inside the seam. His hands worry me a bit, but I think that is a case of concentration drops TBH. Because there is plenty of film of him just plucking footballs. He is a high end Higbee IMO. Should be a nice weapon for the Rams.

Jordan Fuller is not my most favorite prospect. He just lacks the athletic profile an NFL safety. But he is a winner and a hard worker. I won't bet against him. He is a 3rd S type. A Big Nickel Backer and a depth guy I hope.I really wanted Quez Watkins here, and yes, Watkins is Rams type player. He has a limited route tree and good length and a good deep game. So did Reynolds. But hey, its the 6th round and a total crap shoot. So Im fine with Fuller.

Clay Johnston is an exciting prospect if he can stay healthy and come back form ACL surgery. i thought he got a med redshirt so I missed him. I think he is a depth guy early. In fact I think he is a PUP guy followed by IR this season. Then in 2021 he gets his crack at an NFL roster. he could be a Littleton type steal.

Slokum right? Sam is it? Whatever. Kickers...gross

Tremayne Anchrum has no shot at the 53 man. If he can get onto the PS, it was a win for him. Don't expect anything from him other than a try hard attitude. I would have loved Thad Moss or Derrek Tuszka at this point. But again. Its the 7th round.

Some observations:

Rams like what they have at LG and OC. They had plenty of shots at both positions, but must have liked other prospects more. And with few trade downs, they liked the prospects right in front of them. I really thought they would add an OC. They passed on Cushenberry and Biadasz and Hennessy. Multiple times. As they did with Harris. No looks at the LGs either, Muti, Stenberg or Bredeson.

Rams are going young and unproven at ILB. I think this is a huge mistake. But adding an ILBer in the draft adds what? Even younger and still unproven. I think this comes back to haunt them.

Rams love the Senior Bowl and team captains. it was a theme throughout the draft. The Senior Bowl this year was huge because it was the last time anyone saw these guys in actual pads. Team captains are high character guys and good teammates. After Gurley, Peters and Cooks, maybe its a change in philosophy. And a change I like. You don't need 4 pillars, but you don't need a bunch of lockerroom issues either. Cooks is on his 4th team in what? 5 years...Peters on his 3rd, Gurley complaining about money he is going to get in this climate? After losing the C. Forget you Todd, thanks for the memories. Now go away.

The Rams have a nice 1-2 punch at RB, go 4 deep at WR, 3 deep at TE. This is great for varying the offensive sets. im excited to see what McVay comes up with.

I think the most exciting pick is Terrell Hall, I mean Terrell Lewis. He changed his name in college with no explanation. I look forward to finding out why. But in all seriousness, He is 262 with room to get stronger. He is a freak. Total upside pick. It shouldn't be surprising. Staley has been around athletic freaks like Mack and Von Miller the last few years, so why not add one to the Rams roster.

I am totally shocked Hopkins dropped to the 4th. This probably wasn't the pick, but too good to pass up. I don't care how soft a class is, the top prospect is the top prospect. 4th round is unbelievable value.

Les Snead lied in an interview. He said this year with fewer picks it might be the year to go the safe route and avoid riskier, higher upside guys. Yet Akers is an unproven (in some regards, not production as a whole) back, Lewis is an injury risk. And you had an injury risk in the 7th. So there where 3 risky picks with safer options on the board. Yet they went safe over risk with jefferson over Mims, and Burgess over Kenny Robinson. Its a mixed bag once again when it comes to risk.

The WRs went fast. When it was the Rams picks in the 2nd. It was down to Mims or Jefferson. Or Reach on Duvernay or wait and hope Duvernay lasted until the 3rd. (he did). This wasn't totally unexpected, but man it would have been nice to see what the Rams would have done with Shenault, Reagor or Aiyuk on the board along with Jefferson.

All in all, its hard to be upset with this draft. They arguably ended up with:
A top 5 RB, maybe the #1 or 2 RB
A top 7 WR
The top TE
A top 6 S
A top 3 34 edge, maybe the #1 edge

If you are upset, they either didn't take Dobbins or Mims, you wanted OL help or an ILBer. And I can get all that. But looking at it diagnostically, this was a huge win weekend.

Looking ahead, next year has a few very good QBs in Fields and Lawrence, a boatload of stud OTs, a nice group of WRs again, but not as deep. CBs galore and a handful of RBs, light on LBers and IOL and TEs. Edge and IDL will be ok

So here we go:

2.52 - Cam Akers - RB - FSU. - Big Board - 57, Stacked Board - 28

2.57 - Van Jefferson - WR - Florida - Big Board - 40, Stacked Board - 20

3.84 - Terrell Lewis - Edge - Alabama - 46, Stacked Board - 11

3.104 - Terrell Burgess - S - Utah - Big Board - 112, Stacked Board - 61

4.136 - Brycen Hopkins - TE - Purdue - Big Board - 68, Stacked Board - 39

6.199 - Jordan Fuller - S - Ohio State - Big Board - 247, Stacked Board - 149

7.234 - Clay Johnston - ILB - Baylor - Big Board - NR, Stacked Board - NR

7.248 - Sam Sloman - K - Miami (ohio) - Big Board - NR - Stacked Board - NR

7.250. - Tremayne Anchrum - OG - Clemson - Big Board - NR, Stacked Board - NR

Player Profiles:

52. Cam Akers

From my big board:

57. Cam Akers - RB - Florida State - 5'-10" 217 lbs. - Another feature back buried on a horrible offense. Does a little of everything., but he's a downhill 1 cut style power back at his best.

#5 overall RB, in Tier 2 on the tiered RB list, 15th best player available on my Rams stacked board at time of pick

His offense at FSU was garbage. No QB, no OL, no WRs. It has slowed his development.

Pros:
3 down size
He is fast (4.47).
has incredible jump cutting ability
is very physical.
Excellent contact balance.
natural pass catcher
excellent pass blocker

Cons:
Does he lack vision or was it his awful line
fumblitis needs to be dealt with

From Dec 2nd on college thoughts:

As far as the RBs
I think when its all said and done, Swift is a 1st rounder
I think Taylor is going to get knocked for all the carries on his body. A RB only gets so many...IMO its not fair, but someone will get a very good back in round 2.
Etienne is probably my #3 back, I love his skill set, but wonder if he can carry the water between the tackles
Akers is woefully under rated on a poor FSU team.
I saw Benjamin for the 2nd time this year the other night and he looks legit.
JK Dobbins is being under valued right now somehow, but he is a heisman candidate, he will build steam towards the draft and could be the 1st or 2nd back off the board by April.

From my Bowl game preview:

Sun Bowl - Arizona State vs. Florida State

Arizona State:
Eno Benjamin (3) RB - a 3rd or 4th round RB that isn't a HR threat, but decent burst, good feet and excellent balance.
Brandon Aiyuk (2) WR - a 6'-1" slot receiver that plays with some toughness and is a good route runner


Florida State:
Marvin Wilson (21) DT - 6'-5" 315 lb athletic DT. better run defender then pass rusher. round 2.
Cam Akers (3) RB - Day 2 rb that is under rated on a poor FSU team. Nice size/power/athletic profile that equates to a 3 down back.
Dontavious Jackson (5) ILB - 6'-3" 230 lbs - a playmaker with good size for the NFL. Quick to react, smooth flower to the ball. rock solid tackler. Late day 3 pick.

From Ram 49s March 20th mock: [ramsrule.com]

I'd personally take Akers in the 2nd and Perine in the 4th with zero issues. Just not sure the Rams would.

Me and Alyo on him in Blinkscout RB review:

Alyo - Cam Akers Florida St. 5-10 217 4.47 4.47 -- 20 DNP 35.5 10-2 9 30 5/8 So ... He literally made a million dollars on the Duce Staley drill. His feet were unreal. My guess is that he's gone by 52, if he's there I'm definitely considering it. Deadpool -Agree, he's my #4 back. He's not my 1st or 2nd choice, but he'd be a nice consolation prize.

From that same string with a convo with Dzrams - [ramsrule.com]

If you have a top 5 back you are most likely taking him in the top 2 rounds. I doubt Akers or Helaire makes it to the Rams pick in the 3rd. And I should have been more clear about what I meant by saying a compliment to Hendo.

Lets use Taylor as an example. You just don't see his blend of size, speed and vision very often. So I would immediately jump him to the top of the food chain. And I would use him 65-35 or 70-30 split with Hendo, because he is just superior in every way. same for Swift, Helaire, Akers and Dobbins.

The other guys will be around the same skill set as Hendo, so a guy like Perine or Evans or Dillon would be more of a 50-50 split.

From Deadpools Mock 2.0:

pick 60:

2-60. Jordyn Brooks - ILB - Texas Tech - 6'-1" 240 lbs. - Great size for the position. Athletic, sideline to sideline thumper that was a tackle machine. Rams met with him at the combine.

previous pick: Leki Fotu - NT - Utah - He makes less sense with the Robinson signing.

Who else makes sense:

Any of the top 4 RBs: Jonathan Taylor, D'Andre Swift, JK Dobbins and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Maybe Edwards-Helaire is available. Maybe Akers if they feel he is a fit.



40. Van Jefferson - WR - Florida - 6'-1" 200 lbs. - A route running technician, good hands and is OK in the open field. Not explosive and not what I would call a HR threat.

#7 overall WR, Tier 2 or my WRs, 7th best player available on my Rams Stacked board when picked

Pros:
NFL size at 6'-2" 200 lbs
soft, natural hands, basically catcher mitts
one of the top 3 route runners in the draft
understands the nuances of being WR
Smooth mover in the open field
will fight for the ball
crafty feet

Cons:
Not explosive
Top end won't scare defenses

An outside/inside WR with everything you want in a starting WR except for top end, but I loved Kupp and I love this kid.


Dzrams:You mentioned Snead's emphasis on the Senior Bowl. Who are the Senior Bowl players this year that you suspect the Rams will be very interested in?

WRs Van Jefferson and Denzel Mims had monster practice weeks, and Jefferson is a smart, savvy route runner that can get open, so you know Snead will like him. Mims is unlike anything the Rams have so I bet he would also be on their radar


From my I love Van Jefferson post April 6th: [ramsrule.com]

The first 3 things I look at when I am scouting WRs is this:
Route Running - because if you cannot run crisp routes, you will not create separation in the NFL and you will not get open.
Hands - If you cannot catch the ball or if you are constantly fighting the ball, I just cannot count on you in big spots. It limits your upside.
speed - Unless you are a detailed route runner, or have great size/length, you need to have some speed or at least be explosive.

Everything else is secondary IMO. Athleticism is nice, blocking ability is a bonus. knowing an entire route tree can be taught, strength can be added, run after the catch is nice, but a bonus. Etc.

Van Jefferson is a good, not great athlete, with average speed. But what he does, he does extremely well. He has great hands. Soft and natural, and strong. Never fights the ball, I want him as my partner in an egg toss competition and a picnic. The other thing he does really well is run routes, his dad was an NFL WR and is now a WR coach, so he has been taught how to properly sink his hips in an out of breaks, how to set up his footwork to maintain speed in and out and never rounds any route off.

So he checks 2 of the 3 big boxes off. I'm not worried about lack of production because Florida QBs have been horrible. But I think he is a 2nd round guy with what I would consider a high floor, low ceiling. Due to his lack of open field ability with a lack of HR speed, he'll never be a WR1, but he will make a heck of a WR2 or WR3 inside from the slot or from the outside. I think he is a less strong Juju Smith-Schuster. LARAM did not like JJSS as much as I did coming out because he just wasn't fast or super athletic. I loved him because he had good hands and got open. I think Jefferson is in that same boat, minus JJSS's strength.

From my top WR in every round post: [ramsrule.com]

Round 3: Van Jefferson - WR - Florida - 6'-1" 200 lbs. - A route running technician, good hands and is OK in the open field. Not explosive and not what I would call a HR threat.

He's #40 on my big board, but I do realize that he probably lasts until maybe from late 2 to mid 3. He is not as explosive as some of the top guys, or as big, but he has outstanding hands, a precise route runner and that makes him about as pro ready as any WR in the class.As a 3rd option behind Kupp and Woods would be perfect for him IMO.[/quote]



84. Terrell Lewis

Big Board:

46. Terrell Lewis - Alabama - 6'-5" 262 lbs. - Another high ceiling guy with injury history. Loooong levered. Smooth. Stong. 34 Edge

My 5th ranked Edge (2nd ranked 34 Edge) and top of tier 3. My top player available on my Rams stacked board at the time of pick

From Mock 3.0:

2-57. Terrell Lewis - Alabama - 6'-5" 262 lbs. - Another high ceiling guy with injury history. Loooong levered. Smooth. Stong. 34 Edge, I'm getting a weird vibe about Lewis. I think they are warming up to his upside if he can stay healthy. He could be a beast next to AD.

Pros:
Dip and rip specialist
Explosive first step, no false steps
Ball bearings in ankles allows him to turn tightly and get low
Athletic
Strong
developing multiple pass rush moves
can stand up or hand in dirt

Cons:
Injury history
lacks experience
not great at stacking against the run

From college guys thoughts (same as Akers post): Dec 2nd

Edge guys Im dialed in on are Weaver, Gross-Matos and Terrell Lewis. I really like Weaver.

From a Senior bowl post on Dec 27th: [ramsrule.com]

Edge defenders:
Terrell Lewis - Alabama - probably day 2, long and angular and a speed to power guys with enough flex to win on the edge

From Bowl Game preview:

Alabama vs Michigan: [ramsrule.com]

Terrell Lewis (24) - Edge - Long, flexible and violent. a perfect fit for the Rams in the 2nd.

From positional review: [ramsrule.com]

Terrell Lewis - a long levered 255 lb edge from Alabama, Flexible and violent, my kind of edge. 2nd round

From Alyos Senior Bowl review:[ramsrule.com]

Alyo - Alabama Terrell Lewis LB SEC Got better this year at rushing. Deadpool - He's on my short list at 52

From my Edge rusher for every round: [ramsrule.com]

Round 2. - Terrell Lewis - Alabama - 6'-5" 262 lbs.- He is a bit higher risk due to some injury history. But his upside is huge. Long with long limbs, he can handle his own against the run and get after the QB. He will need some coaching, but he has a full toolbox and a first off the bus body.


136. Brycen Hopkins

From my big Board:

68. Brycen Hopkins - TE - Purdue - 6'-4" 245 lbs. - Your prototypical new age TE. A mismatch problem in the middle of the field that is a smooth, easy mover. Not an inline blocker, I worry a bit about his hands.

My #1 TE, 1 of 3 Tier 1 TEs, my 3rd best player available on my Rams Stacked Board at time of pick

Pros:
Vertical seam threat
Decent speed (4.66)
Soft hands will pluck the ball
good athlete for the position
OK after the catch
competes for the ball

Cons:
does have some drops (concentration?)
Not a great inline blocker
Not a ton of power

He is my #1 TE simply because this is what the new age TE looks like. 6'-4", 245 and can stretch a defense vertically down the seam. Not a ton of wiggle but he can do damage in the open field. I think he is a H-back, move TE in the NFL.

From my senior bowl practice thoughts 12/27/19: [ramsrule.com]

TEs
Brycen Hopkins - Purdue - my #2 or 3ish TE right now. I want to see him catch the ball at the senior bowl. I have concerns, but he gets open.

From Alyo's post Senior Bowl review: [ramsrule.com]

Alyo - Purdue Brycen Hopkins TE Big Ten He's on everyone's radar so he'll go early. Deadpool -1st TE off the board? Probably

From Alyo's combine post: [ramsrule.com]

TEs:
Who cares they all suck. No not really, But I have zero first rounders.
Hopkins is my top guy and he is 245. Shaky hands. Gauntlet should be an adventure for him (Me now - he had a very good combine IMO)


199. Jordan Fuller

From my big board:

247. Jordan Fuller - S - Ohio State - 6'-2" 203 lbs. - A single high safety that is too slow to play single high in the NFL IMO. Racked up a ton of tackles and loves to hit. I like him as a depth/3rd safety with plenty of upside in the box.

My 21st ranked Safety, Tier 6 group. He made my Rams Stacked Board, team captain - note that for next year

Pros:

Great size at 6'-2" 203 lbs.
plenty of game experience playing for a winner
Decent speed, not great, plays faster than timed at combine
an absolute thumper
good tackler
should work against TEs with size to match up

Cons:
lacks ball skills
stiff along with being a tad slow limits his range

Overall - He is a nice late round depth S with lots of ST upside. But his lack of athleticism is going to limit his upside.

Thats all I have on him. He will add some much needed depth esp if they use Burgess in the slot. He has tremendous ST value and thats how he will make the roster IMO. I am hoping between Scott and Fuller, 1 pans out to be a reliable backup S.

236. Clay Johston

6'-1" 227 lbs.

He's been injured so much, I figured he got another year. ACL surgery in October, I imagine his career path involves starting on the PUP, then PS or IR with a season ending designation.

Pros:
He will come downhill with a vengence
but is patient
has good instincts
Good hand fighter
can keep himself clean, works well in traffic

Cons:
Athletically average
acl injury
not quick or fast

he's athletically limited, but has good size and instincts for the position. Good fundamentals and works hard.

Looks like PS fodder to me, esp considering he's coming off knee surgery in October.


248. Sam Sloman

5'-8" 205 lbs.

He kicks footballs.
Senior year he was 26-30 including 4-5 from 50 plus
34-34 Extra Points
52 touchbacks on 75 kickoffs

What do you people expect me to say? He's kicker and you all know I don't know or care about kickers. At least in the grand scheme of draft scouting. I doubt he beats out the other 2. But again, what do I know. Other than he was 0-5 from 50 plus coming into his senior year...

250. Tremayne Anchrum

6'-2" 314 lbs.

OG - Clemson

A misplaced OG that was a RT in college.

Pros:
Good size for a IOL
Played in an OZS in college and looks comfortable
Good agility/movement skills for a fire hydrant

Cons:
played OT, doesn't have the length to play OT
Can get out over his feet and lose balance

He played RT, but is a IOL, probably a RG and a backup in quality. He has the fight and movement, but lacks desirable size and length.

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