Hey everyone, I submitted this report for the “Defending the Draft” thread on /r/NFLDraft. I thought I would post this here so you all can read read about the 8 players we drafted this year. Go Rams!

Three themes of the LA Rams 2017 draft:

Senior Bowl - Out of the eight players the Rams drafted this year seven of them were invited to the Senior Bowl. Since GM Les Snead started his tenure in 2012 he has relied heavily on the talent at the Senior Bowl; Josh Forrest (2016) Rob Havenstein & Sean Mannion (2015) Aaron Donald & Michael Sam (2014) T.J. McDonald (2013) Janoris Jenkins, Brian Quick, and Isaiah Pead (2012). Snead has hit on some of these players but has missed on others. As long as Snead is in LA’s front office, you can bet on the Rams drafting at least one player that was invited down to Mobile, Alabama.

Versatility - With a bevy of new coaches on the sidelines in Los Angeles, a new era has begun. Sean McVay and Matt LeFleur have the responsibility of revamping an anemic offense that lacked production, efficiency, and creativity. After drafting Goff in 2016, I felt that the Rams over-drafted on offensive players. In this year’s draft, the Rams did a better job of drafting quality instead of quantity and were still able to balance team needs on both sides of the ball (4 Offense, 4 Defense). The Rams defense already had some nice pieces to work with but LA drafted versatile athletes at every level of their defense to help the team transition to Wade Phillips’ 3-4 scheme.

College Production - More than half (30) of the 51 players that Snead drafted came from Power-5 schools. Out of those 30 players, 16 were from the SEC. There is some legitimacy in the debate that the SEC is the best conference in CFB, however small-school prospects still have potential to become big-name stars in the NFL. The Rams first two picks were a 1-A player and a 1-AA player. The Rams looked past the lower competition and valued player’s on-field production. Gerald Everett led all TEs in missed tackles for two consecutive years. Cooper Kupp holds the FCS records for catches, yards, and TDs. A lot of fans wanted the Rams to go into the draft and get as many offensive weapons as we can to build this team around Jared Goff. I felt that the front office did a really good job of changing things up. We are coming out of the draft a better team than we were.


Round 2, Pick 12 (44) - Gerald Everett, TE, South Alabama

The pick - Before playing at Southern Alabama, Gerald Everett was a member of the 2014 UAB football program that was defunded. With only two years of football experience, the 6’3” TE finished his collegiate football career strong. Everett led the South Alabama Jaguars in catches, yards, and TD’s over his past two seasons, all of which are new school records by a TE. A playmaker with the ball, Everett knows how to make people miss. On tape he always seems to be fighting for extra yards, shedding tacklers, and falling forward for first downs. He has the versatility to be split out wide, set-up in the slot, and can help as an in-line blocker. His attributes are intriguing but the only knock on Everett is the size of his hands. Believe it or not, his 5’8” teammate Tavon Austin has bigger hands than Everett. Despite the one physical flaw, Everett’s college production and week at the Senior Bowl earned him a spot on the LA Rams roster.


The fit - Loyal fans that watched the Rams offense last year saw multiple dropped passes every game, 8-yard curl routes on 3rd & 10, and middle-school blocking schemes. Even though we invested in two TE’s in the 2016 draft, I think that Everett has a unique skill set and is a significant upgrade to our TE group. Ex-Ram Lance Kendricks was drafted in the second round of the 2011 draft and was expected to play a role in the Rams’ offense that I don’t think he was capable of. Without a solid TE #1 on the team, Everett has a great opportunity to receive a lot of targets in our new offense. As a TE coach and offensive coordinator with the Washington Redskins, Sean McVay turned Jordan Reed into a household name. With his new offense rolling into LA, I hope that McVay grooms Gerald Everett into a first down machine that the Rams can rely on.



Round 3, Pick 5 (69) - Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington

The pick - The Washington State native is an all-around stud and an absolute steal at the top of the 3rd round. LA is getting a four-time consensus FCS All-American, a three-time Academic All-American, the holder of multiple FCS records (career catches, yards, and TDs) and a co-captain with impeccable character and work ethic. Kupp relies on his speed, route running and most of all his HANDS. Kupp can catch anything thrown his way. With the ball in his hands he is a savvy ball carrier with excellent field vision and awareness. Eastern Washington used him all over their offense, including special teams. He made a lot of home run plays during his record-setting career but people will still knock the competition that he faced in the Big Sky Conference. EWU isn't a brand name school when it comes to producing elite NFL prospects but Cooper Kupp’s electrifying production will serve him well during his career in Los Angeles.


The fit - When the Rams drafted Cooper Kupp I immediately thought to myself, we already have short quick pass catchers. At 6’2”, Kupp is actually one of the bigger receivers on the team due to the departure of Britt and Quick. Kupp’s size is surprising knowing how much he relies on his shifty agility after the catch. I hope McVay finds a way to keep this kid on the field at all times, he might not be a WR1 right away but I see Kupp becoming a reliable pass-catcher in this league. Les Snead drafted Tavon Austin because of his speed and elusiveness, yet throughout Austin’s career his size has kept him from becoming a dominant outside receiver. Kupp has comparable speed and elusiveness to Tavon but he is 6 inches taller. The expectations for Kupp shouldn’t be through the roof, he just needs to come in and contribute like Britt did in 2016. Britt had his ups and downs but he actually gave the Rams offense a chance at times. McVay stressed the importance of high character guys during his draft process press conferences, when it comes to the whole person and player Kupp fits the mold that McVay wants. Los Angeles Ram fans and Jared Goff should be excited for Cooper Kupp this season.



Round 3, Pick 27 (91) - John Johnson, S, Boston College

The pick - Early in Johnson’s Boston College career he played CB, he didn’t start but was primarily used as a slot corner and special teamer. During his junior and senior year Johnson earned a starting role at safety and was a leader in the back-half of the Golden Eagle defense. Johnson has great game awareness when supporting the run and the pass. After watching his tape, and knowing that he had a position change from CB to S, I would say that Johnson relies on his zone coverage skills more than his man coverage skills. With that being said he does a really great job of coming down hill to stop the run. He doesn't bring the hammer with all of his tackles but he isn’t afraid to get low and bring ball carriers down. When dropping back in coverage John sometimes lets guys get separation over the top but will make plays on the ball if it’s thrown his way. A combination of Johnson’s tools, versatility, and size could make him a staple in our secondary.


The fit - Throughout the whole draft process everyone talked about how this DB class might be the deepest draft class ever. Without a first round pick I thought drafting a corner or safety at 37 was a real possibility for a while. With lots of movement in our secondary this offseason the Rams still had holes to fill. One of the biggest holes on our defense was a spot that had been occupied for the last four years, strong safety. Even though T.J. McDonald started all 53 career games as a Ram, McVay looks to build a team of high character players so not re-signing someone who will be suspended the first half of the 2017 season was probably an easy decision for the front office. Before drafting John Johnson, fourteen of the last seventeen draft picks for Los Angeles were dedicated to the offensive side of the ball. Our offense definitely needs help but it made me very happy to see the front office address an urgent need on the defensive side of the ball. I have the utmost faith in Wade Phillips, he assembled the No-Fly-Zone in Denver which led the league as the #1 pass defense during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Gregg Williams was good but everybody knows that Wade Phillips will be better.



Round 4, Pick 10 (117) - Josh Reynolds, WR, Texas A&M

The pick - Josh Reynolds is a former track star that gave up the 200m dash for a chance to play JuCo football. After one year at Tyler Junior College, Reynolds transferred to College Station and made an immediate impact for the Texas A&M Aggies. After three years of facing SEC defenses, Reynolds averaged 55 catches 929 yards and 10 TDs at a 17 yards-per-catch rate each season. Reynolds is a long-strider that can really take the top off of a defense. He is very good at tracking the ball down in the air, he has good hand-eye coordination, and is excellent at winning contested balls. At the line of scrimmage he doesn't do much hand fighting. Relying on his burst of speed to beat his opponent downfield, Reynolds might struggle when facing press coverage. Reynolds’ size is effective but his lanky frame doesn’t bode well for underneath routes. I think Reynolds style of play fits in well with the other receivers on the team.


The fit - Every year Les Snead drafts a player from the SEC, this year Reynolds was the guy. Against some of the nation's top talent, the JuCo transfer still found ways to impact football games on the perimeter. I noticed that Reynolds predominantly lined up on the right as an outside receiver. With multiple short quick receivers that can line up in the slot, Reynolds has a lot of potential to be our outside deep threat. His strength is his speed however Josh is not known for his run after the catch ability. He has a large catch radius which is always a plus but he may need to refine his route tree. Go routes and deep posts are his bread and butter but he needs to work on his intermediate route running skills, such as drags and slants. In his first season as an Aggie, Reynolds scored 13 TDs. If Reynolds can come out of the gate and contribute early on like he did in college, LA’s got themselves a bargain.



Round 4, Pick 19 (125) - Samson Ebukam, OLB, Eastern Washington

The pick - Born in Nigeria, Samson Ebukam eventually moved to Portland, Oregon and was introduced to football later in life. His love and understanding of the game has only grown since playing at Eastern Washington. Along with his teammate Cooper Kupp, Samson was one of 6 co-captains at EWU, this is a testament to his high-character. An explosive athlete with a high motor, Ebukam excelled as a pass rusher playing outside and inside as a 3-4 LB. At 6’3 240lbs, Ebukam has raw athleticism and uses his long arms and quick feet more than sound technique. He shows explosive burst, acceleration, and bend before getting into the backfield but sometimes loses containment and misses tackles because he is flying around. His aggression, relentless, and ability to play the 3-4 as a LB belongs in our new front seven.


The fit - In my opinion, the Rams not having a first round pick made our later round picks a little more valuable. Out of everyone the Rams drafted I think Ebukam was the biggest reach, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like what he brings to the table. NFL fans and draftniks usually know an interesting fact or stat line about most players that are drafted. When Ebukam was picked I think most fans said “Who?” After doing research, Ebukam was not invited to any of the showcase games or the combine, so he may come into the NFL with a chip in his shoulder. A mixture of push rush moves helps Ebukam shed blockers whether he is playing outside or inside. Based on what the Rams were looking for, Samson Ebukam fits the bill. Some may continue to question his value as a 4th round player, but Ebukam might have what it takes to play every linebacker position in Wade’s 3-4 scheme.



Round 6, Pick 5 (189) - Tanzel Smart, DT, Tulane

The pick - Tanzel Smart is a stout bull-rusher that converts his quick burst to power. Coming out of Tulane his coach Willie Fritz said that Smart was a phenomenal person, leader, and player. During the Senior Bowl, Smart showed leverage in the trenches and an ability to keep his eyes in the backfield when slanting or stunting. With long arms and quick hands he usually makes first contact with the lineman in front of him. This allows him to causes a fair amount of chaos in the run and the pass. At 6’1” and just shy of weighing 300 pounds Tanzel is considered undersized for his positon. The Rams once drafted an undersized DT named Aaron Donald and everything seemed to work out just fine.


The fit - Smart was receiving a lot buzz as a sleeper pick from a lot of people in the draft world during the Senior Bowl. I think it’s safe to say that he earned a spot as one of the top 15 interior defensive lineman in this draft class. Knowing that Taznel was the 18th interior defensive lineman selected off of the board, LA got another great value. In a press conference Sean McVay said that he watched Smart while he was down in Alabama at the Senior Bowl. McVay commented on Smart’s ability to constantly get into the backfield. Going into the draft I would not have urged the Rams to draft a DT, but I am totally okay with having someone like Smart on our team. Hopefully he turns him into a solid rotational player along the defensive line.



Round 6, Pick 22 (206) - Sam Rogers, FB, Virginia Tech

The pick - Sam Rogers paved his way onto the Virginia Tech football team as a walk-on and eventually earned himself a scholarship. At 5’10” 231lbs, Rogers uses his low center of gravity in every aspect of his game. He excelled as a blocker and pass catcher, he even showed flashes of hard-nosed ball carrying. A loyal Hokie fan I know described Rogers as an ‘angry bowling ball’, he’s an athletic football player with the body of an old school full back. Rogers is another guy that fits the mold because of his undeniable character and outstanding work ethic. During his time at Virginia Tech he was an all-around contributor and a true team player.


The fit - By the end of free agency the Rams made some decent moves along the OL. Going into the draft most people expected the Rams to draft lineman, but they chose not to. Some say it was a weak OL class, but I actually think OL wasn’t a pressing need. The actual problem was letting Rob Boras try and serve as our offensive coordinator last year. Under his play calling, we couldn’t open holes for Gurley and we couldn’t pick up blitzes to protect Goff. Based on PFF, Rogers has the highest pass protection rating for FB’s so having him on the team should help everyone. I hope McVay mixes it up with Rogers, he has the skills to contribute on all three downs. The horns suit Rogers well, Los Angeles will soon make Sam the Ram and fan favorite.



Round 7, Pick 16 (234) - Ejuan Price, DE, Pittsburgh

The pick - Ejuan Price started his career at Pitt as a MLB but finished as a DE. Price has struggled with injury throughout college; he redshirted the 2012 season, missed half of the 2013 season and was injured the whole 2014 season. Despite the concerns that keep him off the field, Price’s on-field production during his last two years at Pitt were great. 103 tackles, 42.5 tackles for loss, 24.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 1 scoop and score. At only 5’11”, Price has a stout frame but is persistent when it comes to disrupting plays. Price takes chances to beat his man with quickness and speed, he gets into the backfield but needs to wrap up when tackling.


The fit - Barring the injury concerns, I really like this pick. If Price can stay healthy and show talent four or five years down the road we could all be saying, “He went in the 7th round?” Even though Price changed positions during his college career I don’t think Wade Phillips will ask him to play linebacker. I can see him being utilized as an effective edge rusher if he sharpens up his ability to contain plays. His size might not suggest it but Price knows how to get big and fill gaps in the running game. He may struggle against long lengthy tackles but we will just have to wait and see how he will be utilized as a Ram