Ellenbogen: Final 2020 mock draft 2.0 with projected 55 man roster...

Here’s Jake Ellenbogen...

2nd Round (52nd-Overall): Michigan EDGE Joshua Uche

Age: 21
Height: 6-1
Weight: 245
Arms: 33 5/8″
Hands: 9 1/2″

This pick is my “Chris Godwin pick” from the 2017 draft. If you remember how I stuck to my guns no matter what on Godwin, you will look back, and when the Rams don’t pick Uche, you will remember this was my guy all along. Only kidding of course, since the Rams might pick Uche. You see, Joshua Uche has a great deal of versatility that is just too hard to pass up. While he is an excellent pass rusher that only got better each year at Michigan, Uche is also a player that has a well-rounded game. He doesn’t just rush the passer well, he has great range for the position and because of that, it makes him a perfect fit for a 3-4 scheme like the one the Rams will run with new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. He can drop back in coverage and cover the intermediate to even deep route as displayed on film. Uche will fit immediately into the starting lineup which is one of my most essential pre-requisites for a draft pick. If it’s a top-three round pick? You have to find a player that can contribute as a starter. Uche should be more than a starter though, it feels as though Uche is listed around the 50-to-70 pick range for other draftniks. However, for me? Uche graded out as the 35th best player. He’s a perfect fit for the Rams defense and would upgrade the edge spot immensely.

2nd Round (57th-Overall) via Houston: TRADE with Jacksonville!

Rams receive: Picks 3.73, 4.116, 4.140, 6.206

Jaguars receive: Pick 2.57

The Rams trade their second 2nd-round pick after scooping up a starting pass rusher with their first. Look, I couldn’t in good conscience make a final Rams mock draft without mocking any trades. Are they hard to predict? Absolutely. However, there’s no way the Rams aren’t trading picks in this draft. Let’s look at the context here, the Rams often trade with teams they have had prior business with. As demonstrated in the past, the Rams have traded with the Jaguars and fairly recently when they acquired pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Now, the Jaguars are looking at the board, they have the connection established with the Rams and they feel at this point with the impending situation of Leonard Fournette, they need to go out and get a running back. This is a draft I certainly expect one will fall and I think the Jaguars will be willing to trade some hefty capital if it means moving on from Fournette and grabbing a starting bell-cow running back. Keep in mind, the Jaguars could trade Fournette following this pick, or even dare I say it…to the Rams. Either way, I see the Jaguars addressing their needs in the draft early on at the defensive line in the first and a cornerback in the second. If a D’Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor, J.K. Dobbins, or even Clyde Edwards-Helaire makes it to the Rams pick, the Rams will have some serious leverage.

3rd Round (73rd-Overall) via Jacksonville: Appalachian State LB Akeem Davis-Gaither

Age: 22
Height: 6-1
Weight: 224
Arms: 31 1/8″
Hands: 9 1/2″

After the Rams move down 16 spots, they lock up a starting linebacker that in all honesty shouldn’t be getting out of the first round in my opinion. He will though and the Appalachian State linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither will be set up to get the last laugh. Ultimately, the Rams seem to like what they have at linebacker enough to let Cory Littleton walk in free agency but do not think for a second they won’t draft a linebacker if they see a fit. With Davis-Gaither, it’s hard to make any arguments against the pick. He’s an unbelievable athlete that once again, like Uche, can do it all. He can be used as a linebacker, as a safety, and as a situational pass rusher. This pick would give the Rams the flexibility to use ADG on the first two downs and then potentially place him on the edge and bring in one of their other linebackers next to Micah Kiser. I’ve said it for a while now, the Rams need to gain some athleticism and some range at inside backer and Davis-Gaither will do just that and more. The Rams met with him earlier in the process, I have some confidence they look his way.

3rd Round (84th-Overall): Memphis RB/WR Antonio Gibson

Age: 21
Height: 6-0
Weight: 228
Arms: 31 1/8″
Hands: 8 5/8″

Say what now? Yes, that’s right, another third-round Memphis running back comes off the board and into the Sean McVay offense. The Rams moved on from Todd Gurley this offseason and while I don’t necessarily agree with releasing him the way they did, I can understand wanting to move on because of the medical red flags. Even so, Kyle Shanahan is going to have the NFL copying his explosive running back by committee approach. It’s something the Patriots have used but Shanahan broke it out into the spotlight. That means the Rams will likely roll with Darrell Henderson, Malcolm Brown, and maybe John Kelly. Insert Antonio Gibson who by all accounts is maybe the most explosive player in the draft. He ran a 4.39 forty at the combine and it shows on the tape because he’s electric in space. He’s a true running back, don’t let the fact he wasn’t utilized a ton because of Patrick Taylor Jr. and Kenneth Gainwell get in the way of the fact he is indeed a running back. Do you see what Christian McCaffrey is doing in Carolina? Why can’t Gibson emulate that? He’s maybe the best pass-catching back in the draft and has the highest ceiling out of any running back in my opinion. He could eventually be the go-to-guy but why would you not kill two birds with one stone and draft someone that can at the very worst be used in the slot and as a rotational gadget running back? Make the pick Rams and never look back.

3rd Round (104th-Overall)via Compensatory: Fresno State G Netane Muti

Age: 22
Height: 6-3
Weight: 315
Arms: 31 3/4″
Hands: 10 5/8″

I’m starting to firmly believe that Netane Muti will fall to the late third-round. He’s my top guard on the board in general but I believe his injury history is a bit concerning and will cause him to fall. Muti was cleared by doctors to participate in the combine. He ended up benching 44 reps on the bench press and seemed to have silenced the recency injury bias. However, it’s less about the most recent injury that has people concerned and more about the Achilles from two years ago. I still think the Rams with a compensatory third-round pick make too much sense as the fit for Muti and I would rush up to the podium and make this pick myself if there was one. Muti falls in line for what I want in a top three-round draft pick, a true day-one starter. I like the Rams offensive line pieces but Muti would bring back that power the Rams lost when Rodger Saffold left the building.

4th Round (116th-Overall) via Jacksonville: West Virginia (XFL) S Kenny Robinson Jr.

Age: 21
Height: 6-1
Weight: 202

Alas, the wildcard of the draft, Kenny Robinson Jr. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being the best safety in this draft. The problem is he’s coming from a place no prospect has gone. He skipped the draft process to play professional football in the XFL which has unfortunately since been dissolved. Robinson Jr. has incredible range, ball skills, and athleticism. In other words, he’s the perfect pick for the Rams to fill the void at free safety without spending a premium pick. Robinson Jr. started for the St. Louis BattleHawks and was quite impressive, to say the least, teams will question how his tenure with the West Virginia Mountaineers ended but to me, I see someone that has already competed against better competition than anyone in the draft and is ready to play. Not only that, but he’s also fresh off an XFL half-season. I trust the Rams to consider making this pick, they need a true rangy free safety if they want to emulate the defense Vic Fangio had in Chicago. Fangio had Eddie Jackson, the Rams don’t have an Eddie Jackson on the roster. I feel as though John Johnson III can certainly play there but the question to me, how effective will he be at free safety versus strong safety? The Rams have their box safety and pseudo linebacker in Taylor Rapp so they now can grab Robinson Jr. and worry a little less about the position moving forward. However, even if you make the argument they don’t need Robinson Jr. because of Johnson III, you have to keep in mind JJ is up for a new contract and could walk after the season.

4th Round (126th-Overall): Kansas OT Hakeem Adeniji

Height: 6-4
Weight: 302
Arms: 33 3/4″
Hands: 10″

Hakeem Adeniji is one of the more underrated offensive linemen in this draft. He is a four-starter coming out of Kansas where he was thrown into the fire right off the cuff. He got better every season, he’s stout in both pass protection and as a run blocker. The Rams just drafted Muti earlier but Adeniji has the versatility to kick in at guard or play tackle. The plan I see for a talent like Adeniji’s is for him to play the back-up role next season or even start over Edwards and then eventually become the replacement for Andrew Whitworth. The Rams met with him at the Senior Bowl, so they have shown interest in the process but all you have to do is watch what he did against Big 12 competition. He’s a very good tackle prospect that could be great at guard.

4th Round (140th-Overall) via Jacksonville: Arkansas DL McTelvin Agim

Age: 22
Height: 6-3
Weight: 309
Arms: 33 1/2″
Hands: 10 1/8″

The Rams get some beef upfront on their defensive line in the form of former five-star recruit McTelvin Agim. He’s a one-year starter as a defensive tackle that can only improve moving forward. Place Agim in a rotation with Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, A’Shawn Robinson, Greg Gaines, Sebastian Joseph-Day and you have yourselves a unit. Agim is so quick in the trenches where he will add some intriguing interior pass-rushing ability. Agim ended up ranking out as my sixth-overall defensive tackle in the draft. This would be a good pick for the Rams and while you could make the argument of it being a luxury pick, it’s one that makes sense with Robinson only on a two-year deal.

TRADE with Miami!

Rams receive: Pick 5.135

Jaguars receive: OT Rob Havenstein

The Rams now surprisingly have a bit of a logjam on the offensive line after drafting Netane Muti and Hakeem Adeniji. The team does not have a lot of cap by any stretch, Rob Havenstein is coming off his worst season and the Rams spent a third-round pick that they don’t plan on starting? I don’t buy it. The Rams will likely trade Havenstein before the end of the offseason but why not in this draft? The Dolphins need help on the offensive line and Havenstein can come in and start immediately over Jesse Davis. They have plenty of draft capital so this pick won’t mean much to them if they can get a player like Havenstein. This frees up space for the Rams on the offensive line and the books while helping out Miami in protecting their new franchise quarterback.

5th Round (153rd-Overall) via Miami: Rhode Island WR Isaiah Coulter

Age: 21
Height: 6-2
Weight: 198
Arms: 31 3/4″
Hands: 9″

As part of the Rob Havenstein deal, the Rams add a 50/50 ball specialist in Rhode Island’s Isaiah Coulter. Why do the Rams go wide receiver late? I think they want to give Josh Reynolds a year to be the number three receiver, whether I agree with that decision or not that’s what I think they want to do. That leaves the Rams going with a Rhode Island Ram in the fifth round that can go up and high point the football. That has essentially been my biggest knock on Reynolds, while he is tall, he doesn’t use his height to his advantage to go up and pluck the ball out of the air. At the very least, Coulter is someone that can come in and be your red-zone specialist. I think he’s a very talented prospect that could get overlooked because of his competition but I also think he has some serious potential and is a top 15 wideout in a class that can only be described as legendary in terms of wide receivers. I would even go as far as to call him a stronger, more explosive, and faster version of Reynolds. Coulter would be a great addition to Cooper Kupp and Reynolds’ contract years coming up.

6th round (199th-Overall): San Diego State C Keith Ismael

Age: 21
Height: 6-3
Weight: 309
Arms: 32 1/4″
Hands: 10″

The Rams get my sixth-overall center in the sixth round. Not bad. Keith Ismael is not an NFL starter yet, however, give him about a year or so and he could very well become that. He’s a solid athlete that has a good feel for the game. With the Rams bringing back Austin Blythe on a one-year deal they can afford to grab someone who is not necessarily ready to play right away. Brian Allen lost last season due to injury but in all honesty, he hasn’t been that impressive. I wasn’t a huge fan of the pick when it was made and for the reason why I think Allen has struggled. He isn’t big enough to be a center and going up against NFL types of talent. Ismael, in all honesty, isn’t huge either but he’s got the functional strength to make it work in the NFL.

6th round (206th-Overall) via Jacksonville: Hawaii QB Cole McDonald

Height: 6-3
Weight: 215
Arms: 32 1/4″
Hands: 9 3/4″

I don’t know why teams and analysts are sleeping so heavily on a rocket-armed and explosive athlete like Cole McDonald. It doesn’t make any sense, sure, he turns the ball over and he’s a guy that likes to throw caution to the wind. That’s why he might not be the best choice at the top of the first round. After that though, he has all the traits you want in a quarterback. I’m not sure if the stigma McDonald receives is because of past quarterbacks like Colt Brennan but either way, McDonald is a much more intriguing option than drafting a game manager with zero upside. The Rams have not fully committed to Jared Goff yet, while they gave him a long-term deal, they still have an out as long as they don’t restructure his contract. Looking at their cap situation and the fact that a Goff restructure would help immensely and that he’s come out and even said he would be all for it. It’s still pretty interesting that the Rams haven’t gone that route. Now, that’s not to say they are doing it because they want to take McDonald in the sixth and make him the guy but it’s still interesting nonetheless. While I’m a big fan of John Wolford, I think the Rams would be insane to pass up on the opportunity to develop their own quarterback, much less one that has the tools McDonald has.

7th round (234th-Overall): Nebraska ILB Mohamed Barry

Age: 23
Height: 6-0
Weight: 231
Arms: 31 1/4″
Hands: 9 /14″

I am sticking with this pick. The Rams met with him and Mohamed Barry himself told us on our show he spoke with them a lot. Barry didn’t test particularly well at his pro day but I don’t care about testing all that much in the seventh round. Go out and get yourself a guy that can be a captain someday for a special teams unit or even crack the starting lineup. That’s what I see in Barry. He was a fan favorite at Nebraska for a reason.

PROJECTED 2020 55-MAN RAMS ROSTER:

QB: Jared Goff/John Wolford/Cole McDonald
RB: Darrell Henderson/Malcolm Brown/Antonio Gibson
WR: Robert Woods/Isaiah Coulter
WR: Cooper Kupp/Nsimba Webster
WR: Josh Reynolds/Greg Dortch
TE: Tyler Higbee/Gerald Everett/Johnny Mundt
LT: Andrew Whitworth/Hakeem Adeniji
LG: Netane Muti/Joe Noteboom
C: Austin Blythe/Keith Ismael
RG: David Edwards/Austin Corbett
RT: Bobby Evans
DL: Aaron Donald/McTelvin Agim
DL: A’Shawn Robinson/Sebastian Joseph-Day
DL: Michael Brockers/Greg Gaines
OLB: Joshua Uche/Samson Ebukam/Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
ILB: Micah Kiser/Travin Howard/Mohamed Barry
LB: Akeem Davis-Gaither/Troy Reeder/Kenny Young
OLB: Leonard Floyd/Jachai Polite/Natrez Patrick
CB: Jalen Ramsey/Adonis Alexander
CB: Troy Hill/Darious Williams
NCB: David Long/Donte Deayon
FS: Kenny Robinson Jr./Nick Scott
SS: John Johnson III/Taylor Rapp
K: Lirim Hajrullahu
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide

Potential UDFA Targets:

QB Roland Rivers III, Slippery Rock

RB A.J. Hines, Duquesne

WR Jelani Greene, New Haven

TE Noah Togiai, Oregon State

DL Breiden Fehoko, LSU

EDGE Marques Ford, Bethune-Cookman

EDGE Kendall Futrell, East Carolina

LB Jonas Griffith, Indiana State

CB Hasan Defense, Kansas

CB Thakarius Keyes, Tulane

S Evan Foster, Syracuse

S Josh Metellus, Michigan

S Luq Barcoo, San Diego State