One reason to be excited about each of the Rams' 9 draft picks in 2021

One reason to be excited about each of the Rams' 9 draft picks in 2021

Cameron DaSilva
May 3, 2021 11:35 am

The immediate reaction to the Los Angeles Rams’ 2021 draft class has been lukewarm, with both analysts and fans questioning some of Les Snead’s picks – primarily his decision not to draft an offensive lineman. But there’s a lot to like about the nine players the Rams drafted this year.

We highlighted one reason to be excited about each player drafted by Los Angeles, whether it’s their fit with the Rams or their performance in college. This is a group with good potential, even if some of them won’t contribute right away as rookies.

1
WR Tutu Atwell, Louisville (2nd round)

He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands

When you’re 5-foot-9 and only 155 pounds, you better be able to make defenders miss in the open field. And Atwell certainly can. According to PFF, Atwell was third among all wide receivers in yards after the catch in the last two seasons.

He has 4.32 speed and averaged one touchdown for every seven passes he caught, finding the end zone at a high rate in college. And when he’s facing man coverage, defenders have a really tough time containing him, averaging a 123.4 passer rating when targeted against man.


2
LB Ernest Jones, South Carolina (3rd round)
He’s a great tackler

Jones might not be the most athletic or rangy linebacker, but he’s smart and always finds the football – especially in the running game. Expect him to be a leader in the middle of the defense relatively early, taking command of the Mike linebacker role.

He prides himself on tackling, saying “I’ve always just had a goal in my mind and nobody can’t have more tackles at the end of the game than me because that just doesn’t look right for the middle linebacker not to have the most tackles.”

According to PFF, he had a tackling grade of 83.0 in 2020, 28th-best among all linebackers.

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[theramswire.usatoday.com]