Rams 2022 Draft Prospect Profile: Dontario Drummond (WR, Ole Miss)

[theramswire.usatoday.com] Rams 2022 Draft Prospect Profile: Dontario Drummond (WR, Ole Miss)


Skyler Carlin
April 16, 2022 5:01 am PT

Sean McVay and Les Snead have shown a tendency of adding skill players in the NFL draft since partnering in 2017. The Los Angeles Rams have selected a wide receiver in each of the past two drafts, with Tutu Atwell being the team’s second-round pick in 2021.

Atwell’s role remains undetermined entering the 2022 campaign, so Los Angeles could look to add depth at wide receiver behind Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, and Van Jefferson. If the Rams do happen to be interested in bringing in a wideout in the 2022 NFL draft, it will likely be in the latter portion of the draft.

I’m not personally saying that Los Angeles should go out of their way to add another wide receiver in the draft, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see them pull the trigger at some point. With weeks to go until the draft, Dontario Drummond is a prospect that the Rams could be enticed to select in the backend of the draft.

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Background
Coming out of high school, Drummond went the junior college route, attending East Mississippi Community College. In his two years at East Mississippi, Drummond combined for 95 receptions, 1,466 receiving yards, and 21 touchdowns.

Drummond would then transfer to Ole Miss as a junior, accumulating 114 catches, 1,633 receiving yards, and 15 touchdowns. He would haul in 76 passes for 1,028 yards and eight touchdowns in his final season at Ole Miss, which is why he’s put his name on the map ahead of the draft.

After being invited to the NFL scouting combine, Drummond notched a 4.65 40-yard dash (3rd slowest among WR) and a 34-inch vertical jump (19th among WR).

How he fits the Rams
At the start of his rookie season, Drummond will be 25 years old, which may lead to some teams avoiding him. However, the Rams took Kupp and Jefferson when they were both 24-year-old rookies, so signs point toward them preferring experienced wideouts.

Drummond got to play in a wide-receiver-friendly offense under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, leading to him having an extremely productive senior season in 2021. The same would be true for Drummond if he got an opportunity to play in McVay’s offense.

During his time at Ole Miss, Drummond displayed strong hands and an ability to create after the catch (things that the Rams seem to prioritize at wide receiver). He’ll need to improve his route-running at the next level, but he’s worth taking a flier on in the later rounds.


Draft projection
Due to Drummond being an older rookie and his below-average performance at the NFL scouting combine, he isn’t expected to be an early-round pick. Drummond is likely going to land somewhere in the sixth or seventh round of the draft to a team that is looking to add depth to their receiver room.

The Rams currently have five draft picks in the sixth and seventh round combined. Taking that into consideration, Los Angeles could go in a variety of directions in the latter rounds, with the wide receiver position being a possibility in another deep class.

There’s a chance Drummond goes undrafted later this month, but it wouldn’t be the worst development if the Rams used one of their last selections on him. Drummond would benefit from working behind Kupp, Robinson, and Jefferson, and he could earn a depth role if Atwell and Ben Skowronek continue to struggle.