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

[theramswire.usatoday.com] One reason to be excited about each of the Rams' draft picks


Cameron DaSilva
May 3, 2022 8:04 am PT

Les Snead and Sean McVay did their best to find value in the draft despite not picking until No. 104 overall, adding eight rookies from Rounds 3-7. It was a mix of offense and defense, focusing on positions such as cornerback and the offensive line.

Each rookie will have to earn his roster spot and playing time in 2022, but there are reasons to be excited about all of them. From Logan Bruss’ pass blocking to Russ Yeast’s versatility, here’s one reason to be excited about each incoming rookie.

Wisconsin G Logan Bruss (Round 3, Pick 104)
He only allowed one sack in the last three seasons

Bruss played both guard and tackle for Wisconsin, yet he only allowed one single sack in 596 snaps in the last three years. And that was in the Big Ten, where he faced guys like Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. That just goes to show how rock solid he was in pass protection.



South Carolina State CB Decobie Durant (Round 4, Pick 142)
He had 12 interceptions in college, including 2 against Clemson

Les Snead raved about Durant’s ball skills after the draft on Saturday, and for good reason. Durant picked off 12 passes at South Carolina State, including two in the biggest game of his career against Clemson. He always found himself around the ball in college and that should translate to the NFL.



Notre Dame RB Kyren Williams (Round 5, Pick 164)
He was one of the best passing-down RBs in the draft

Williams isn’t the biggest or fastest running back to come out of the 2022 class, but few players can touch his value in passing situations – both as a blocker and a receiver. Many analysts raved about his willingness to pick up blitzes, which you can see in this video.

He’s also a reliable receiver, drawing comparisons to Dion Lewis and James White.




UCLA S Quentin Lake (Round 6, Pick 211)
He has great ball skills

Lake isn’t going to be a rangy safety in the middle of the field the way Earl Thomas was for the Seahawks, but his ball skills are really good – and playing in split-safety roles allows him to make plays on the ball when defending half of the field.

Just take a look at this interception by Lake last season against USC, tipping it to himself for the pick.


Georgia CB Derion Kendrick (Round 6, Pick 212)
He was All-ACC and All-SEC in his college career

Kendrick began his career at Clemson before transferring to Georgia, but he was impactful at both stops. In his first season on defense in 2019, he was second-team All-ACC at Clemson. He remained at cornerback in 2020, earning first-team All-ACC honors for the Tigers. Kendrick transferred to Georgia for 2021 and was a second-team All-SEC selection and led the team with four interceptions.


Montana State OLB Daniel Hardy (Round 7, Pick 235)
He was top-10 in FCS in sacks and TFL last season

Hardy ranked in the top 10 at the FCS level in both sacks and tackles for a loss last season. He brought down the quarterback 16.5 times, fourth-most in Montana State history and sixth in the FCS last season. His 24.5 tackles for a loss were third-most in program history and ranked ninth in the FCS.

Hardy is also a great athlete, even though he’s slightly undersized for the position.


Kansas State S Russ Yeast (Round 7, Pick 253)
He played cornerback and safety, and returned kickoffs

Yeast played all over the field in college, playing for two different programs. He was a cornerback at Louisville for two years before moving to safety in 2019, spending the next two seasons there for the Cardinals. He then joined Kansas State as a grad transfer in 2021, starting 13 games at safety and picking off four passes with 14 total breakups.

Yeast was a punt returner and kickoff returner at Louisville, too, showing excellent versatility.


Michigan State OT AJ Arcuri (Round 7, Pick 261)
He was All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2021

Like Bruss, Arcuri spent his career in the Big Ten and was tasked with blocking some top pass rushers, lining up at left tackle and right tackle. He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention last season, stepping up in Michigan State’s efficient rushing offense.