Very interesting mock draft by jrry32…

FWIW, I consider jrry32 a pretty sophisticated creator of mock drafts over the years.

Here’s jrry32…

I hate that I'm doing one of these before the season is over, but I want to start looking toward better days, as we have had a painful season. I'm still in the preliminary stages of my evaluation, so the draft is mostly shots in the dark at this stage. As always, I do these mocks from a combination of what I think the Rams should do and what I expect the Rams will do. Basically, I pick players I like, but I try to limit that to players who fit our schemes and our coaches' preferences.
Restructure
CB Jalen Ramsey
WR Cooper Kupp
DL Aaron Donald

I expect us to continue kicking the can down the road while our window is open. This will allow us to re-sign some guys and make some FA moves.

Re-sign
QB Baker Mayfield
DL A'Shawn Robinson
CB Troy Hill
P Riley Dixon
K Matt Gay
All ERFAs
DL Marquise Copeland
OL Ty Nsekhe
RS Brandon Powell
LS Matt Orzech

I hope Baker will stick around and be Stafford's backup. He could do a lot of learning from McVay and Stafford. And we need more stability behind Matt. I think A'Shawn will be easier and cheaper to retain than Gaines, so Greg unfortunately leaves in FA. I also think Hill shouldn't be too expensive, and he's a solid veteran at CB with the versatility to play the slot and outside. The special teamers are easy re-signs, and Copeland shouldn't be expensive to bring back as depth.

Free Agency
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S John Johnson III

John isn't living up to the contact in Cleveland and reportedly isn't too happy about his role in the defense. There's a solid chance that the Browns will cut him. If they do, a reunion makes perfect sense. With Nick Scott and Rapp leaving, we have a hole at safety. JJIII fits in this defense and knows the team well. Since he's a cap casualty, he doesn't count against us in the comp pick formula.

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EDGE Charles Harris

Former first round pick Charles Harris had a breakout year for the Lions in 2021. The Lions re-signed him on a relatively short-term deal to see if he could do it again. Instead, Harris has spent most of the year dealing with injuries. With Romeo Okwara returning finally and Aidan Hutchinson (in addition to other young guys in the rotation), I think there's a good chance the Lions cut Harris this offseason. If they do, he's worth a shot. He should be cheap, he won't count against us in the comp pick formula, and he showed he can perform well when healthy last year.

Trades
Rams trade Round 6 Pick #15 and 2024 Round 5 Pick
Commodes trade HB Antonio Gibson

While I think there's a good chance we'll go after Tony Pollard if he hits FA, I am going to include an Antonio Gibson trade in this mock. Cam Akers starting to get his groove back is good news for us, but we need a HB to pair with him. After rushing for 1000+ yards last year, the Commodes relegated Gibson to a #2 role behind Brian Robinson. I think a big part of it was Gibson's fumbling problem last year. That problem hasn't reoccurred this year. Regardless, he's heading into the final year of his rookie year, so I bet Washington is willing to deal him. Why Gibson? He's 6'2" 220, ran a 4.39 40 at the Combine, is dangerous in space, and played WR in college. This kid has massive upside in the right system.


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Rams trade Round 2 Pick #6
Panthers trade Round 2 Pick #11 and Round 4 Pick #26

The Panthers move up a few slots for a player that unexpected fell out of the first round. Rams are willing to move back to regain a fourth because they're confident they can still land their guy.

Rams trade Round 2 Pick #11 and Round 7 Pick #12
Jets trade Round 2 Pick #14 and Round 5 Pick #18

Rams again feel their guy will be there if they trade down, so they make a move with the Jets to drop a few spots.

Rams trade Round 4 Pick #26 and Round 5 Pick #34
Jaguars trade Round 4 Pick #20 and Round 6 Pick #32

Rams trade up for a player.

Rams trade Round 5 Pick #18 and Round 5 Pick #37
Ravens trade Round 4 Pick #25

We move up again for a player we're targeting in the fourth.

Rams trade Round 6 Pick #6 and Round 6 Pick #32
Packers trade Round 5 Pick #13

Another Rams trade up for a player we want.

NFL Draft
Round 2 Pick #14 - B.J. Ojulari EDGE LSU


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Analysis: It was clear all year long that we lacked a presence on the edge across from Floyd. I expect the Rams to target an edge rusher here. There will be some great talents available. I chose Ojulari because he offers exactly what we lacked this year. He's a finesse rusher who wins with an explosive get-off and the flexibility to turn the corner and dip under the OT's punch. However, while Ojulari is a finesse rusher, he's not a one-trick pony. He's a twitchy athlete who can win with an inside move if the OT starts to cheat outside. He also is savvy with his footwork, throwing in stutters and changing speeds to keep OTs off balance. While Ojulari's sack production wasn't off the charts, he posted a better pass rush win rate than Will Anderson this year. Why isn't he going in Round 1? Aside from this being a deep and talented edge class, Ojulari hasn't shown a consistent power game to this point in his career, he's a little undersized at 6'3" 245, and he has weaknesses against the run. While Ojulari plays with a phenomenal motor and has the explosiveness to affect plays as a backside run defender, he lacks the ability to disengage with blockers and stonewall large OTs as a frontside run defender. He is physical and plays hard, so he's not a total liability, but he's definitely a guy you can run at successfully. B.J.'s brother Azeez was a second round pick of the Giants' a couple years ago. Azeez put up 8 sacks as a rookie. IMO, B.J. is a better prospect and player. I think he has the potential to be a consistent double-digit sack guy.

Round 3 Pick #7 - Cody Mauch OL North Dakota State


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Analysis: Mauch is a phenomenal athlete who fits extremely well in our scheme. At 6'6" 303, he's not a physically overpowering blocker. Like the guys McVay has tended towards, he's an athletic OL who uses angles well. This is a kid who is explosive off the ball, has elite lateral agility for his size, and top-notch body control. It makes him a devastating blocker in space and on the second level. He's very savvy, which makes him excellent at working off of double team blocks and securing lanes for runners. Mauch has played basically his entire career at LT (outside of a couple games he started at RT early in his career). While he has the athleticism to play OT in the NFL, I think his arm length will result in him kicking inside (but he could play OT if needed due to injuries). He has the potential to be a devastating OG in a ZBS. If he can get stronger in the NFL, he has All Pro potential. But even if he doesn't, he should be a quality starter. His movement skills are just special. He's also a technically polished blocker with smarts, a mean streak, and a nonstop motor. The one weak point I noted in pass protection is that he tends to shoot his hands too wide and expose his chest. He has no business falling this far, but between his short arms, being an older prospect (turns 24 next month), and being from a small school, I think he's a guy we could steal in the third round.

Round 4 Pick #20 - Sam LaPorta TE Iowa


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Analysis: LaPorta has been highly productive at Iowa, yet he still flies under the radar. I think he's going to fall far further than he should in the Draft because he's neither a dominating blocker nor an elite athlete who is a mismatch in the passing game. But don't get it twisted, LaPorta is a solid blocker and a savvy, reliable receiver. As a receiving TE, LaPorta is a savvy route runner with good burst off the LOS and the speed to create separation on crossing routes. He's a competitive and physical runner with the ball in his hands, making him effective after the catch. And he possesses reliable mitts, although he isn't a dominant contested catch receiver. He's the sort of guy who consistently find himself open in the short and intermediate ranges. As a blocker, LaPorta is savvy, polished, and physical. He competes hard. What he lacks is ideal size (6'4" 249) and strength. That makes it tougher for him to sustain blocks against DLs and larger EDGEs on his own. But he's certainly not a liability as an inline blocker, and he's very willing to throw his body around as a lead blocker or puller. I think LaPorta is going to have a good career in the NFL and is a great fit for our offense.

Round 4 Pick #25 - Kobie Turner DL Wake Forest


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Analysis: Turner is still developing as a DL, but he blew me away with his tools. He was a FCS All American before transferring to Wake Forest before this season. He emerged as a locker room leader and a top player on that Wake DL. His production won't blow you away (38 tackles, 10 TFLs, 2 sacks, and 2 FFs), but his film really impressed me. He lined up everywhere on that DL, from 0-Tech (NT) to 5-Tech (DE). As a run defender, Turner is very hard to move due to his impressive strength and body control. He has even shown the ability to split double teams. When he plays with good pad level, Turner is an impact run defender. He does need to get better at finding the ball and understanding blocking schemes, but with him being a FCS player for most of his career, I don't hold that against him. As a pass rusher, he's explosive off the ball, has the agility and short-area quickness to beat OGs with finesse moves, and he has the power and heavy hands to bull rush OLs. He's very raw as a pass rusher, though. Right now, he doesn't have developed pass rush plans or pass rush moves. He's active with his hands, but he doesn't really know how to use them to max effect at this point. I think this is a kid Eric Henderson could really work wonders with. He has so much raw talent.

Round 5 Pick #13 - Kei'Trel Clark CB Louisville


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Analysis: Clark will likely drop far further than he should because he won't meet the height and weight requirements of a lot of teams. At 5'10" 180, he's undersized. And it shows from time to time. But Clark has great athleticism and is very sticky in coverage. He also has outstanding ballskills. He's a competitive, in-your-face type of CB (a bit like Ramsey in that he chirps a lot). But the guy can play. He has the versatility to play both in the slot and outside. He's a willing tackler, although his tackling technique could improve. His lack of size does hurt him in that respect, as he'll bounce off some guys or get dragged from yardage. He also doesn't get off blocks from physical WRs easily. He also needs to be careful squatting on short routes, as he's late out of his backpedal at times in a way that will get him beat in the NFL. But at the end of the day, this is a dude who can cover and make plays on the football. We've done well with those types. He reminds me a lot of Darious Williams.

Round 6 Pick #12 - Roschon Johnson HB Texas


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Analysis: Roschon gets overlooked because he is stuck behind a monster in Bijan Robinson, but Roschon is a talented HB himself. Originally recruited to Texas as a QB, Roschon moved to HB as a freshman due to injuries at the position. At 6'2" 225, he's not a small HB and runs hard with good contact balance. Roschon also has impressive burst and quick feet. He's a very physical blocker in both pass protection and the running game and was reportedly a leader in the locker room at Texas. This is the sort of kid who puts the team first and will do the dirty work. I think he should contribute on special teams early on. As a runner, he has a lot of upside due to his physical attributes. I think there will be an adjustment period, as he's still fairly new to the HB position and will need to get used to our scheme. He also showed a good amount of potential as a receiver while at Texas. I see him as a guy who might take a year or two to develop, but during that time, he's capable of contributing on special teams and has the potential to be a dangerous piece in the HB rotation down the line.

Round 6 Pick #35 - Rashad Torrence S Florida


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Analysis: Torrence is a solid player who should fit well in the scheme we run. He won't be a fit everywhere, which will hurt him in the Draft, as I don't think he has the quickness and fluidity to play a lot of man coverage in the NFL. Torrence is at his best in a split-safety defense, although he can play the center-fielder role effectively and in the box. Torrence is a hard hitter who brings the boom, but he will sometimes choose the big hit over making a technically sound tackle, which can backfire on him. As a pass defender, he has good ball skills and is capable of picking passes off if a QB doesn't respect him. He's also a guy who will bring the boom on special teams.

Round 7 Pick #36 - Ventrell Miller ILB Florida


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Analysis: I think Ventrell is the type of LB who will fall in the Draft. He's undersized (6'0" 221) and has some major limitations in pass coverage. But he was the heart and soul of the Florida defense this year. Every time he was out, the defense fell to complete shambles. I think Miller will be a very good special teamer in the NFL. He has great instincts, a nose for the ball, hits like a truck, and has good speed. As a LB, he defends the run well, can play sideline to sideline, and is serviceable in zone coverage. He's a liability in man coverage, as he lacks the quickness to keep up with HBs and athletic TEs.

Projected Starters
QB: Matthew Stafford
HB: Antonio Gibson
WR: Cooper Kupp
WR: Allen Robinson
WR: Van Jefferson
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Joe Noteboom
LG: Coleman Shelton
C: Brian Allen
RG: Alaric Jackson
RT: Rob Havenstein

DE: Michael Hoecht
NT: A'Shawn Robinson
DE: Aaron Donald
OLB: Leonard Floyd
ILB: Bobby Wagner
ILB: Ernest Jones
OLB: Charles Harris
CB: Jalen Ramsey
CB: Troy Hill
CB: Cobie Durant
S: John Johnson III
S: Jordan Fuller

K: Matt Gay
P: Riley Dixon
LS: Matt Orzech
RS: Brandon Powell