The Rams have significantly improved this offseason by shoring up their cornerback room, which was their only real weakness, and by getting a commitment from quarterback Matthew Stafford for at least one more season.
You can argue that they have the NFL’s best overall roster, or at least in the top three, with very few starting job openings.
It’s a great position to be in, allowing them to be extremely narrow in addressing draft needs. In fact, probably no NFL team can stay truer to the best-player-available mantra than the Rams.
They can literally watch the draft unfold and go BPA rather than drafting for need every time they are on the clock.
They can also be flexible earlier in the draft by focusing on the future rather than seeking out Day 1 starter types simply to fill a hole.
Here is a look at how we think the first three rounds might play out for the Rams:
Round 1, No. 13
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
The Rams’ pursuit of Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown is evidence that the club understands the need for another wide receiver. Davante Adams is in the last year of his contract and, at 33 years old, could play his final year with the Rams. The Rams need to find his replacement and someone they can pair with Puka Nacua.
They could look at that position with their first pick, but it’s predicated on who is still available when they’re on the clock. USC’s Makai Lemon makes some sense, in that case, but if he’s off the board — and that is not out of the question — the Rams won’t force the issue.
Tackle is also a position of need, and if Georgia’s Monroe Freeling is available, he would make sense as well. But as the only real bona fide first-round left tackle prospect, he’ll probably be gone before the Rams pick.
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Which brings us to Simpson, the second-best quarterback prospect in the draft behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Yes, the Rams are in win-now mode. Conventional wisdom suggests the 13th pick overall should only yield a Day 1 starter.
But the work the Rams did in turning their only real weakness, cornerback, into a strength by trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson allows them to be more creative with their first-round pick.
Essentially set across the roster, now would be the perfect time to proactively address quarterback, which will soon be a massive need given Stafford’s age and how he has gone into multiple offseasons unsure about returning for the following season.
The Rams could potentially set up a situation in which they have Stafford’s replacement on the roster. More importantly, whether it’s for one or two more years, Simpson can learn and develop under one of the NFL’s best coaching staffs, which will give him a real chance to be ready to take over for Stafford in a year or two.
Round 2, No. 61
Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
As we mentioned earlier, the Rams’ interest in trading for Brown shows a recognition of their need at wide receiver.
They didn’t force the issue in the first round and opted to play the long game by drafting Simpson, the quarterback of their future.
The second round should be ripe with wide receiver options, including a few with the capability of being Day 1 starters.
Fields is a 6-foot-4, 218-pound classic X wide receiver who will benefit from playing alongside and learning from Adams and Nacua.
He’s not a burner by any stretch, but he’s a big, physical presence who can dominate opposing cornerbacks with his size, strength and ability to fight for balls. On tape, there are clear instances in which he was a physical mismatch for cornerbacks on 50-50 balls.
He’s also improving as a route runner and will get better at that part of the game simply by learning from Adams and Nacua.
Round 3, No. 93
Keionte Scott, CB, Miami
The Rams did a fantastic job addressing their cornerback room by adding McDuffie and Watson, who will man the perimeter spots and provide immediate and significant improvement.
But they aren’t done at cornerback, whether it’s to add depth or to lock down their slot corner.
As of now, Quentin Lake is penciled in as the nickel corner. But he’s a safety, so it’s not the most ideal situation.
Scott is a feisty, tough, physical playmaker in pass coverage, run defense and blitzes. He’s also a leader who will fit right into the team culture.
He’s projected to go somewhere between late in the second round and the third, which makes it a bit dicey that he’ll be there at No. 93. But Scott is someone they certainly could target in a trade-up scenario.
