Quentin Lake says COVID is why he slid in 2022 NFL Draft

You never know who you’re going to get in the NFL Draft.

Los Angeles Rams star safety Quentin Lake was taken by the team in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and was asked by “Inside Football” why he believes he fell in the draft, and didn’t hesitate to give an honest answer.

“I think I got flagged because of some injuries,” Lake said. “But I also say this too, in 2022, that was probably the biggest draft class ever. You had guys that took another year because of COVID, and COVID messed up everything too, so guys that were graded five, six, seven were really three, four, five.”

Lake went on to acknowledge some of the negatives that were said about him by scouts, as he was considered slow and not physical enough.

Lake played at UCLA from 2017-2021 and was a 12-game starter during his sophomore year. But his time on the field decreased during his final two seasons due to injury.

He went on to share a brutally honest story from his father, Carnell Lake, who had a 13-year career, primarily playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, told him, “Don’t be surprised if you get cut.”

“He told me that, and I was like ‘Damn,” Lake said. “… He shot it to me straight. He’s like ‘Be prepared for anything,’ and in that moment I told myself, ‘I said, I’m injured, but what can I do?”

Lake said that moment was the moment he learned every single back-end position.

Since he had that honest moment with his father, he’s turned himself from a late sixth-round pick who was a backup during his first two seasons in the NFL to a core piece of the Rams defense.

In 2024, Quentin Lake started in 16 games for the Rams and finished second on the team in tackles by collecting 111.

Last season, Quentin Lake appeared in 10 games for the Rams and missed six of them due to a dislocated left elbow. On January 1, Lake and the Rams agreed to a three-year contract extension worth up to $38.25 million.

After his contract extension, Lake and the Rams made a deep playoff run, but ultimately fell in the NFC championship to the eventual Super Bowl winning champions, the Seattle Seahawks.

A year later, the Rams are now viewed as Super Bowl favorites after trading for Myles Garrett in June.

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