FINAL 7-ROUND MOCK DRAFT: RAMS TAKE HIGH-UPSIDE TACKLE WITH FIRST ROUND PICK

It’s finally here. The NFL Draft is just days away and for the first time in the Sean McVay era, the Los Angeles Rams should be making a pick in the first round. The Rams do a good job of keeping things close to the vest throughout the draft process. Therefore, it’s still very uncertain what they will do when they’re on the clock.

The Rams are notoriously a hard team to predict. Last year, I correctly mocked Davis Allen to them in the fifth round and back in 2021, I also gave them Ernest Jones in my final mock draft. My final mock draft is not done with a mock simulator. Instead, I rely on a consensus big board and keep players within a certain range of outcomes. To keep things simple, there are also no trades. Below is not necessarily what I would personally do, but what I think the Rams will do and how they will approach the draft.

19. OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma

I want to preface this by saying that I do think the Rams are going with an offensive tackle in the first round. That could mean a trade up for Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu, depending on how high the Rams want to go. It could also mean taking someone like Troy Fautanu. With that said, Tyler Guyton is my pick here and believe he’s a perfect fit.

There will be flashbacks to players like Greg Robinson and Alex Barron. Those were two raw offensive line prospects that the Rams selected that didn’t work out. It’s understandable for there to be some concern here. However, there are a few reasons to be optimistic about Guyton and in actuality, he is almost nothing like the two players mentioned above.

For starters, Guyton’s foot speed is phenomenal. At 322-pounds, Guytin’s three-cone at the Combine came in at 7.5 seconds. In the last five draft cycles there have only been four offensive linemen as tall as Guyton who ran a 7.5-three cone or better. The 7.5 second three-cone puts him above the 80th percentile. While he has only played right tackle, that foot speed gives confidence that he can play on the left side. He took snaps at left tackle at the Senior Bowl and showed he may to develop more there in the upper-half. At just 21 years old, his best football is still ahead of him.

Guyton was coached by Bill Bedenbaugh at Oklahoma who is one of the best offensive line coaches in the country and has been cranking out elite offensive linemen. Adding to that, Guyton may be the most talented of the bunch. As Dane Brugler wrote in “The Beast”, “The OU coaches just marvel at him. They call him different than everyone else they’ve had.” According to SIS, Guyton had a 0.0 percent blown block percentage on run plays which led all offensive linemen in the class. That’s notable because Oklahoma ran an inside zone, gap focused scheme which is what the Rams run in their offense. In pass protection, Guyton was put on an island more than anyone in college football at a 62.9 percent rate.

Guyton began his career at TCU as an athlete. The Horned Frogs moved him to the offensive line, but to get on the field, Guyton took snaps at tight end and actually caught a touchdown. At the Senior Bowl, there was a willingness to play at left tackle — a position that he hadn’t played before. That’s not something that Taliese Fuaga did. Guyton is willing to help his team wherever he’s needed. The TCU talent pool is a place that the Rams have dove into frequently in the past. That’s where they drafted Steve Avila, Joe Noteboom, and Tre Tomlinson. Both Zach Evans and Ochaun Mathis were at TCU before transferring to Ole Miss and Nebraska.

While Guyton does need to refine his game as he gets more experience, the Rams may be the perfect spot for that. With Alaric Jackson, there isn’t a pressure to be the guy right away. Playing next to a veteran like Jonah Jackson will also be beneficial. This comes down to whether that Rams believe in their coaches to get the most out of Guyton and help him reach his potential. Because the Rams are paying their guards as much as they are, they need to keep the price tag at left tackle much lower. The best way to do that is to find a player on a rookie contract.

52. CB Max Melton, Rutgers

Moving on to round two, the Rams do need to address the defensive side of the ball. Max Melton makes a lot of sense as that player. While the Rams don’t have an immediate need at cornerback after signing Darious Williams and Tre White, it wouldn’t hurt to also draft someone on day two.

Melton brings the speed and ball skills to the position that the Rams like. He had 21 pass breakups and five interceptions over the last two years at Rutgers. Melton is also physical in run support and brings special teams value. He’s under six feet, but plays big. Melton should fit in the Rams Cover 3 match zone defensive scheme.

83. WR Javon Baker, UCF

It would not be surprising if the Rams ended up going wide receiver early and took a Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round. However, with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, the Rams can address this need on day two. Baker projects as an “x” receiver in the NFL and someone who can win deep down the field as a vertical player. Last season, 35.6 percent of Baker’s routes were “go” routes and he had a success rate of 61.5 percent on those routes according to Reception Perception. However, while he wins deep, he’s also a very good route runner. As Matt Harmon said,

“Baker shows a solid ability as a route runner with some nice fundamentals you can build on. I was caught off guard with how impressive he is as a route runner. He shows great tempo once he gets rolling and varies up his pace at all three levels of the field.”

Baker is a willing blocker which is an absolute must for Rams receivers. He displays good ball-tracking skills and is YAC ability is also impressive. Baker could be the fourth wide receiver in the offense behind Demarcus Robinson this year before taking the jump in year two.

99. DL Mekhi Wingo, LSU

It’s the last pick on day two and we’re finally hitting the defensive tackle position. One of my favorite prospects in this draft class is Mekhi Wingo. The Rams could trade up in the first-round and take a player like Byron Murphy. However, they may wait on the position. At the end of the day, the Rams aren’t replacing Aaron Donald. They may be better off working in a strong rotation on the defensive front.

Much like Donald, Wingo is slightly undersized, but brings some of the same quick get-off. That’s shown in his 1.63 10-yard split. Despite his smaller size, he may be one of the better run defenders in this class. Wingo forced over have of runs to bounce outside. He had a 53 percent forced bounce rate according to Sport Info Solutions which led 2024 defensive linemen prospects. He’s versatile and can line up at a 3T or 5T. If the Rams land Kobie Turner and Mekhi Wingo in back-to-back drafts in the third-round and both become starting caliber players, that is great value.

154. EDGE Jalyx Hunt, Houston Christian

While some might be disappointed not to be getting an edge rusher earlier, there is a chance that the Rams wait until day three of the draft. It’s possible that the Rams don’t see a rookie edge rusher making the same impact as other positions, especially without Aaron Donald. Depending on their playoff outlook, they could wait until the trade deadline and then look to acquire a veteran player at the position. Still, they could absolutely still take Chop Robinson in the first round.

It’s also worth noting that the Rams drafted three edge players last year. That’s not to say that the Rams shouldn’t draft an edge, but they will let players like Nick Hampton, Ochaun Mathis, and Byron Young continue to develop and get more playing time. They also brought back Michael Hoecht.

Hunt is more of a developmental prospect, but he has a lot of upside. As a former safety, he’s also a player that should be comfortable dropping into coverage if that’s something that he’s asked to do. Hunt can win in several different ways and actually has pretty hand usage. He’ll need to fill out his frame more at the NFL level, but he has the athleticism that’s worth betting on in the fifth-round.

155. DL Leonard Taylor, Miami

Defensive line is a position that the Rams could end up double-dipping on in the draft. They lost Aaron Donald to retirement and opted not to bring back Jonah Williams. The Rams will need some depth in that room. Leonard Taylor out of Miami is another high-upside player that could develop into an impact contributor.

Taylor might have the best get-off for any defensive lineman in this class and he displays versatility, being able to play anywhere along the defensive front.. It’s very possible that he goes much earlier than day three of the draft. While he has the athletic traits, he still is a very unrefined player that needs coaching and development. He has the ability to be a disruptive player for a defense and he’s a player with a lot of potential. However, it may take time for him to reach that ceiling.

196. LB Jaylan Ford, Texas

The Rams will need to add some linebacker depth behind Ernest Jones. While they brought back Christian Rozeboom, they need a coverage linebacker that can play next to Jones or potential become the starter next year in the case that an extension doesn’t get done.

Ford fits a lot of what the Rams look for at the position. He showed good explosiveness in the pre-draft profess with a broad jump of over 10 feet at his pro day. His arms a little shorter than you would like, but he’s a physical player who excels in zone coverage and displayed good lateral quickness. Ford had over 100 tackles each of the last two years and plays with good instincts. The Rams may look to add another linebacker or two as undrafted free agents. However, Ford is a good fit and should be able to have an immediate impact on special teams.

213. iOL Jacob Monk, Duke

With Guyton at 19, the Rams found their left tackle of the future. However, the biggest need on the offensive line after that remains depth at center and the interior offensive line. The Rams didn’t bring back Coleman Shelton and will need that type of player that can fill in at center or guard in a pinch.

Monk started 10 games at center while at Duke, but also brings 36 starts are right guard and 12 at right tackle. That versatility is something the Rams will value. The Blue Devils also ran a zone-based scheme with gap principles. He displays good foot quickness and processing to be a good depth piece at center.

217. K Cam Little, Arkansas

Little has been one of my favorite kicker prospects throughout the draft process. Last season, the Rams found Ethan Evans at the East-West Shrine Bowl. Back in 2012, Snead found Greg Zuerlein at the Shrine Bowl as well. Little could add his name to the list of specialists that the Rams have found in Frisco.

Arkansas has become “kicker U” in the college football ranks and Little is the most accurate kicker in program history. He also never missed an extra point. The Rams need their kickers to be able to hit from long range and Little has shown the ability to hit from longer than 60 yards. Little will likely compete in camp, but should show enough leg and accuracy to earn the starting role.

254. S Tyler Owens, Texas Tech

I almost gave the Rams another offensive lineman here. However, it’s hard to see them drafting three unless they trade a player like Jackson or Noteboom. Therefore, it’s probably safe to assume at some point the Rams will draft a safety on day three.

Owens has experience playing multiple roles in a secondary. He played at the STAR at Texas Tech in their 3-3-5 defense. He’s a very good athlete as he had a 41-inch vertical and over a 12 foot broad jump at the NFL Combine. Owens should be able to contribute on special teams.

2024-04-23T15:28:30Z dg43tfdfdgfd