The Los Angeles Rams are fresh off of a Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Given their win-now nature, they didn’t have much to work with in the 2022 NFL Draft. The team traded away their first-round pick in a package for Matthew Stafford, a second- and third-round selection for a Von Miller rental, and a sixth-rounder for Sony Michel.
The team’s formula has always been the same under Sean McVay, which is to trade higher picks for established players and hit home runs on the later picks while also accumulating additional selections through the compensatory pick process.
The Rams started a safety in the Super Bowl who was a seventh-round selection in 2019, a seventh-round selection at linebacker helped get them to the Super Bowl, an undrafted free agent started at cornerback, and so on. The Rams, make no mistake about it, get the most bang for their buck when it comes to draft selections.
A repeat is not easy, but here’s what they did in the 2022 NFL Draft to gear up for another run.
Rams NFL Draft Picks 2022
- Round 3, Pick 40 (104th Overall): Logan Bruss, G, Wisconsin
- Round 4, Pick 37 (142nd Overall): Decobie Durant, CB, South Carolina State
- Round 5, Pick 21 (164th Overall): Kyren Williams, RB, Notre Dame
- Round 6, Pick 33 (211th Overall): Quentin Lake, S, UCLA
- Round 6, Pick 34 (212th Overall): Derion Kendrick, CB, Georgia
- Round 7, Pick 14 (235th Overall): Daniel Hardy, DE, Montana State
- Round 7, Pick 32 (253rd Overall): Russ Yeast, S, Kansas State
- Round 7, Pick 40 (261st Overall): AJ Arcuri, OT, Michigan State
The defending Super Bowl champions have some big holes to fill after failing to keep Von Miller. Losing Andrew Whitworth and Austin Corbett were also impact departures that needed addressing.
Without any early picks to work with, the Rams had their work cut out for them. Their first selection came in the third round, where they took Logan Bruss, a guard out of Wisconsin. Anytime you can get an offensive lineman from Wisconsin, that’s usually a good thing, as they tend to be a goldmine for the position.
The Rams also had some holes to fill in their secondary and drafted South Carolina State corner Decobie Durant with their next pick. Additionally, they drafted two safeties and another cornerback in the late rounds.
Quentin Lake, a sixth-round pick, became the first safety from UCLA to get drafted since 2011. His father Carnell Lake played for the Steelers and made five All-Pro teams.
One of the potential steals of the draft was Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams, who fell down the board after a poor performance at the Scouting Combine. That being said, he’s still a solid pass-catcher, blocks well, and profiles as a third-down back. He could be a nice compliment to Cam Akers in this backfield.
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Note: The Rams NFL Draft predictions below were published before the 2022 NFL Draft.
Pre-Draft Rams NFL Mock Draft Predictions 2022
- Round 3, Pick 40 (104th Overall): Coby Bryant, CB, Cincinnati
- Round 4, Pick 37 (142nd Overall): Lecitus Smith, IOL, Virginia Tech
- Round 5, Pick 32 (175th Overall): DeAngelo Malone, EDGE, Western Kentucky
More Possible Rams Draft Targets: Montaric Brown, CB, Arkansas; George Moore, OT, Oregon; D’Vonte Price, RB, Florida International; Amare Barno, EDGE, Virginia Tech; D’Marco Jackson, LB, Appalachian State
Pre-Draft Rams Team Needs 2022
1. Cornerback
The Rams lost starter Darious Williams at cornerback and are now left with some practice squad depth and Robert Rochell. This defense needs corner help to allow Jalen Ramsey to play the star role.
Los Angeles puts a premium on arm length. Additionally, the franchise typically prefers going after zone-friendly corners which fits their scheme. The players they pursue tend to be high-IQ players.
Perhaps they could look at players like Montaric Brown out of Arkansas or Coby Bryant out of Cincinnati in the third round should either of them fall.
2. EDGE Rusher
Von Miller left for Buffalo and the Rams did not replace him. While the team does have talented edge defenders in Justin Hollins, Terrell Lewis, Chris Garrett, and Earnest Brown IV, it’s important to have consistent pass rushing ability.
Leonard Floyd is on the other side, and Hollins was playing great until the injury last year, which brought in Miller via trade in the first place. Lewis hasn’t been able to stay healthy and Garrett didn’t play at all on the defensive side outside of special teams.
The Rams could look early on to acquire a pass rusher in an effort to add more confidence and insurance to the edge room.
3. Offensive Line
The Rams lost Andrew Whitworth to retirement and Austin Corbett via free agency. With right tackle Rob Havenstein slated to be a free agent next year as well as left guard David Edwards and backup Bobby Evans, one would have to look at adding some depth in the draft.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rams chase the interior offensive line talent in this draft as early as the third round.
Rams May Also Consider Drafting: Running Back, Safety, Linebacker
