The Los Angeles Rams are sitting comfortably heading into Thursday night’s draft, having no truly pressing needs on the roster. Sure, there are holes that need to be plugged, but none that the team should feel panicked about addressing.
That’s a testament to how strong the roster is right now, coming off the Rams’ Super Bowl appearance last season. They have talented starters at just about every position, which not many teams can say.
That being said, here are the Rams’ six biggest needs heading into the first round of the draft.
Defensive line
The Rams surprisingly didn’t address the defensive line in free agency despite players such as Danny Shelton and Bennie Logan being available. With Ndamukong Suh highly unlikely to re-sign, the Rams need help on the defensive front and will look to address their hole at nose tackle.
Les Snead praised Michael Brockers’ versatility, allowing the Rams to draft a defensive end or nose tackle and play Brockers at the opposite spot, which is an added benefit. Expect the Rams to address the defensive line in some form in the first three rounds.
Edge rusher
Clay Matthews isn’t going to be a full-time pass rusher and will likely play inside linebacker, too. Dante Fowler Jr. still has a lot to prove, as does Samson Ebukam. The Rams don’t need to reach for a pass rusher because they kept Fowler and signed Matthews, but reinforcements are needed.
If a guy like Montez Sweat or Clelin Ferrell drops to them at No. 31, it’d be difficult to pass up, even if Dexter Lawrence or Jeffery Simmons are on the board. The Rams need pass-rushing help in 2019 and beyond with Fowler only under contract for one year.
Offensive line
Some view this as the Rams’ biggest need, and it very well might be. But Brian Allen could be an upgrade over John Sullivan, and Joseph Noteboom is a capable starter at left guard. Ideally, he’d be Andrew Whitworth’s successor at left tackle, but in the event that the Rams can’t find a better guard in the draft, he’ll be fine replacing Rodger Saffold.
The Rams can draft a left tackle, guard or center and find a way to get the five best offensive linemen on the field next season. The position flexibility they have up front is something O-line coach Aaron Kromer takes full advantage of and is a great benefit when it comes to finding starters.
Inside linebacker
Mark Barron was released and Cory Littleton is set to play the 2019 season on a one-year restricted free agent tender. Micah Kiser has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Barron, and given his skill set as a physical run-stopping linebacker, he might be just what the Rams need.
If they’re not comfortable with him as the starter, look for them to add a linebacker in the middle rounds. Outside of Devin Bush and Devin White, there isn’t a linebacker worth taking in the first round, but Blake Cashman, Germaine Pratt and Vosean Joseph could all be options in the second to fourth rounds.
Safety
It would be extremely surprising to see the Rams leave Nashville without a safety, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. They have two locked-in starters with Eric Weddle and John Johnson, but the future is uncertain because Weddle is 34 and could be a one-year option for the Rams. This draft is stacked with safety talent from top to bottom and given the number of safeties that visited L.A., the Rams are clearly eyeing players at that position.
At the very least, a rookie safety can come in and be the No. 3 option from Day 1. He can play a role similar to the one Marqui Christian held last year, contributing in sub-packages by covering tight ends and essentially playing like a linebacker. There’s no shortage of options, from Darnell Savage to Juan Thornhill to Johnathan Abram, all of whom could be Rams by the end of Friday night.
Cornerback
You’ve heard it before, but once again, Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib will be free agents after the 2019 season if new deals aren’t signed. That’s a huge factor when discussing the Rams’ draft needs. They want to sign Peters to an extension, but after seeing his play in 2018, rushing to do so might not be the best idea.
Like safety, cornerback is deep in this year’s draft class and starters can be had through the fourth round. Fortunately, the Rams don’t need an immediate starter and can draft a developmental guy like Joejuan Williams and let him work his way up the depth chart as a backup in 2019. This is a good year for teams like the Rams to bolster their secondaries.
