Finally, after three trades and almost two full rounds of waiting, the Los Angeles Rams joined the party that is the 2019 NFL draft. With the 61st overall pick, they selected Washington safety Taylor Rapp.
Despite signing Eric Weddle and having John Johnson III back as a starter, the Rams weren’t satisfied with the current status of their secondary. Weddle is 34 and under contract for just two years, and the Rams love to run three-safety packages on defense.
Rapp won’t be asked to start right away, which will only benefit him as a player, making this an excellent fit. The Rams couldn’t have asked for a much better fit at safety with the 61st overall pick.
He brings great size and short-area quickness, running the second-fastest short-shuttle drill of anyone at the combine. There are questions about his straight-line speed, but his role with the Rams won’t require him to run deep and cover fast receivers down the field.
He’s best when aligned in the box and near the line of scrimmage, almost as a linebacker. And coincidentally, the Rams just moved on from a hybrid safety-linebacker in Mark Barron, who began his career as a safety with the Buccaneers.
Rapp should find himself on the field fairly early in sub-packages where the Rams are utilizing three safeties and one linebacker – likely Cory Littleton. He can effectively replace Marqui Christian as the third safety, too, locking down tight ends and setting the tone with big hits.
