The reviews on the Los Angeles Rams’ 2020 draft class have been mixed, with some fans loving the firepower they added to the offense and others concerned about the offensive line. But with every pick Los Angeles made – and it made nine of them – there are reasons to be excited.
Whether it’s Cam Akers’ explosiveness or Terrell Burgess’ versatility, the Rams brought in players with skill sets that are hard to be upset about.
We went through each draft pick and listed one reason to be excited about it, beginning with Akers at No. 52 overall.
RB Cam Akers (52nd overall)
He thrived behind a terrible offensive line
The Rams’ offensive line probably won’t be great in 2020 unless their young starters develop, but fortunately for Akers, he’s used to running behind a terrible line. Not only that, but he played in one of the worst offenses in the country. To give you an idea how bad Florida State was, there were no other Seminoles drafted this year.
Even with poor blocking up front, Akers managed to rush for 1,144 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2019, largely because he gained so many yards after contact.
Les Snead mentioned that when discussing the decision to pick Akers.
First of all, go back to high school, he runs like a warrior, he runs angry, he runs like he wants to punish a defense,” he said. “One of the things you really appreciate about him is, they struggled a little bit at Florida State these last few years, wasn’t as stout upfront on the OL. He was one of their better players. A lot of teams went into those ACC match ups saying, ‘We’ve got to stop that man.’ They had a hard time stopping him, so you get an appreciation for someone who looks like he’s enjoying running into, I call it a lot of defenders.”
WR Van Jefferson (57th overall)
He’s a terrific route runner
The Rams may not have gotten the most athletic or fastest route runner in the draft with Jefferson, but they did get one of the best route runners. In Sean McVay’s offense, that’s imperative because so much of it is about being schemed open with route concepts.
If a player can’t run a precise route and shake his defender loose, he won’t get the ball and it’ll throw the entire offense off.
Jefferson shouldn’t have that problem, being the son of a former NFL receiver. Here’s a sampling of his ability to run routes, allowing him to win one-on-one despite not being the fastest or quickest guy.
OLB Terrell Lewis (84th overall)
He’s been compared to Chandler Jones
Lewis’ potential might be higher than any player from the Rams’ 2020 draft class. He struggled to stay healthy in college, suffering arm and ACL injuries, but when he was on the field, he was an impact player.
He’s a long-limbed, powerful rusher who can get to the quarterback and stack up blockers against the run. Analysts raved about the Rams’ pick at No. 84, and it’s easy to see why. He compares favorably to Chandler Jones when healthy.
The Rams took a risk with drafting Lewis in the third round, but the reward could be huge. He’s just scratching the surface of his potential and could become a perennial 10-sack player.
DB Terrell Burgess (104th overall)
He can play anywhere in the secondary
If you love versatility, you’ll love Burgess. He can play anywhere in the secondary, from free safety to outside cornerback. Think of Tyrann Mathieu without the rare instincts and college production.
That’s not to say he’ll be the next Honey Badger, but Burgess has similar versatility. That will allow him to get on the field early and often as a rookie, playing the deep middle and covering the slot for the Rams. He’s easily one of the most exciting players from this class.
TE Brycen Hopkins (136th overall)
He’s extremely athletic for a tight end
Hopkins could be what the Rams hoped Gerald Everett would (and still could) turn into. At the NFL combine this year, here’s where he ranked among all tight ends in key drills:
- 40-yard dash: 2nd (4.66)
- Vertical jump: 10th (33.5)
- Broad jump: 8th (116.0)
- 3-cone: 8th (7.25)
- Short shuttle:4th (4.28)
He has all the athleticism and size you want from a tight end, standing at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds. McVay is as creative as they come for a play caller, so he should be able to find a way to get him involved at some point as a rookie, and especially in Year 2.
Hopkins was also named the tight end that was “most fun to watch” by Pro Football Focus for his spectacular catches
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report said Hopkins would’ve been his top TE in the class if not for Cole Kmet.
S Jordan Fuller (199th overall)
QBs rarely tested him in coverage
Fuller wasn’t viewed as one of the top safeties in this class alongside Grant Delpit and Xavier McKinney, but he was a three-year starter and two-time captain for one of the biggest programs in the country.
And although he was taken in the sixth round, Fuller was a solid player at Ohio State who was rarely tested (or beat) in coverage. According to PFF, Fuller was only targeted once every 32 coverage snaps.
Despite that low rate of targets in 2019, Fuller still had two interceptions and broke up four passes.
LB Clay Johnston (234th overall)
He’s stout against the run
No one is going to mistake Johnston for Cory Littleton in coverage, but he’s a really good run defender in the middle of the field. Last season, he ranked 31st among all college defenders in run defense grade, according to PFF.
Johnston did miss most of the season with a torn ACL, limiting him to just six games. However, he still managed to make 58 tackles, eight of which were for a loss. He’ll have to make a name for himself on special teams first, but Johnston has a chance to earn playing time in base 3-4 packages next to Micah Kiser or Travin Howard.
If you need another reason to be excited about Johnston, just watch his draft call after being selected.
K Sam Sloman (248th overall)
Arguably the best kicker in college last season
Rodrigo Blankenship got most of the attention as the best kicker in the country, but Sloman was no slouch – and he got drafted, unlike Blankenship. Last season, Sloman made 26 of his 30 field goal attempts, and 34 of his 35 PATs.
Pro Football Focus gave him the best field goal grade of any kicker in college football last season, particularly because he was 11-for-14 from beyond 40 yards. That was a troublesome distance for Greg Zuerlein in 2019, so perhaps Sloman can improve the Rams from that range.
OL Tremayne Anchrum (250th overall)
He succeeded against a high level of competition
Anchrum isn’t some small-school prospect who needs time to adjust to NFL pass rushers. There will undoubtedly be a learning curve, but Anchrum faced Chase Young when Clemson played Ohio State and practiced against 2019 first-round pick Clelin Ferrell for several years.
He’s gone up against NFL-caliber pass rushers, which will help him transition to the NFL, where he’ll likely play guard.
