Although Les Snead and Sean McVay haven’t come out and said the Los Angeles Rams will take a safety in the upcoming draft, it’s no secret that’s the plan. They’ve hosted several safeties for pre-draft visits and with Eric Weddle only on a two-year deal, his presence won’t prevent them from addressing the future at the position.
It just remains to be seen when the Rams will do exactly that. Taking a safety at No. 31 overall is definitely a possibility, but with no second-rounder, perhaps the better move is to trade down and target one.
Below is one safety prospect for the Rams in every round of the 2019 NFL draft.
Round 1: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Florida
This was a toss-up between Gardner-Johnson and Nasir Adderley, but the latter likely has a lower chance to be available for the Rams. Gardner-Johnson is one of the best safeties in the draft and some teams might even view him as a nickel corner. He can be a similar player to Lamarcus Joyner from 2017 when he was an elite safety.
He’d be a great selection at No. 31 for the Rams, assuming he doesn’t get snatched up by a team like the Seahawks, Packers or Chargers. While it’s unlikely any rookie safety will be a starter, Gardner-Johnson would be an early contributor in sub-packages.
Round 2: Darnell Savage, Maryland
Savage is one of the Rams’ pre-draft visitors, so they clearly like his game. Of course, they don’t have a second-round pick, so this projection is based on a potential trade back. Moving down 10 or so spots would likely keep Savage in their range, providing excellent value in the second round. He definitely won’t make it to the Rams’ third-round pick at No. 94, so they’ll have to move back and grab him in Round 2.
Savage is an aggressive player who can play either safety spot. Like Gardner-Johnson, he’s somewhat similar to Joyner in the fact that he can play corner, too, though he’s much bigger at 5-foot-11, 198 pounds.
Round 3: Amani Hooker, Iowa
Hooker might not last until the third round, but landing him at No. 94 would be a great value if possible. He’s not a perfect fit at free safety, but the Rams could use him closer to the line of scrimmage and allow John Johnson III to handle the middle of the field in the event that Hooker is drafted. He has good speed (4.48 40-yard dash) and is one of the smartest safeties in the class.
His ball skills were on display in 2018, too, picking off four passes and breaking up seven total. No matter where you play him, he’s going to improve the defense up the middle.
Round 4: Sheldrick Redwine, Miami
Redwine was a pre-draft visitor for the Rams as they look into the athletic safety. He brings good size at 6-foot, 196 pounds and still has the speed (4.44) to turn and run deep downfield. Redwine’s coverage skills could still use some work, but the potential is definitely there. It’s hard not to be intrigued by his game as he enters the NFL because with the right coaching, he can be a great safety.
The bigger question with Redwine is whether he’ll fall to Round 4 because the Rams might have to take him at the end of the fourth round if they want to secure his services.
Round 5: Zedrick Woods, Ole Miss
Woods turned heads at the combine with a 4.29 40-yard dash, which will boost his stock at least a little bit. His speed will entice a coach to draft him and attempt to develop him into a quality starter, but it won’t be as a true free safety. Woods needs to be close to the line of scrimmage where he can come up against the run and not be forced to cover deep.
At the very least, he’d be a valuable special teams player with that speed and he’s a ferocious hitter around the line of scrimmage.
Round 6: Evan Worthington, Colorado
Worthington is huge, standing at 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds. As a result of his size, he doesn’t have elite speed (4.63) but is still athletic enough to cover the middle of the field. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares him to John Johnson and believes he can play either safety spot. With his size, he would make a great No. 3 safety for the Rams, coming in to match up with tight ends like Marqui Christian did.
Worthington does have character concerns after being suspended for the entire 2016 season for violating team rules.
Round 7: Marvell Tell III, USC
Tell is a taller safety at 6-foot-2 but is still remarkably quick. His three-cone time of 6.63 seconds was the second-fastest of any defensive back at the combine, showing he has outstanding short-area quickness. In the seventh round, teams are drafting traits and trying to find potential in players, which Tell has plenty of.
It’s an added bonus that he played at USC, so he’d get to stay in Southern California with the Rams, too.
