Even though the Los Angeles Rams don’t have a first-round pick in the draft this year, they’re on the fringe of Round 1. They’ll go on the clock at No. 36 overall, the fifth pick in the second round – a good spot to pick up a talented edge rusher, cornerback or tight end, among other positions they could address.
Les Snead, Sean McVay and the rest of the Rams’ staff have set their draft board and are ready to roll, and we’ve done the same. This list is a ranking of the top 100 prospects for Los Angeles to target based on the team’s roster needs.
We excluded players who will certainly be off the board by the time the Rams go on the clock at No. 36, prospects such as Will Anderson, Bijan Robinson and Tyree Wilson.
Looking at the 100 players listed below, it’s clear this is a strong class at several positions of need for the Rams, so they shouldn’t have any trouble coming away with impact rookies in the early and middle rounds.
Top 10 prospects
1. CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
2. DB Brian Branch, Alabama
3. CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
4. OLB Myles Murphy, Clemson
5. TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
6. DT Calijah Kancey, Pitt
7. G O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida
8. OLB Will McDonald IV, Iowa State
9. DL Keion White, Georgia Tech
10. DL Bryan Bresee, Clemson
The Rams should be thrilled to come away with any of these 10 prospects at No. 36, or even in a trade up. Most, if not all of them will probably be off the board when the Rams go on the clock, but they’re all Day 1 starters for Los Angeles.
Banks and Forbes would both solidify the secondary as outside cornerbacks, while Murphy, McDonald, White and Bresee all provide some pass-rush help, as does Kancey. Branch is a versatile defensive back who can play safety or cover the slot.
On offense, Mayer and Torrence are the only ones to make the top 10. Mayer is arguably the cleanest tight end in the class, and Torrence is a game-changing guard.
11-20
11. TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah
12. DL Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
13. OLB Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
14. TE Darnell Washington, Georgia
15. WR Jordan Addison, USC
16. WR Quentin Johnston, TCU
17. WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
18. DT Mazi Smith, Michigan
19. TE Luke Musgrave, Oregon State
20. G Steve Avila, TCU
In the 11-20 range, more offensive players are included. Kincaid is right there with Mayer as the top tight end, and Washington isn’t close behind with his massive frame and blocking prowess. Musgrave would be a nice consolation prize at tight end.
Anudike-Uzomah seems like one of the most logical and likely picks for the Rams at No. 36, but Adebawore would be a fantastic selection to fortify the defensive front, too.
A trio of wide receivers come in at No. 15-17, all of whom the Rams could have interest in in Round 2. Smith is a powerful defensive tackle and Avila is probably the second-best guard in the class.
21-30
21. OT Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
22. LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas
23. CB D.J. Turner, Michigan
24. OLB B.J. Ojulari, LSU
25. OT/G Cody Mauch, North Dakota State
26. C John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
27. CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia
28. CB Cam Smith, South Carolina
29. CB Julius Brents, Kansas State
30. RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
This is the sweet spot for cornerbacks. Turner is a fringe first-round prospect in some analysts’ views, but any of Ringo, Smith or Brents would help the Rams a lot in the secondary.
Ojulari is likely to be there for the Rams at No. 36 and would make for a great selection by addressing the pass rush. Sanders is a versatile linebacker who can play inside or rush the passer off the edge.
Mauch and Schmitz would shore up the interior of the O-line, though Schmitz isn’t as position-flexible as Mauch.
Gibbs is the top running back on my board because Bijan Robinson will be way out of reach. He’s exactly the type of running back that could pique the interest of Sean McVay as a receiving threat.
31-40
31. OLB Derick Hall, Auburn
32. C Joe Tippman, Wisconsin
33. OT/G Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse
34. WR Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
35. CB Tyrique Stevenson, Miami
36. CB Clark Phillips III, Utah
37. WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
38. DT Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
39. LB Trenton Simpson, Clemson
40. OT Dawand Jones, Ohio State
Hall is a good prospect for the end of the second round or even the third round, certainly someone the Rams could target.
Tippman, Bergeron and Jones are all impressive O-linemen who would help the Rams, though Jones may not contribute right away as a right tackle with Rob Havenstein still on the roster.
Most analysts have Hyatt over his teammate Tillman, but I flipped those two for what the Rams need. Tillman is a big, physical receiver who would complement Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson nicely as an outside threat.
Stevenson is a sticky cornerback in coverage and Phillips is undersized, but he can cover the slot and was a ballhawk in college with six picks last season.
41-50
41. DB Jartavius Martin, Illinois
42. OLB Byron Young, Tennessee
43. WR Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss
44. S Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
45. WR Tyler Scott, Cincinnati
46. LB Jack Campbell, Iowa
47. OLB Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
48. TE Sam LaPorta, Iowa
49. OLB Zach Harrison, Ohio State
50. S Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State
LaPorta is an underrated tight end who can make plays as a receiver, something the Rams could use at that position. Mingo and Scott are different types of receivers, with Mingo being a bigger, more physical player compared to the deep speed of Scott.
Young, Foskey and Harrison are on the next tier of edge rushers but would all help the Rams early on, given their holes at the position.
Johnson and Brown would bolster the secondary, particularly with Johnson’s ability to cover the slot now that Jalen Ramsey is gone.
Martin is a versatile defensive back who played deep, in the slot and in the box and has impressive coverage skills.
51-60
51. CB Riley Moss, Iowa
52. G Chandler Zavala, NC State
53. QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
54. WR Marvin Mims, Oklahoma
55. TE Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State
56. LB Daiyan Henley, Washington State
57. CB Darius Rush, South Carolina
58. RB Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
59. WR Rashee Rice, SMU
60. C Luke Wypler, Ohio State
Our first quarterback makes an appearance with Hooker at No. 53. Les Snead suggested he thinks Hooker could go earlier than the Rams’ first pick, which is possible, but they’d have to think about picking him if he’s available.
Kraft continues a strong tight end class with good value in Round 3 or 4. The same goes for Mims and Rice at wide receiver; both would help the receiving corps substantially.
Zavala is an underrated guard with great pass-blocking ability, allowing zero sacks last season. Wypler is one of the top centers but wouldn’t have a clear path to playing time with Brian Allen returning.
61-70
61. OLB/DE Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
62. OLB/LB Nick Herbig, Wisconsin
63. OLB Isaiah McGuire, Missouri
64. RB Devon Achane, Texas A&M
65. NT Siaki Ika, Baylor
66. WR A.T. Perry, Wake Forest
67. TE Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
68. TE Brenton Strange, Penn State
69. NT Gervon Dexter Jr., Florida
70. DT Zacch Pickens, South Carolina
Tuipulotu is a really interesting prospect for the Rams because he can play defensive end or outside linebacker and succeed at both. Herbig offers similar versatility as an inside and outside linebacker, which isn’t uncommon for Wisconsin defenders.
Schoonmaker and Strange should garner consideration from the Rams as tight end prospects. Both are very capable receivers with the ability to make plays down the seam.
Ika, Dexter and Pickens would help the defensive line depth, with Ika and Dexter being pure nose tackles and Pickens offering a bit more versatility across the line.
71-80
71. S Sydney Brown, Illinois
72. OT Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland
73. CB Cory Trice Jr., Purdue
74. WR Tank Dell, Houston
75. S JL Skinner, Boise State
76. S Jordan Battle, Alabama
77. RB Tyjae Spears, Tulane
78. LB Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama
79. OT Blake Freeland, BYU
80. RB Roschon Johnson, Texas
A cluster of safeties come in at Nos. 71, 75 and 76, though Skinner comes with an injury concern. He tore his pec while training and could miss time this offseason.
Trice is a cornerback who fits perfectly in the Rams’ zone scheme and he could probably be ranked even higher on this list for his skill set.
Spears and Johnson would add talent to the Rams’ backfield, which primarily features Cam Akers and Kyren Williams right now. Johnson is particularly intriguing for his three-down ability and limited wear and tear after backing up Bijan Robinson.
81-90
81. CB Garrett Williams, Syracuse
82. CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
83. CB Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford
84. OLB YaYa Diaby, Louisville
85. LB DeMarvion Overshown, Texas
86. LB Dorian Williams, Tulane
87. CB Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M
88. G Andrew Vorhees, USC
89. CB Jakorian Bennett, Maryland
90. DE/OLB Karl Brooks, Bowling Green
In the third to fourth rounds, these cornerbacks could all come off the board. We’ve said before how strong the class is at that position and this is an example of that. Jones is a long cornerback with good size, making him a nice fit in the Rams’ zone-heavy defense.
Vorhees, like Skinner, suffered a pre-draft injury, tearing his ACL and likely causing him to miss his rookie year. That lowers his stock in our rankings.
Overshown and Williams are just flat-out football players who will make plays in the middle of the defense. They’re two guys most coaches would love to have on their team.
91-100
91. OLB Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State
92. OLB Yasir Abdullah, Louisville
93. CB Eli Ricks, Alabama
94. DT Moro Ojomo, Texas
95. OT Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion
96. TE Davis Allen, Clemson
97. LB Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
98. RB Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State
99. WR Josh Downs, North Carolina
100. DB Anthony Johnson Jr., Iowa State
If the Rams want an undersized but shifty and explosive running back, Vaughn is a great option. He’s only 5-foot-5 but he’s tough to tackle and has good receiving skills.
Ojomo is one of the better defensive tackles in this class and should be getting more love, as should Fehoko and Abdullah as edge rushers. Both should have an early impact in the NFL.
Downs is an undersized receiver but he’s an impact receiver who can make defenders miss after the catch.
