Inside linebacker sure looks like a major need for the Los Angeles Rams in the 2021 NFL draft, but Les Snead and the front office may not prioritize it the way many fans hope they will. Their pre-draft meetings haven’t included many linebackers, and the ones they have met with are mostly expected to be Day 3 picks.
Boston College linebacker Isaiah McDuffie has met with the Rams multiple times, according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, and he could be an option late in the draft if the team doesn’t select a linebacker early in the second or third round.
Boston College LB Isaiah McDuffie has met with the following teams more than once.#Raiders, #Rams, #Titans, #Jaguars, #Ravens, #Lions, #Cowboys, #Texans, #Colts, and #Patriots.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 24, 2021
McDuffie is slightly undersized as a linebacker, standing 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds. He was productive when healthy, however, recording 230 tackle, 8.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for a loss in 31 career games.
He did miss most of the 2019 season due to an injury suffered in the spring game, however, playing just four games all year. In 2020, he earned second-team All-ACC honors with 107 tackles and an interception in 11 games.
McDuffie has limitations in coverage and struggles to take on blockers at times because of his smaller stature, but he plays extremely hard and has decent speed. The Rams shouldn’t draft him with the expectation that he’ll be an immediate starter, but he’d be a good depth piece to join the linebacker competition.
