LOS ANGELES _ The Los Angeles Rams parted ways with star running back Todd Gurley and receiver Brandin Cooks to get out from under monster contracts.
On Friday, with their first two picks in the NFL draft, the Rams moved to address the void left by the stars departures _ and also possibly filled other needs.
The Rams chose Florida State running back Cam Akers in the second round with the 52nd pick, and five picks later selected Florida receiver Van Jefferson. The Rams also chose Alabama outside linebacker Terrell Lewis and Utah safety Terrell Burgess in the third round with the 84th and 104th picks, respectively.
The Rams go into Saturday's remaining rounds with one pick in the fourth, sixth and seventh rounds.
Coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead are remaking a team a year removed from a Super Bowl appearance that finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs in 2019. McVay hired three new coordinators _ Kevin O'Connell (offense), Brandon Staley (defense) and John Bonamego (special teams) _ and is attempting to put together a roster that can challenge the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and improving Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West.
The Rams made their picks a few hours after announcing that edge rusher Leonard Floyd and defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson had signed free-agent contracts they agreed to in March.
Neither player has taken a team physical, a person with knowledge of the situation said. The team created salary-cap space, in part, by restructuring the $134-million deal quarterback Jared Goff signed before last season and the $32.5-million deal offensive lineman Rob Havenstein signed before the 2018 season.
After cutting Gurley on March 19, McVay and Snead said they were confident that veteran backup Malcolm Brown and second-year pro Darrell Henderson could replace a three-time Pro Bowl running back who was the 2017 NFL offensive player of the year.
But after watching a slew of receivers and offensive tackles taken in the first and second rounds, the Rams used their first pick to tab Akers, one of only three Florida State running backs to rush for more than 1,000 yards in multiple seasons.
"I'm somebody who can come in and be a game-changer," said Akers, the fourth running back selected in the draft, during a video conference with reporters. "Be everything this team and the fans need me to be and everything they're expecting me to be."
McVay and Snead also said they were confident that the receiver corps would be fine with Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds. But with Kupp and Reynolds entering the final year of their rookie contracts, they used the pick they acquired in the Cooks trade to the Houston Texans and made Jefferson the 12th receiver selected in the draft.
"There's a lot of great receivers that went before me, a lot of great receivers that got to hear their names called but I'm just here to prove I can the best player I can be," he said. "I'm excited to get the call from the Rams. It's been a lifelong dream of mine to play in the NFL."
Jefferson is the son of former NFL receiver Shawn Jefferson, an assistant coach for the New York Jets. Van began his college career at Mississippi and then transferred to Florida.
Jefferson said he underwent foot surgery in March but was 90% healed and looking forward to learning from Rams receivers.
"I'm excited to come to the office and learn from the guys that are there," Jefferson said. "Get up under a veteran's wing and just try to learn the offense as quick as I can."
Lewis was sidelined for much of his career at Alabama because of injuries. But he is capable of providing an effective edge-rushing presence for a team that must make up for the loss of Dante Fowler and the career-best 11{sacks he produced last season. The Rams also had released veteran linebacker Clay Matthews.
Lewis said his injuries played a factor in where he was drafted but looked forward to showing what other teams missed.
Burgess, from San Marcos, Calif., converted to safety from cornerback. He was largely projected as a slot cornerback but said he was able to play wherever asked.
Mainly, he was ecstatic about playing in Southern California.
"I didn't get a chance to get everyone's reaction," he said of his family's response to being drafted by the Rams. "I was crying so much."
