The Los Angeles Rams surprisingly stayed put with all four of their picks on Friday night, making each selection without trading up or down the draft board. That’s a testament to their confidence in each player they drafted, feeling good enough to stand pat and draft them rather than trading back and recouping more picks.
So it comes as no surprise that GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay had some high praise for Cam Akers, Van Jefferson, Terrell Lewis and Terrell Burgess after the conclusion of the third round on Friday night.
Here’s a sampling of what McVay and Snead said of their four new draftees and what they bring to the table for the Rams.
RB Cam Akers
McVay said he isn’t sure how the share of touches will work out at running back next season, but he loves Akers’ ability and feels “he adds great value” to the Rams’ backfield.
Snead: “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. 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 matchups 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. A little bit more defenders than maybe guys at Clemson run in to based on the skill they have on the field. I think that’s the thing other than, ‘Hey, this is a big man that’s fast and explosive and powerful and looks like he has fun punishing defenses.’”
WR Van Jefferson
Jefferson is exactly the type of player the Rams look for in a wide receiver. He’s a precise route runner with great awareness and reliable hands, which makes him a perfect fit in their offense.
His dad’s background as a former NFL wide receiver helps, too, and McVay can see it when watching Jefferson run routes.
McVay: “What you feel really good about is, three players that are starting players in our offense that come from that receiver group and I think Van really provides the opportunity to play all three spots. I think he’s a really polished route runner. I think one of the things that you look at, you say, ‘All right, what is a receiver supposed to do? Separate and catch the football.’ I think this guy does this as well as anybody in this draft class. He’s a coach’s kid, he plays like a coach’s kid that’s been around NFL caliber players. He looks like he’s been running routes in training camp since he’s 10 years old. The way that he just understands the nuances of the game, has a great ability to get parallel at the line of scrimmage and work edges against some elite corners that he went against and we’re really excited about him. He’s a competitive kid and I can’t wait to get to work with him.”
OLB Terrell Lewis
Snead and McVay didn’t say much about Lewis, but he should be viewed as one of their best pickups of the night – if not the very best. Although he missed significant time at Alabama with injuries, McVay isn’t concerned because he feels those were freak injuries.
McVay: “To be able to get Terrell Lewis, a guy that we had really had a lot of appreciation for his skillset. He’s had some injuries, but I think they’ve been some freak instances. You look at when this guy is able to play, he’s healthy, he’s ready to go.”
DB Terrell Burgess
Once again, versatility was a primary factor with one of the Rams’ picks. Burgess can play just about anywhere in the secondary, and even as a dime linebacker. McVay was effusive with praise for Burgess and sounds really excited about what he brings to the defense, which is now led by Brandon Staley.
McVay: “I think that’s an ideal situation. I think when you look at some of these versatile safeties, you think even just in our division, you look at what (S) Jimmie Ward is able to do for the 49ers where he has great range playing in the post, but then in some of those known-passing situations, there’s a confidence to drop him down and cover on slots. The more nuances that you have to your game, if you’re a guy that can match up, but then you can also play in the deep half or the middle of the field and show some instincts and some awareness and understanding of angles. This guy (S Terrell Burgess) is tough, he’s smart, he picks things up quickly, he’s got all those intangibles that you’re looking for and then he’s got the make-up athletically, so there’s a lot of things you like and the more you can do the more of a weapon we can utilize you as on the defensive side of the ball.”
