The Los Angeles Rams haven’t made a draft pick inside the top 50 since 2017, but that could change this year. Currently, they’re slated to pick 36th overall, which is on the fringe of being a first-rounder.
The offensive line could be a target with their first pick in the draft and if you ask NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, the Rams are in a great spot in their search for help up front. During a conference call with media members on Friday, Jeremiah said the Rams are in a “really, really good place” at No. 36.
Buy Rams Tickets“Where they’re positioned, if you’re looking for offensive linemen, I think it’s a really, really good place to be,” Jeremiah said, via the Rams’ site.
Jeremiah elaborated on the subject, naming three offensive linemen who could be fits for the Rams in the draft. He mentioned Cody Mauch from North Dakota State and John Michael Schmitz out of Minnesota, both of whom attended the Senior Bowl this spring.
He also highlighted Syracuse offensive tackle Matthew Bergeron, who he says “would be a good fit” and is “gonna be a really good tackle” with guard flexibility.
Here’s what Jeremiah said about Mauch, a player who can line up at any of the five offensive line positions – which is great news for the Rams because they could use depth at each spot.
“Cody Mauch to me is a really good player at North Dakota State,” Jeremiah said. “Has five-position flexibility. I think that’s probably the sweet spot for where he would go. And that you know, you’re seeing this more and more and talking to people around the league and you’re going through meetings, and I’ve seen it covering the Chargers games, doing their games and just being around the league, when you got guys that can play in those multiple spots, it just allows you to overcome the injuries of a 17-game season so much easier. And I think when you look at guys like Cody Mauch, I think that that really, really ups his value, because he’s able to play in those different positions.”
Mauch is 6-foot-5 and stood out at the Senior Bowl as both a tackle and guard. He’s a punishing blocker in the run game and though he does need work in pass protection, he has the frame and skill set to become a quality starter at either guard or tackle. In the Rams’ case, he’d be a better and more immediate fit at guard.
Schmitz might be the top center in the draft, so it’s possible he won’t make it to the Rams at No. 36 overall. But he was another impressive player at the Senior Bowl, improving his draft stock leading into the combine and pro days.
Bergeron is another player who would fit nicely at guard for the Rams, unless they plan to move on from Joe Noteboom at left tackle. Another good run blocker, Bergeron would help get the Rams’ ground game going after it sputtered for the first two-thirds of the 2022 season.
