Aaron Donald is the only starting defensive lineman from last season who’s still on the Rams’ roster after the team lost Greg Gaines to the Bucs in free agency. A’Shawn Robinson is also still a free agent but there’s no indication he’ll be back in Los Angeles.
The D-line should be a priority in the draft, needing to replace Gaines and Robinson, but also prepare for Donald’s eventual retirement – which could come as soon as the 2024 offseason.
The Rams will be able to find impact players throughout this draft, helping rebuild the defensive line around Donald.
Round 1: Bryan Bresee, Clemson
Bresee would require the Rams to trade up in order to draft him because it’s almost certain that he won’t fall to No. 36. He’s a versatile defensive lineman who can play just about any spot up front, and he’d be a great fit as the Rams’ defensive end – the spot A’Shawn Robinson and Michael Brockers played. Los Angeles could use him anywhere on the D-line with Aaron Donald, though.
Round 2: Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
Adebawore is another position-flexible defensive lineman, but his versatility is between defensive tackle and outside linebacker in the Rams’ scheme. He’s a rare athlete, running a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash at 282 pounds. He’s only 6-foot-2, which makes him a tweener up front, but he has a fantastic combination of size, speed and explosiveness. Adebawore had five sacks and nine tackles for a loss at Northwestern last season.
Round 3: Siaki Ika, Baylor
Ika is a traditional nose tackle, coming in at 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds. He’s 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than Greg Gaines, so he’s much more of a space-eater at nose tackle. While he does offer some upside as a pass rusher, his strength is stopping the run and plugging up holes on the interior. He only had 4.5 sacks in four years between LSU and Baylor.
Round 4: Moro Ojomo, Texas
Ojomo is an underrated prospect in this class. He’s 6-foot-3 and 292 pounds with 34-inch arms, which would allow him to play either defensive tackle or defensive end in the Rams’ 3-4 scheme. He’s slightly above average from an athleticism perspective but he only had five sacks in five seasons at Texas, three of which came in 2022.
Round 5: Jalen Redmond, Oklahoma
Redmond is an impressive athlete, running a 4.81 at 291 pounds, and also posting a vertical jump of 34.5 inches. He recorded between 3.5 and 6.5 sacks in his final three seasons at Oklahoma (excluding 2020 when he opted out due to COVID-19), so his production as a pass rusher was there. He also finished with 31.5 sacks in his career.
Round 6: Brodric Martin, Western Kentucky
The Rams met with Martin, so they’ve shown interest in the Western Kentucky product. He played just two seasons there, recording four sacks and six tackles for a loss the last two years. He’s a big defender weighing 337 pounds with a 6-foot-4 frame, so he can eat up blocks inside and help against the run. In the Rams’ scheme, he’d line up at nose tackle in place of Gaines.
Round 7: Cameron Young, Mississippi State
Young didn’t light up the stat sheet in college, recording just two sacks in four seasons at Mississippi State, but as a nose tackle, he’s not expected to help a tun as a pass rusher. In the Rams’ scheme, he could play just about any of the three spots up front, which adds to his value in the draft.
