The interior of the Rams’ offensive line was a revolving door last season, rotating through guards and centers left and right. Injuries took a major toll on the entire O-line, particularly on the inside.
The Rams have enough bodies and depth at guard and center to make things work next season, but they’re lacking high-end starters, which is a problem. The draft is a good spot for them to find some help up front as they attempt to better protect Matthew Stafford in 2023 and get the run game going.
Here’s a look at one guard or center the Rams can target in each round of the draft this month.
Round 1: N/A
This isn’t a great draft class for top-end guards and centers, which is why there isn’t a player worth trading up for in the first round. Rams would be better off standing pat and taking the best interior offensive lineman available at No. 36 if there’s one deserving of being selected there.
Round 2: G O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida
Torrence would be a fantastic pick for the Rams at No. 36. Given the lack of top-end guards, it wouldn’t be a surprise if someone took him in the first round, but the Rams shouldn’t give up picks to go get him. He’s a powerful, road-grading guard on the interior and he excels in pass protection, allowing zero sacks in his career at Louisiana and Florida. Torrence would be an upgrade over all of the Rams’ guards currently on the roster.
Round 3: C Luke Wypler, Ohio State
Wypler only gave up one sack in the last two seasons, showing impressive skill as a pass protector. He’s slightly bigger than Brian Allen, standing 6-foot-3 with nearly 32-inch arms, which allows him to make reach blocks on defensive tackles.
Round 4: G Andrew Vorhees, USC
Vorhees has a big frame for a guard, weighing in at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds. He showed the ability to play guard and tackle at USC, but at the next level, he’s expected to primarily play on the inside at guard. According to PFF, he gave up two sacks last season and had a pass-blocking grade of 80.1.
Round 5: G Nick Broeker, Ole Miss
Broeker struggled a little bit in 2021, allowing four sacks in pass protection. But last season, he didn’t give up a single one and earned a pass-blocking grade of 71.8 from PFF. He’s 6-foot-4, so he has just average size for a guard. But for a Day 3 prospect, the potential is there.
Round 6: G Atonio Mafi, UCLA
Mafi was fantastic as a run blocker last season, recording a grade of 88.3 in that department last season. He did allow three sacks, which is more than you want to see from a starting guard, but there’s room for growth as a pass blocker. And at his size (355 pounds), he has the frame of an NFL guard.
Round 7: Alex Forsyth, Oregon
Forsyth was nearly perfect in pass protection last season, allowing zero sacks or hits on the quarterback, and only one total hurry at center. He has great length, too, being 6-foot-4, but he’s a below-average athlete, which can make outside zone runs tough for him.
