On paper, the Rams should have a quality trio of receivers with Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson. However, Kupp and Robinson are both coming off injuries and Jefferson is entering the last year of his rookie deal. Tutu Atwell also hasn’t panned out the way the Rams hoped he would have, but there’s still time.
In the 2023 draft class, there isn’t a ton of rare talent at the top of the board, but there are solid No. 2 and 3 receivers to be had in the middle and later rounds. The Rams will likely be in the market for a receiver again this offseason and we’ve highlighted one prospect they could target in each round of the draft.
Round 1: Quentin Johnston, TCU
Johnston’s stock seems to be dropping a bit in an overall weak wide receiver class – at least at the top of the board. He has great size at 6-foot-3 but he was expected to run much faster than the 4.49 he posted at his pro day. Johnston caught 60 passes for 1,069 yards with six touchdowns last season at TCU, the second straight year he scored six touchdowns. It’s tough to make the case for the Rams trading up for a wide receiver, but he might fall far enough in Round 1 to make the move doable for LA.
Round 2: Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Hyatt looks like he’ll be a good deep threat in the NFL, running a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash. He’s not a big, physical receiver, weighing in at only 176 pounds and 6 feet tall, but he has the speed to get behind the defense and make big plays down the field. Sean McVay tried to make it work with DeSean Jackson and Tutu Atwell, but Hyatt could be the true deep threat he’s been looking for.
Round 3: Marvin Mims, Oklahoma
Mims is one of the more intriguing wideouts in this class as a potential Day 2 pick. He has a 39.5-inch vertical and 4.38 speed, an impressive combination of speed and athleticism at the receiver position. He can also line up in the slot or on the outside, as he did at Oklahoma. His versatility and playmaking ability should make him an impactful receiver in the NFL.
Round 4: Trey Palmer, Nebraska
The Rams have shown interest in Palmer, who ran a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash at 192 pounds. The athleticism is unquestioned, but he needs to be more refined as a receiver in order to get open for his quarterback more often. After a quiet three seasons at LSU, Palmer broke out at Nebraska last year with 71 catches, 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns.
Round 5: Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West Virginia
Ford-Wheaton turned some heads at the combine when he ran a 4.38 at 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds. Unfortunately, that athleticism never turned into a highly productive season in college; his best season came in 2022 when he caught 62 passes for 675 yards and seven touchdowns. What’s encouraging is he improved each year, so his stock is at least trending up.
Round 6: Ronnie Bell, Michigan
Bell is just average from a size-speed standpoint, but he does have some good leaping skills after jumping 38.5 inches in the vertical at the combine. In five years at Michigan, he had two seasons with at least 750 yards, but he was limited to six games in 2020 and only one in 2021, so his college production was up and down.
Round 7: Jake Bobo, UCLA
The Rams have spoken to Bobo, who’s right in their backyard at UCLA. He spent his first four seasons at Duke before transferring to UCLA where he had 817 yards and seven touchdowns on 57 catches. At 6-foot-4, he has great size, but he’s not going to run away from many defenders in the open field.
