The Los Angeles Rams will have a handful of needs entering the 2023 NFL draft. The obvious needs on the defensive side of the ball include the edge rusher and cornerback positions.
Besides those positions, the Rams could elect to target an inside linebacker during the draft with Bobby Wagner being released earlier this offseason. Los Angeles has 11 picks in this year’s draft, giving the team a chance to address a variety of holes on the roster.
With the inside linebacker position not being one of the major needs on the roster, the Rams could target someone like Aubrey Miller Jr. on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft.
Background
For the first three years of his collegiate career, Miller played at Missouri, getting limited playing time for the Tigers. Miller would transfer to Jackson State in 2020 and would win the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022 with 117 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six pass breakups, five forced fumbles, and two sacks.
After a strong finish at Jackson State, Miller attended the Senior Bowl this offseason. While he didn’t run at the NFL scouting combine, Miller reportedly ran a 4.70 40-yard dash and a 1.66 10-yard split, along with 23 reps on the bench press at Jackson State’s pro day.
How he fits the Rams
Miller’s speed testing wasn’t impressive on his pro day, but he flashed plenty of upside on tape at Jackson State. The athletic linebacker is capable of operating sideline-to-sideline and he was solid in coverage when asked to defend against the pass.
There’s a chance Miller begins his career in the NFL as a special teams contributor, but the Rams could develop him into a future starter alongside Ernest Jones. While Miller could benefit from bulking up and improving his play recognition in the run game, he’d be worth taking a flier on with a late-round pick.
Draft projection
With Miller not going to a prominent college, some teams may not have him high on their draft boards. However, Jackson State has deservedly gotten more eyes on them in recent years, with mock drafts having Miller primarily being selected in the latter part of Day 3.
As of this moment, the Rams have eight total picks on Day 3 of the draft, with all of those picks taking place from rounds five through seven. Given the current state of the team’s draft capital, the Rams should have multiple opportunities to add Miller to their roster.
More prospect profiles
Here are the previous linebacker prospect profiles that have been completed already:
