The Los Angeles Rams have a variety of holes on their roster ahead of the 2023 season. Following the trade of Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins, the Rams will unquestionably need to improve at the cornerback position this offseason.
While there are veterans available in free agency, the Rams could certainly use at least one of their 11 picks in the 2023 NFL draft on a cornerback. Cobie Durant is currently atop the depth chart after a productive rookie campaign in 2022.
With the Rams needing to address the cornerback position, Julius Brents out of Kansas State is an intriguing prospect in the 2023 NFL draft.
Background
Coming out of high school, Brents chose to attend Iowa to begin his collegiate career. Brents would play at Iowa from 2018-2020 before transferring to Kansas State in 2021.
In his two seasons at Kansas State, Brents accumulated 94 tackles, six pass breakups, and five interceptions. At the NFL scouting combine, Brents ran a 4.53 40-yard dash (22nd among CBs) with a 1.57 10-yard split (tied for 26th among CBs).
How he fits the Rams
Brents has excellent size with his tall and lengthy frame, measuring in at 6-foot-3, 198 pounds with 34-inch arms. The Kansas State prospect certainly used his length to his advantage in college to make plays on the ball and recover in coverage.
Brents excelled in zone coverage and he’s a formidable run defender at the cornerback position, making him a fit in Raheem Morris’ defense. While Brents isn’t the fastest cornerback at his size, his length should allow him to have success in zone coverage, and he also has the ability to play at safety.
Draft projection
It’s not easy finding lengthy cornerbacks, so some teams could have Brents high on their draft board. The majority of mock drafts have Brents being taken on Day 2 of the draft, primarily in the second round.
The Rams currently possess the 36th overall pick, so that will be their best opportunity to select Brents. There’s also a chance the Rams trade up for another pick in the second round if the Kansas State product falls later than expected with Los Angeles having 11 total picks.
More prospect profiles
Here are the previous cornerback profiles that have been completed already:
