Later this week, the Los Angeles Rams will add a bunch of new names to their offseason roster. With 11 picks in the 2023 NFL draft, they’ll have the chance to inject some youth and talent into a roster that’s lacking the latter.
Predicting what Les Snead and the Rams will do in this year’s draft is difficult, primarily because they need help at just about every position. So they could realistically take any position from running back to safety in Round 2, with everything in-between also on the table.
In our latest mock draft, I attempt to predict which direction the Rams will go. I addressed the pass rush first, viewing it as the team’s biggest need, before taking a wide receiver and cornerback in Round 3. I also traded up into the fourth round, bridging the gap between Pick 77 and 167.
Here’s how things shook out using Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator.
36. Felix Anudike-Uzomah, OLB, Kansas State
Anudike-Uzomah would be a nice combination of value and upside. He not only fills an immediate need, but he also has the potential to be a 10-sack player each year. He could improve against the run but the Rams are making this pick for his pass-rushing ability. He would be an instant upgrade over the edge rushers currently on the Rams’ roster.
Anudike-Uzomah had 19.5 sacks and 25.5 tackles for a loss in the last two seasons at Kansas State.
69. Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee
Wide receiver should be a bigger priority for the Rams now with Allen Robinson gone and Tillman would be a fantastic replacement. He’s a similarly physical receiver to Robinson, making tough, contested catches in college. He’s not a burner but at 6-foot-3, his 4.54 speed is plenty good enough.
Tillman would make for a nice complementary piece on the outside with Cooper Kupp in the slot.
77. Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina
Rush is 6-foot-2 with long arms and 4.36 speed. It doesn’t get much better than that from a measurables standpoint. He’s a former wide receiver who made the switch to defense, so his ball skills are undeniable, even with only three picks in the last two years. With Jalen Ramsey out of the picture, Rush would be a nice addition – though he doesn’t have the inside-outside versatility that Ramsey does.
TRADE: 128. Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion
Trade: Rams send Picks 167 + 191 for Pick 128
Instead of waiting nearly 100 picks between selections, I moved up from No. 167 to 128 and the cost was only Pick 191. With 11 total selections, it’s a price worth paying.
Kuntz is an insanely athletic tight end with a high ceiling thanks to his 40-inch vertical and 4.55 speed at 6-foot-7. The Rams could use a legitimate threat down the seam, which Tyler Higbee may not necessarily be anymore, but Kuntz will need a little bit of time to develop.
171. Jon Gaines II, G, UCLA
This might be later than some people want the Rams to address the O-line, but they also like the guys they already have. Gaines would have the chance to compete with Logan Bruss, Coleman Shelton and others at guard, but he’s also played center and tackle in his career. He needs to improve in pass protection but his run-blocking ability is sufficient.
177. Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State
The Rams need pass rushers and coming away with only one of them in the draft isn’t a good idea. So, I doubled up on this position and grabbed Fehoko in the fifth round. He had a whopping 50 hurries and 12 sacks last season, according to PFF, showing he can really get after the quarterback off the edge. At 6-foot-4 and 276 pounds, he can also line up as a defensive end in the Rams’ scheme in sub-packages.
182. Anthony Johnson Jr., S, Iowa State
Johnson is a former outside cornerback who moved to safety in 2022, primarily playing in the slot and the box last season. He’s not an elite athlete but he has enough speed to cover the slot and even defend deep as a true free safety. His versatility all across the secondary gives him even greater value as a prospect and it’s something the Rams often covet in their defensive backs.
189. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA
Matthew Stafford is the only quarterback on the Rams’ roster right now. That has to change. Thompson-Robinson has a lot of work to do as a passer and he’ll always be limited by his size and lack of arm strength, but his athleticism is impressive and Sean McVay has often favored backups with above-average mobility.
He might have to be the No. 3 behind Stafford and a veteran free-agent signee, but Thompson-Robinson has some upside that McVay can extract and turn him into a future backup or fringe starter.
223. Desjuan Johnson, DT, Toledo
The defensive line needs some depth after Greg Gaines departed and Johnson adds some disruption to that group. He’s not the biggest or quickest defensive tackle, but he finds ways into the backfield, totaling 14.5 sacks and 45.5 tackles for a loss in five seasons.
234. Travis Dye, RB, USC
Finally, McVay gets a running back. He and Les Snead probably won’t wait this long to take one, but Dye is a decent pickup in the seventh round. He has some receiving skills and averaged at least 6 yards per carry in each of the last three seasons, creating big plays for USC’s offense.
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