The Los Angeles Rams didn’t get risky with the 36th overall pick in the draft. They stuck with the logical target and selected TCU lineman Steve Avila, a versatile player who can line up at guard or center – and even tackle in a pinch.
The ink is barely dry on the draft card turned in by the Rams with Avila’s name on it, but there are already a handful of grades being handed out for the team’s selection of the TCU lineman.
The early takeaways are positive, and it’s easy to see why.
Pro Football Focus
PFF gave the Rams a “good” grade for the selection of Avila, not quite qualifying for the “elite” tier. The outlet still likes the pick, particularly after seeing him allow just one pressure against the Bulldogs in the national championship.
Avila was the model of consistency in pass protection during TCU’s Cinderella run in 2022. He averaged less than one pressure allowed per game last season and surrendered just one pressure to a vaunted Georgia defensive line in a blowout national championship loss.
The Athletic
Avila earned high praise from The Athletic, which gave the Rams a B+ for this pick. As noted below, TCU coach Sonny Dykes called Avila the best O-lineman he’s ever coached, which is quite the statement about the Rams’ new guard/center.
With good size (6-3 ½, 332) and a versatile background, Avila is a plug-and-play option from minicamp onward. At TCU, where he had 35 starts, Avila started 17 games at center before flipping to left guard this year for the national runners-up. TCU coach Sonny Dykes called him the best offensive line prospect he ever coached, and Avila proved it as a consensus All-American.
SB Nation
SB Nation isn’t wrong about the state of the Rams’ offensive line, given the injuries this team suffered up front last year. Avila adds not only depth, but also a potential Day 1 starter at either guard or center.
Very fun fit here, with the Rams taking a bruising guard from TCU in Avila. The Rams’ offensive line is currently held together by silly putty, so Avila should be able to step immediately and contribute. He’s strong and a very smart player, who will be a starter for many years.
Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report expects Avila to start at guard alongside Logan Bruss, bookending Brian Allen at center. That’s a logical fit for Avila with Bruss likely stepping in as a starter and Allen sticking around as the starting center for one more year.
Avila could realistically start at any of the three interior spots and help the Rams’ front, though he and Logan Bruss–whom the team selected in the third round last year–will likely bookend center Brian Allen as the starting guards.
The Rams must keep quarterback Matthew Stafford upright after he endured multiple injuries, including a concussion and spinal contusion, last season.
