The Los Angeles Rams concluded the 2023 NFL draft with 14 total selections, including Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson in the sixth round. The Jim Thorpe Award winner went later than some expected, causing some to view him as a steal in Round 6. Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar listed the TCU cornerback as the Rams’ biggest steal in the draft after going 182md overall
Here is what Farrar had to say about why Hodges-Tomlinson brings so much value to the Rams based on where he was selected:
I am of the opinion that if Hodges-Tomlinson was six feet tall and weighed 200 pounds as opposed to his 5-foot-8, 178-pound frame, we would have been talking about him as a first-round prospect right up there with Devon Witherspoon, Christian Gonzalez, and Joey Porter, Jr. Hodges-Tomlinson was one of the best deep-ball defenders in the NCAA last season, and overall, he allowed just 28 catches on 81 targets for 365 yards, 75 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, three interceptions, 10 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 42.5.
Before the draft took place, Hodges-Tomlinson was considered by many to be one of the best cornerback prospects available. Many mock drafts had the nephew of LaDainian Tomlinson going on Day 2 of the draft, or at the latest, being selected in the fourth round.
Despite having a productive collegiate career, Hodges-Tomlinson somehow found himself falling to the sixth round of the draft. And even though he’s an undersized cornerback, the Rams knew that they couldn’t pass on the talent before the seventh round began.
Since the draft has concluded, many people have had differing opinions on the Rams’ draft class. At the same time, the majority of people seem to agree that the Rams got tremendous value by taking Hodges-Tomlinson in the sixth round.
