2017 NFL Mock Draft: Mocking The Draft Puts LA Rams On A CB

Dan Kadar has a new three-round mock over at Mocking the Draft this week with an interesting take on how the draft board is shaping up with just three weeks to the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine.

And since it’s been a minute since the last mock we covered that went beyond the first (since one-round mocks just aren’t going to pull much interest for us this year), it’s worth digging into.

As for the back end of the first-round which is of interest since some of these prospects could slide down to the Los Angeles Rams with the fifth pick of the second round, there’s tons of interesting talent. Just going from the 25th pick, you’ve got three offensive linemen in Alabama OT Cam Robinson (#25), Utah OT Garrett Bolles (#26) and Indiana G Dan Feeney (#31), a name we’ve seen mocked to the Rams before. You’ve also got two quality linebackers in Florida MLB Jarrad Davis (#27) and Alabama OLB Ryan Anderson (#30). UCLA OLB Takkarist McKinley is in there at #29, but he doesn’t fit the Rams previous build. Unless new Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips wants to take the Rams’ front seven in a new direction (and he well could), McKinley wouldn’t fit.

All four of the second-round picks could be legitimate targets for the Rams. Washington WR John Ross (#33), Ohio State OLB Raekwon McMillan (#34 - make sure to check out QBKlass’ awesome scouting report on McMillan from last week), Florida CB Teez Tabor (#35) and Western Kentucky OT Forrest Lamp (#36) all would make sense.

So who does Kadar have the Rams taking?

Ohio State CB Gareon Conley

The Rams could use an offensive lineman, but Conley can be the No. 1 cornerback the team has needed. He could very likely carry a first-round grade from many teams.

It’s yet another mock that has the Rams going cornerback in round 2.

How this consensus is building is beyond me. The Rams had the worst offense in the entire NFL. Adding talent with your top draft capital seems unavoidable. And yet, the mocks keep avoiding it.

We’ve got two and a half months, so nothing is gospel here. It’s just odd to see.

As for the rest of the mock, until the compensatory picks are released in about a month, the Rams will remain on the hook to give both their first-round and third-round picks to the Tennessee Titans. So until then, mocks are going to have to honor the current draft order. In other words, no more Rams picks.

If the Rams do get that third-round comp pick for losing Janoris Jenkins to free agency, they’ll keep the fifth pick in the third round. Kadar has the Titans using that pick to select Eastern Washington WR Cooper Kupp. There’s plenty of talent ahead of and behind him including Tennessee CB Cameron Sutton a pick later whom the Rams met with at the Senior Bowl.

For now, it’s a 96-man mock that offers plenty to peruse and plenty more to think through.