New four-round mock draft for Los Angeles Rams leads off with unusual pick at #31

Chad Reuter dropped a four-round mock draft yesterday at NFL.com that started off with a big trade at #2 and involved a pretty unusual pick for the Los Angeles Rams at #31.

Reuter gets things going after the #1 pick du jour by following the Arizona Cardinals’ selection of Oklahoma Sooners QB Kyler Murray by having the Oakland Raiders trade for the #2 overall pick from the San Francisco 49ers to take Missouri Tigers QB Drew Lock.

Nothing else crazy in his first, though I think having Florida Gators OT Jawaan Taylor going to the Jacksonville Jaguars at #7 is the highest I can recall.

Edge watch knows this first round well. Kentucky Wildcats EDGE Josh Allen, Michigan Wolverines EDGE Rashan Gary and Mississippi St. Bulldogs EDGE Montez Sweat are all gone in the top 10. Florida State Seminoles EDGE Brian Burns goes at #19 to the Tennessee Titans and Clemson Tigers DE Clelin Ferrell heads to the Raiders at #24.

Popular Rams mock pick N.C. State Wolfpack OL Garrett Bradbury goes to the Kansas City Chiefs at #29. Miss. St. S Johnathan Abram, himself a popular option for the Rams in mocks, comes off a pick later just as the Rams are on the clock.

So Reuter has the Rams going an unconventional route:

#31.) LSU Tigers CB Greedy Williams

With Aqib Talib on the back end of his career and Marcus Peters coming off an up-and-down season, the Rams may decide to shore up this position.

Hard to have issue here. Williams has been long thought of to be out of the Rams’ range and, as Reuter notes, our CB1 and CB2 are both in contract years this season. Oh and the CB3 in CB Troy Hill. Oh and the CB4, CB Sam Shields, is no longer a Ram. Oh and the CB5, CB Dominique Hatfield, is also in a contract year. Oh and the CB6, Kevin Peterson, is also in a contract year.

The only outside cornerback under contract after this year is the seventh cornerback on the depth chart, CB Darious Williams.

So no issue with a prospect like Greedy being adding five years of consistency to the position depth chart. I would still anticipate (and advocate) a trade down, but in terms of the pick itself it’s hard not to like.

If you’re looking at a short drop into the 2nd, it’s easy to like Reuter’s options for the Rams. Of the seven picks from #35-41, six of them would make sense in Miss St. DT Jeffery Simmons, Delaware Blue Hens S Nasir Adderley, Texas A&M Aggies C Erik McCoy, Florida S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Maryland Terrapins S Darnell Savage, Jr., and Louisiana Tech Bulldogs EDGE Jaylon Ferguson. With roster gaps on the offensive line and everywhere on defense, plenty of picks thereafter look suitable should the Rams find their way into the back ²⁄₃ of the second somehow. Of course, the same holds for round 3 until we get to the Rams at #94:

#94.) Texas A&M DT Kingsley Keke

Keke’s length and agility could push him into the top 75 picks. The Rams would love to select him here, though, as they may need to replace both Ndamukong Suh and Ethan Westbrooks.

I’m not a huge fan of Keke’s, but we’re nearly at the 100th pick so prospects at this point are going to have some significant flaws. Position-wise, Reuter doesn’t even mention the likelihood of DL Michael Brockers playing his final season as a Ram.

Next up:

#99.) Ohio State Buckeyes OL Michael Jordan

Rams coaches believe second-year players Joe Noteboom and Brian Allen can take over for the departed Rodger Saffold III and John Sullivan inside -- but why not pick up Jordan, who could play either guard or center if needed?

Even if Noteboom and Allen can supplant their predecessors, someone has to then fill Noteboom and Allen’s 2018 backup roles. Plus, Jordan could still challenge for time this year even with Noteboom and Allen having a leg up with a year of experience with the Rams’ coaching staff.

One pick of note here in the third? Oregon Ducks EDGE Jalen Jelks at #102 to the Baltimore Ravens. I remember seeing Jelks in first-round mocks! God bless mocks.

Round 4. So many great prospects with huge potential ceilings and great value picks. Iowa St. Cyclones RB David Montgomery to the Buffalo Bills at #112 is pretty much a perfect selection. USC Trojans RT Chuma Edoga is a sneaky good option #116 for the Miami Dolphins. Stanford Cardinal RB Bryce Love at #120 would’ve gotten you mocked online a year ago. Old Dominion Monarchs EDGE Oshane Ximines was a first-round option a month ago. Oklahoma OL Bobby Evans at #132 is baffling to me. Man, this fourth round looks amazing!

As for the Rams, they wrap up round 4 with:

#133.) Ohio State Buckeyes RB Mike Weber

C.J. Anderson did what he could for the Rams when Todd Gurley wasn’t on the field. Weber presents a more varied skill set, though, and could be a solid complement to the healthy version of the team’s star.

This might be one of the few options here I don’t like. That’s largely due to my belief that Malcolm Brown should be fine as a backup to Gurley and that I anticipate Gurley to be just as healthy to start 2019 as he was a year ago. And if Brown’s healthy (and there’s no reason to plan on him not being as much), spending an early Day 3 pick on running back just doesn’t seem appropriate for a team with the highest-paid running back in the NFL that just took a running back in the draft a year ago (Turf Show Radio whispers of John Kellyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy).

Overall, it’s a fine four-round class that’s not too heavy on immediate roster gaps (smart!) while waiting for prospect skill growth issues until Day 3 (also smart!).

I don’t like the lack of a trade, but we can’t ask for everything.

What say you, Rams fans?