Los Angeles Rams’ 2019 NFL Draft Day 2 recap

If Day 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft was a boring process for Los Angeles Rams fans, Day 2 was anything but.

While the first night of the draft led to a predictable trade down, Day 2 had trades both downward and upward with picks predictable and less so in the mix.

#61.) Washington Huskies S Taylor Rapp

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I obviously support the pick having mocked Rapp to us at #45 before today’s proceedings kicked off. It’s just one of those picks that made sense. Roster gap, role fit, production and personality. It’s also why the Rams were always going to be keen to trade down. Rapp’s the exact kind of role player and potential star, development pending, the Rams needed to mine out of Day 2.

#70.) Memphis Tigers RB Darrell Henderson

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Sigh. This pick isn’t about Henderson. It’s almost entirely about Rams RB Todd Gurley. And that’s ok. We have to come to terms with it.

It’s just...what, sad? Depressing? Pathetic on behalf of how the media treated Gurley at the end of the season? Yeah, all of that.

Henderson’s a fine RB prospect. And to avoid taking a capable running back until #70? That’s meeting position value for draft capital. So on its face, a fine pick. It just means the end of Gurley as a workhorse running back...and the end of being able to come anywhere near meeting the contract the Rams inked him to just eight months ago.

The Rams made Todd Gurley the highest-paid running back in the NFL and immediately spent their second pick in the successive draft on a RB.

That’s just not good business. At all.

#79.) Michigan Wolverines CB David Long

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Long reminds me a hell of a lot of former Rams CB Bradley Fletcher in a good way. He’s a physical, exhausting corner that can play early. Great timing, great pick, great value.

#97.) Oklahoma Sooners OL Bobby Evans

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Now we’re starting to get into projection and development and the kinds of things you get comfortable with well beyond the first round.

Evans is far from a dominant prospect. He’s got plenty of upside and line versatility. But it’s going to take some work to find a spot for him with LT Andrew Whitworth and RT Rob Havenstein locked in on the bookends.

Overall, it’s a fine class thus far. I’ll save my grade until after we wrap things up tomorrow, but ultimately the biggest outcome was the selection of a running back on Day 2 in the first draft after making Todd Gurley the highest-paid running back in the NFL.

The Rams are coming off of a Super Bowl appearance. There’s every bit of evidence to suggest they’ll be among the most competitive teams in the NFL again this year. But tonight’s biggest outcome puts a damper on perhaps their biggest offensive superstar in a way the Rams’ brass refuses to address with any sincerity in their media availability.

The road to the 2019 is on...