5 best Rams draft picks under Sean McVay

When it comes to draft riches in the last three years, the cup may not runneth over for the LA Rams, but certainly one Kupp does. Especially over his competition, both externally and internally.

The Rams have made 27 picks between 2017-2019, the first three years that GM Les Snead has been working to fit players into a system for Sean McVay. While we are getting close to final assessments on the 2017 class, of course 2018, and certainly 2019, have more time left to prove themselves as either good picks or poor ones.

That shouldn’t preclude us from judging the moves based on what we do know so far and that’s why I won’t talk about the un-tested 2020 class today. Here’s what I would say are the five best picks by the Snead-McVay front office so far.

Just out: Gerald Everett, TE

He’s simply been outplayed by Tyler Higbee, one of the last picks of the Jeff Fisher era. Everett may have a bright future ahead as a receiving tight end elsewhere, he’s only 26 as of this June, and it seems almost certain to be elsewhere after the team drafted Brycen Hopkins.

5. Sebastian Joseph-Day

He spent 2018 waiting for his turn and then in 2019 he got 481 defensive snaps next to Aaron Donald. The team added A’Shawn Robinson and re-signed Michael Brockers but to get this much production already out of a sixth round pick is more of a coup than not a coup.

4. Samson Ebukam

Has already out-performed the expectations of a fourth round pass rusher. Ebukam had 4.5 sacks and 10 QB hits over 565 snaps last season. He’s only just turned 25. Can he find another level next season with greater opportunities?

3. John Johnson

He had 119 tackles in his second season, then missed 10 games last year. Johnson has seven career interceptions in 38 games. He could form one of the best safety duos in the NFL next season. Perhaps safety “trios” if McVay is utilizing rookie Terrell Burgess back there too.

2. Taylor Rapp

The other half of that duo (or third of that trio), Rapp looked better than his second round draft status as a rookie in 2019. If there is concern about Rapp being the second-best pick of the previous three years, that is understandable. Many don’t claim to see a “star” ceiling in Rapp’s future, but I struggle to see other young players on the team who’ve shown more.

1. Cooper Kupp

Obviously. There are only two receivers in this group of 27 players — Kupp and fellow 2017 class-mate Josh Reynolds. In fact, four of the six players mentioned here were a part of the 2017 class, and Reynolds has value too, as did sixth round pick Tanzel Smart. We’ve yet to see this from most of the players in 2018; out of 11 players taken that year, only Joseph-Day made my list.

Who am I forgetting? Where did I really flub this up?