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Once they picked tight end Brycen Hopkins in the fourth round, the Los Angeles Rams didn’t have much of a shot at drafting Boise State defensive end Curtis Weaver.
He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round, 164th overall, after a three-year college career in which he set the single season sack record for the Mountain West Conference.
The Rams also attempted to claim new Browns DE Curtis Weaver off of waivers yesterday, per source.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 26, 2020
Cleveland had higher priority, as both teams saw the opportunity to add a talented developmental prospect for their pass rush to develop in 2021 and beyond.
The Rams still had their second chance at Weaver though when the Dolphins released him this week because of a “significant” injury that presumably will cost him his rookie season. Los Angeles put in a waiver claim on Weaver, which would have meant that they could have potentially stashed him on injured reserve for 2020, but the Cleveland Browns had a higher claim and landed Weaver as some pass rush potential in their future.
Weaver was insanely productive at Boise State, recording 11 sacks as a freshman, 9.5 as a sophomore, and 13.5 as a junior in 2019. He also had 47.5 career tackles for a loss, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles. He went in the fifth round probably due to concerns of size, athleticism and run defense.