FanPost

Landen Akers UDFA profile

Ich Bin Ein Beginner

I hope the Rams didn't sign Iowa State receiver, Landen Akers just because of his football nicknames: Lando, LA, Flight 82 (his jersey number) and LAX. I know SoFi Stadium is close to the airport, but come on.

Akers might have a puddle jumper short flight on the Rams' roster. His resume is so thin and he's so ordinary in athleticism that I wonder if in another year he would have been a tryout player instead of an UDFA. Still, there is one gigantic reason he could make it with the Rams. Can you guess what it is? Take a moment and think about it, why would Rams fans want to root for an underdog Iowa State WR? The answer is below.

This year, NFL rules only permit teams to have a total of 5 tryout players at their rookie minicamps. When Adam Humphries made the roster for the Bucs as a rookie, he was one of 27 tryout players at their rookie camp. Due to these tryout restrictions, it is a valuable golden ticket to be signed as an UDFA this year and get your foot in the door. The WR position group is crowded on the Rams roster, with 11 receivers and most of the spots in the rotation already spoken for. Unless something unforeseen happens, Akers is at best trying to land a special teams gig as a returner or hoping to show enough ST potential to get a practice squad spot. I don't even know what the PS rules and sizes are this year, so it isn't clear how many spots will be available.

Background

5'11 5/8'' tall, 189 pounds, 32'' arms, 76 5/8'' wingspan, 9 1/8'' hands.

4.47 to 4.53 sec (40 time), 1.60 sec (10 yard split), 39'' vert, 10'7'' broad, 4.25 to 4.40 sec (shuttle) 7.17 sec (3 cone), 14 bench reps.

Impressive vertical jump. Similar size to JJ Koski, an UDFA last year, but Koski's private pro day numbers (to the extent they are reliable) are slightly better.

From Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Same town, but different high school compared to where Kurt Warner played.

2 star recruit. Baseball and track in HS. Was in same recruiting class as Hakeem Butler (the very first pick in the 4th round 2019, Cardinals). Butler is on his 3rd NFL team, a wasted draft pick and has yet to make a reception in the NFL.

Former ISU coach, Paul Rhoads, compared Akers as a recruit to ISU receiver, Josh Lenz, who was a 2013 UDFA. Lenz was faster, running 4.36 sec in the 40, bounced around on the PS for 5 teams, but never appeared in an NFL regular season game.

Turns 24 years old in July. Grayshirted fall of 2015. Teammates at ISU had a running joke, teasing Akers for how many years he was in program, like how McVay jokes about Whitworth's age. Chicago Bears fan. Degree in finance and master's degree in financial planning. Good academic student, 4 time academic all conference.

During his grayshirt semester, he worked 20 hours a week at a Fareway grocery store, stocking shelves and bagging groceries (There we go, that's the answer we were looking for. Former grocery store stocker in Iowa. If you had that as the answer, you win!)

Had 14 kick returns for 293 yards as redshirt freshman in 2017. Zero KRs since that season. Only 1 career PR.

Experience playing on KR, PR and punt coverage special teams units.

Very limited production as a receiver. Career best game came last year, with 6 catches for 76 yards.

2020: 18 catches for 269 yards. Caught only TD of entire career in final home game of season on 2 yard play seemingly designed specifically to get him a score.

Career: 38 catches for 593 yards and 1 TD.

Made total of 18 tackles over last 2 seasons. Blocked one punt on a strange play. The punter double clutches the punt, allowing the other rushers to go by him, then "rolls out" and tries to kick the ball late. Akers as the last remaining player on the line, having been delayed by a block, stretches out and blocks the punt, then scoops up the ball.

Iowa State had 20 "captains" last season. So, technically Akers was a captain, but it comes with an asterisk.

Strengths

Shows potential as a gunner on punts, got downfield fast.

Light on feet.

Excellent hustle and effort blocking downfield.

Quick getting out on arrow routes from RB position or wing.

Adequate speed to make chunk plays. Catches ball in flat near LOS and finds himself all alone, then races down the sideline for 50 yards.

Flashes ability to make "wait, who is that guy" plays. Back in 2018, lined up as outside WR, split wide, beats the CB on deep post, gets over the top and catches about a 50 yard bomb.

Weaknesses

Former grayshirt player who still looks like a walk-on. Lacks size, strength and bulk. Try hard player (can't even call him an overachiever, because he doesn't have much production) who doesn't look like an NFL athlete.

Gets knocked to the ground trying to release off of the LOS. Completely smothered at times in the middle of routes.

Ancillary offensive player, buried behind other weapons on his college team.

Better when in motion at snap compared to trying to release off the line.

Limited ability to make contested catches. Doesn't create separation.

Doesn't have much experience as a PR or KR.

Older than most prospects.

Pro Comparison

Dane Looker (UDFA 2000 Rams, Washington).

Looker had no division 1 football scholarship offers, so he played basketball at Western Washington. After a couple years of basketball, he decided to give football another try and walked on at Washington. After a coaching change, he wasn't used much as a senior and only had 20 catches for 287 yards his final year at Washington.

The Patriots saw something they liked and traded a future 6th round pick to the Rams to acquire Looker. He never appeared in a game for the Pats and was waived in the summer of 2001. The Rams used the draft pick on Steve Bellisari, a QB they tried to convert into a safety and special teams player, but it became a wasted pick.

The Rams briefly had Looker again in the 2001 offseason, but waived him. After the conclusion of the 2001 season, the Rams signed Looker and assigned him to NFL Europe, where he played for the Berlin Thunder.

Looker was so successful with Berlin that he made the All NFL Europe team. He was named World Bowl MVP for having 11 catches for 111 yards and 2 TDs, helping Berlin with the championship. If NFL Europe hadn't existed at the time, I wonder if Looker ever would have appeared in an NFL regular season game.

Looker was on the practice squad for the Rams for most of the 2002 season, then was called up and played special teams late in the year.

In 2003, at the age of 27, Looker finally got his first career reception in the NFL. He had 47 catches for 495 yards and 3 TDs, the 3rd leading receiver on the team after Holt and Bruce. He remained with the Rams through the 2008 season. He tried to catch on with Detroit in 2009, but didn't make the roster.

What Jake Gervase is to the safety position (yes, he's still with the Rams on a future contract), Landen Akers is to the WR position. What is it with the Rams and players from Iowa? Gervase is a former walk-on and Akers was similar to a walk-on. In terms of talent, it seems like they have no business being in NFL camps, but through sheer will, heart and determination, some of these types of players find a way to hang around.

On paper, Akers has little chance of making the team. He doesn't offer much as a receiver and he's so small (unless he's standing next to Tutu Atwell). On the other hand, Akers is smart, he has decent speed and he's likely a better special teams player than Koski and Trishton Jackson. So, I guess you never know. To quote a different Lando, "Here goes nothing."