Rams draft results 2022: L.A.’s 6th round pick is the 4th defensive back added Saturday

With the 212th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams selected cornerback Derion Kendrick out of Georgia. Kendrick is the third secondary player drafted by Les Snead already, following cornerback Cobie Durant in the fourth round and safety Quentin Lake in the sixth. The Rams also traded for Troy Hill on Saturday.

Kendrick played on Georgia’s legendary defense in 2021, but fell to the sixth round because of a 4.78 40-yard dash at the pro day. That 4.68 was by far the slowest of any cornerback at the combine or any pro day for draftable corners. But he was a five-star recruit in 2018 and has posted seven interceptions over 38 starts over the last three seasons. He was Defensive MVP of the Orange Bowl and second team All-SEC in 2021.

Kendrick seems to have work to do to develop a skillset necessary for covering NFL receivers, but at 21, has room to develop and grow in the future. Snead’s mission to improve the secondary after losing Darious Williams in the offseason seems set now.