Random Ramsdom: Is there a second coming of Aaron Donald in this year’s class?

Aaron Donald 2.0? Pitt DT Calijah Kancey Breaks Record at Combine (SportsIllustrated)

“While Aaron Donald confirmed he will return for the 2023 season, the Los Angeles Rams once again had to deal with speculation and rumors of his potential retirement this offseason.

Of course, Donald can’t play forever, and when he does retire he will do so as one of the best defensive players in NFL history. However, could the Rams draft his potential heir apparent with their first pick at No. 36?

Enter Calijah Kancey, a 6-foot-1, 281-pound defensive tackle out of Donald’s alma mater, Pitt. Kancey took the NFL world by storm on Thursday at the combine, posting a 4.67 40-yard dash.

That time alone is impressive for someone of Kancey’s size, but it also broke Donald’s previous record for a defensive tackle of 4.68 seconds and is the fastest at the position since 2000.”

Jalen Ramsey trade fits: Lions, Giants, Jags headline my favorite landing spots for the Pro Bowl corner (NFL.com)

Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

“Two seasons ago, the Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl with an Ocean’s Eleven approach that I loved. But last year’s attempt at Ocean’s Twelve bombed like Waterworld.

Now, Les Snead and Sean McVay are doing the right thing, tweaking and retooling the roster that just produced a 5-12 record. Consequently, the fabulous Jalen Ramsey is available. As my colleague Tom Pelissero reported last week, the Rams have had trade talks about the 28-year-old cornerback, and sources believe it’s very likely he’ll be dealt in the coming weeks.

A six-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, Ramsey is a playmaker, a leader, a culture changer. He still has three seasons left on the five-year, $105 million extension he signed in 2020, with a base salary of $17 million in the coming campaign. Even at that price, many, many teams could greatly use his services. With that in mind ...

Here are my favorite potential trade fits, Schein Nine style.”

Calijah Kancey’ NFL Combine instantly compares to Rams Aaron Donald (RamblinFan)

“Oh how we love to ‘anoint’ NFL rookies as the next best thing. But in the case of Pittsburgh defensive lineman Calijah Kancey, a rookie prospect in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, the comparisons to NFL All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald will be tough to avoid. It starts with the fact that both hail from the same alma mater, but the comparisons go much deeper than that.

To read Calijah Kancey’s early NFL Draft Profile, you have to do a double-take to ensure that you are not reading Aaron Donald’s NFL Draft Profile from nine years earlier. There are far too many similarities between the two to ignore, and for the LA Rams, who clearly need to address their interior defensive linemen needs in the 2023 NFL Draft, the chance to ‘hit’ on a defensive lineman who has similar traits to Aaron Donald is just too tempting to blow off.

Both players stand 6-foot-1, and both weigh over 280+ pounds. Both hail from the University of Pittsburgh, and both have eye-popping speed for an interior defensive lineman. Both are touted for their pass rushing ability, and both have been called out for being undersized and an expressed concern that they cannot stop the run in the NFL.”

6 wide receivers for Rams to watch at NFL combine (RamsWire)

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

“Cooper Kupp is coming off an ankle injury, Allen Robinson had arguably his worst season as a pro, and Van Jefferson is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Translation: The Rams could be looking at wide receivers this offseason.

The draft is one of the best ways to add talent at that position, and this year will be no different. Though a lot of the prospects in the incoming class look like No. 2 and 3 receivers at the next level, the Rams don’t need a No. 1 wideout right now with Kupp still on the roster.

Here are six receivers the Rams should watch at the combine this week.”

Rams Champion CB Donte Deayon Announces Retirement (SportsIllustrated)

Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

“Former Los Angeles Rams defender Donte Deayon announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday, ending a seven-season career. Deayon was part of the Rams’ championship squad from 2021-22, appearing in 10 regular season games in the run to Super Bowl LVI.

The Boise State alum made his announcement by posting his retirement notice letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on his social media channels. He labeled the Rams’ Super Bowl victory as “one of the highlights of (his) career.”