Rams draft results: L.A. selects CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson with 182nd overall pick

LaDainian Tomlinson’s nephew will play for the Chargers’ cross town rivals

By JB Scott Apr 29, 2023, 2:55pm CDT

With the 175th overall pick in the 2023 the NFL draft, the Los Angeles Rams have selected CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson of TCU, nephew of San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

The #Rams select at No. 182 #TCU DB Tre'Vius Tomlinson, the nephew of former #Chargers great (and NFL Network friend) LaDainian Tomlinson.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2023

This is the second prospect the Rams have selected from TCU—they selected OG Steve Avila earlier in the second round. LA has now drafted two pairs of teammates as they also re-united Georgia’s QB Stetson Bennett and OT Warren McClendon.

Tomlinson has a slight frame at 5-9, 181, lbs., which could limit his NFL projection to a slot defender or situational contributor. NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein mentions in his profile that Tomlinson can get outmatched and outsized at times, but over a large sample he will be able to hold his own as often as he gets beat:

Hodges-Tomlinson possesses the athletic profile and ball production to become a starting nickel back. He uses aggression and explosiveness to help overcome his size deficiency. He’s twitchy and sudden to press and hound receivers underneath. However, he needs to trust his technique instead of defaulting to excessive crowding and hand-fighting that turns into penalties. He’s fully accepting of his run-support responsibilities and is generally solid in that area. Hodges-Tomlinson will face occasional size mismatches, but he’s more than capable of holding his own over the course of a season.

Cobie Durant figures to be the team’s primary option at slot corner this season, though he’s also limited due to size constraints. Derion Kendrick and Robert Rochell are more likely to play on the boundary, but it’s clear the Rams aren’t afraid to explore undersized options at the position. LA has a numbers problem in the secondary and likely will continue to add to the corner and safety rooms late in the draft and during the undrafted free agency period.