Rams winners & losers from Day 2 of 2023 NFL Draft

Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft has closed. The Los Angeles Rams made three selections - trading back twice, first with the Houston Texans to pick up an additional fifth rounder, and a second time with the New York Giants to add a fourth round selection. With the trades, the Rams are now projected to make 10 more picks by the end of tomorrow. Les Snead orchestrated a successful plan Friday night by narrowing the gap between pick 77 and pick 167. Who else came out as winners after Day 2?

Winner: Matthew Stafford

Getting your franchise quarterback offensive line protection after being sacked 29 times and hit 27 times in 9 starts will make him a happy camper this training camp.

Loser: Coleman Shelton

Avila is a significant change of size compared to Shelton. This could signal LA’s desire to change their strategy of adding muscle & maulers to their line instead of finesse blockers.

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Winner: Cam Akers

After finishing the final month of the season in impressive fashion, Akers now gets 6’3” 330 lb Steve Avila creating more lanes in front of him. Add in the fact that Logan Bruss will be returning in the interior after last year’s preseason ACL injury.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Loser: Steve Avila in Training Camp

Have a sense of humor for a second. Congratulations, you are drafted by the Rams. Now you get to face Aaron Donald on a daily basis in training camp. Enjoy the daily ice baths after being in the California heat trying to contain (or not be run over) by AD99.

Winner: Raheem Morris

The Rams first pick on Friday was used on the offense. However, both third round selections were dedicated to the defense. Morris gets a much needed edge rusher in what is a depleted area of the roster. He also added a defensive lineman to pair with Aaron Donald.

Loser: Marquise Copeland

The addition of Kobie Turner creates competition along the defensive line. Copeland is only on the team with a one year deal. Turner will get every chance to be a starter from day one.

Winner: Les Snead

Snead was able to add two more mid round picks by trading down to the late third. There may be a new tee shirt floating around soon that says “Love Them Picks”. The general manager also addressed both sides of the trenches, giving Matthew Stafford protection and Aaron Donald some support.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Stay tuned for more 2023 NFL Draft content and Los Angeles Rams draft selections when the draft resumes Saturday at 12:00pm EST.