[Elvis]

Probably tells more about who the Rams won't draft than who they will but:

[Zen_Ronin]

Probably tells more about who the Rams won't draft than who they will but:

Guys on this list that I am aware of and like a lot!
Loveland
Warren
Helm
Golden
Chris Paul Jr.
Stutsman
and Banks

Any of the above would be fantastic additions to the team.

[ramsman34]

The only position of need they didn’t represent was DT. All Interesting.

[Dare]

IMO Sander's attitude might backfire on him as he has flaws on his game tape.

Ward has a similar take on the combine but his game tapes are better overall. I think he remains the #1 QB.

Riley Leonard IMO is now going to be a first round pick. He reportedly had a strong showing. The question is where he will get picked.

IMO at QB the ranking might end up Ward, Dart, Sanders with multiple QBs dropping out of the top half of the draft and into the second day. McCord probably drops simply because of scheme fit. He's an old school QB much in the same way Philip Rivers was. Rivers couldn't run but he had Tomlinson for that. This is why I feel that if the Rams with Stafford at QB1 need an upgrade at RB and ultimately could change how they look at the next QB1.

It's why I think McCord could be in play for the Rams in this draft. He's as close to a perfect scheme fit for McVay's offense. But like Rivers he will need a RB who will give the team the threat on the ground they need.

Most QBs seem to look like second and third day picks. That said much of that is because most QB needy teams are looking for a day one starter. Even Mahomes took a year to refine his talent. I think over the years, the value of a red shirt year for QBs is well documented. I think if the Rams think a QB prospect is their QB1 of the future be it in 2026 or 2027 then they take him in the first round and reap the benefit of the 5th year option, something the Niners wished they had with Purdy. If he's looked at as a long term backup then no question he's probably a 3rd day pick.

The structure of Stafford's contract will tell us a lot about the Rams ultimate priorities in this draft. From what I hear this draft is deepest at RB which bodes well for the Rams because I believe that will be a position of need. The Rams need a bigger threat to expand their run attack and make playaction more effective. They aren't going to get that from Stafford so they need to draft that RB.

[Elvis]

It's official, Bengals have tagged Higgins:

[Dare]

This isn't a good year for TEs in the draft.

Besides both WRs and TEs, the Rams seem very adept at finding them in the mid rounds. If they resign Robinson, as I hope they do, then their 3 starters would be Nacua, Robinson, and Whittington. Smith is a capable receiver to fill the roles of Atwell as a WR, plus his play as a PR has been solid. That would make them 4 deep at WR with Johnson filling Benny Sko's role. I see them drafting a WR in the 6th round to develop as a follow-on to Robinson next year. Stafford likes Robinson so I see him returning. But I see Robinson and Nacua as running the intermediate zone routes with Whittington pulling the safeties back on deeper routes. Whittington has deceptive speed. He's 6'1" but timed at 4.47 at his pro day. We saw that speed on display last year. He's faster than the RBs and all but Smith among the WRs. Remember Whittington was a 6th round pick.

They need a RT for next year, NT, ILB (both might be filled with FAs). Again the Rams should swap Kupp for Anzalone. Both go to contenders and Kupp gets to play with Goff again which he would love.

They have Forbes as their first round CB and he should be ready to play this season. They really need to extend Witherspoon at least two years. That would give them at CB Witherspoon, Durant, and Forbes. At safety they have Lake, Curl, Kinchens, and Wallace who has played as a safety more than a CB. They need an upgrade at NT and another ILB to complete the starting defense.

Their OL is set with Jackson, Avila, Limmer, Dotson and Havenstein. Dotson will be in his contract year so he will be prime trade bait if they are so inclined next year. They will have Leveston and McClendon who potentially take over. At RB Williams is in a contract year and I think they will allow him to walk next year and upgrade the RB position with a faster rookie.

With damn few exceptions this roster is built its time for another SB.

[actionjack]

There are some great TE's in this draft...

Warren, Loveland, Arroyo, Mason Taylor, Ferguson.

Rams need a long corner, we have no idea if Forbes can even contribute and Witherspoon is a free agent.

[Youngblood22]

There are some great TE's in this draft...

Warren, Loveland, Arroyo, Mason Taylor, Ferguson.

Rams need a long corner, we have no idea if Forbes can even contribute and Witherspoon is a free agent.

Arroyo has a Injury history I don't like, Taylor isn't much at blocking. Would love warren or Loveland thou.

[Dare]

I don't think people realized how close McVay was to walking away and had to be talked into staying by Snead and Kroenke. McVay isn't worried about a HOF career. His attitude is more what will be will be so he's not worried about it. I think McVay was talked into at least finishing his contract and not leaving the team hanging. Remember it was right after the 2022 season. From what I've heard he was really going to do it until Kroenke and Snead intervened. So until he signs another contract it's a legitimate question.

Note that is when McVay changed his scheme to be more ball control. He was frustrated and I'm sure that is how Stan and Les calmed him and refocused him. It's why I expect Sean to make changes to the offense this year and why IMO he knows they need an upgrade at RB. If I can see it he most certainly has as well. The Rams need to increase the level of offensive threat and key to that within his scheme is a true threat in the run game. Opponents respect Williams but don't fear him. They know the key to controlling the Ram offense is to control the passing game. It's why they struggle in the redzone. The field is condensed and so they play pass first on a condensed field.

Chris Shula has been friends for years with McVay, long before either came to LA. Before McVay got married, he and Shula were roommates. Don't make the mistake that he doesn't know the McVay offense just because he's the DC. In fact, that is exactly why he would know Sean's offense.

He's been on the Rams since 2019 and knows the team inside and out. He's popular with the players. Chris showed his career path back in 2015 under then HC Mike McCoy of the Chargers. He's been prepping for a HC career since then. Because of his grandfather, the local beat writer did a short interview with Chris. That's when I first heard of him.

People keep underestimating him. Even LA fans didn't think he was going to be as good of a DC as he's become. Yes, he's only been DC a year, but learned his defense initially from John Pagano, who is the brother of Chuck Pagano. That is where he learned the 3-4 hybrid system he is using today. It's the same system Wade Phillips ran here but he didn't have the players to really make it be as good as it can be. Wade Phillips learned it from John Pagano as well. That's why I knew he would play the scheme and how good it is. John Pagano was a master at making in game adjustments. He starts out very vanilla in the first quarter to see what the offense is doing. Then adjusts in game and the defense gets better as the game progresses. We have seen exactly that this past season.

That ability to adjust to what the opposition is doing makes him a good playcaller and would be the same on the offensive side as well. It's a mindset, something he shares with Sean. So yeah, Chris and this defensive scheme is no stranger to me. When he was made DC, it's why I said they would be aggressive and good.

[PARAM]

I don't think people realized how close McVay was to walking away and had to be talked into staying by Snead and Kroenke. McVay isn't worried about a HOF career. His attitude is more what will be will be so he's not worried about it. I think McVay was talked into at least finishing his contract and not leaving the team hanging. Remember it was right after the 2022 season. From what I've heard he was really going to do it until Kroenke and Snead intervened. So until he signs another contract it's a legitimate question.

So what you're saying is fans haven't been paying attention? What I mean is we were told how close he was to quitting. We were told people talked to him about staying. So yeah, because it was reported he was considering quitting, it is a question until he signs another contract. But since he had years left when he was considering quitting, how does signing another contract quash those questions? Just like Donald or Stafford or any great Ram, isn't "oh my god, is he going to retire" always a question? It is a subject to discuss when we're in the doldrums of the off season and boy hasn't it been, ad nauseum? AD, McVay, Stafford. When will we start wondering about Verse and Puka?

Note that is when McVay changed his scheme to be more ball control. He was frustrated and I'm sure that is how Stan and Les calmed him and refocused him. It's why I expect Sean to make changes to the offense this year and why IMO he knows they need an upgrade at RB. If I can see it he most certainly has as well. The Rams need to increase the level of offensive threat and key to that within his scheme is a true threat in the run game. Opponents respect Williams but don't fear him. They know the key to controlling the Ram offense is to control the passing game. It's why they struggle in the redzone. The field is condensed and so they play pass first on a condensed field.

They calmed him down by talking to him about changing his scheme? Or was it they told him his scheme was ball control? And that is why YOU expect McVay to make changes to the offense this year and why HE KNOWS they need an upgrade at RB? So that's why they're reportedly parting ways with Kupp? Because they need an upgrade at RB?

Are the redzone struggles due to the lack of talent at RB? Isn't it more likely to be on the playcalling or OL. I believe red zone success is predicated on the talent of the OL AND the ability to call what the D is not expecting. It's not on the RB.

Chris Shula has been friends for years with McVay, long before either came to LA. Before McVay got married, he and Shula were roommates. Don't make the mistake that he doesn't know the McVay offense just because he's the DC. In fact, that is exactly why he would know Sean's offense.

He's been on the Rams since 2019 and knows the team inside and out. He's popular with the players. Chris showed his career path back in 2015 under then HC Mike McCoy of the Chargers. He's been prepping for a HC career since then. Because of his grandfather, the local beat writer did a short interview with Chris. That's when I first heard of him.

People keep underestimating him. Even LA fans didn't think he was going to be as good of a DC as he's become. Yes, he's only been DC a year, but learned his defense initially from John Pagano, who is the brother of Chuck Pagano. That is where he learned the 3-4 hybrid system he is using today. It's the same system Wade Phillips ran here but he didn't have the players to really make it be as good as it can be. Wade Phillips learned it from John Pagano as well. That's why I knew he would play the scheme and how good it is. John Pagano was a master at making in game adjustments. He starts out very vanilla in the first quarter to see what the offense is doing. Then adjusts in game and the defense gets better as the game progresses. We have seen exactly that this past season.

That ability to adjust to what the opposition is doing makes him a good playcaller and would be the same on the offensive side as well. It's a mindset, something he shares with Sean. So yeah, Chris and this defensive scheme is no stranger to me. When he was made DC, it's why I said they would be aggressive and good.

WTF are you talking about? Wade Phillips learned the hybrid 3-4 from John Pagano? Wade Phillips was a 3-4 master and a DC for 13 years before either of those brothers were in the NFL but "he learned it from them"?

Maybe McVay changed his offense because Raheem convinced him? Come on.....his offense has ALWAYS been based off the run game!

Of course Ram fans didn't know if Chris Shula was going to be successful and why doubts were not without reason. Mainly because he was a first time DC and the Rams had a young defense. Fans also didn't know how good Verse and Fiske would be. Kudos to you for being more perceptive than everybody.

BTW, I remember Phillips D held the Patriots to 13 points in SB 53. The lowest offensive output by a Super Bowl winner in history!! Too bad he didn't "have the players"; he might have shut out New England.