[PARAM]

My guess would be Jered was a pod 1 and Fiske a pod 2 using my reading for what I think that means. They said they don’t grade by draft round. So there is likely a scoring/ranking system. They do, however, project where they think another team would draft a player. So that is sort of a de facto draft round rank. I believe they believed there were teams who would take Fiske somewhere in the mid second to early third round. So they felt they had to make a move to get him. I really wish I could get a behind the scenes look to confirm or refute what I think they do and how they rank players more specifically. The coolest thing to me is that they don’t rank like draft nicks or other teams. They identify all of the “Rams” draft able players. Then they use their unique system to categorize them. Then they basically rank them by guys they just gotta have all the way down to the “they have a shot at contributing soon on some level” players. I think that is why there are so successful. Especially lately.

They certainly do things differently. Supreme success in the later rounds allows for a move like getting Fiske. But even without that success, I've always believed there are no bad trade ups. If he's your guy, what's the difference between getting him at 36 or 42 besides obviously giving up another pick. What good does that pick 2 or 3 rounds down do for you if you don't get your guy? Nada.

[safer]

IF a top, speedy corner is on the board at 26, I think we should take him. First, it's a position of need. Second, it sure wouldn't hurt our run D if we had the deep speed to help protect against the loooong TD runs. Outside of this and Tutu on O, we just don't have that much elite speed on our roster, and that does separate us from the elite teams, IMHO.

[Dare]

Elite speed in the secondary?

Both Durant and now Forbes timed in the 4.3 range pre-draft. The problem with the Ram's CBs is developmental. Durant development was retarded by Morris when he got benched in favor of Kendrick who ran 4.79. As I've been saying people overlook the developmental issues collegiate CBs face transitioning to the NFL. In the NFL technique is on a level that very few if any collegiate programs prepare CBs for. One to two years is the minimum to take even a first round pick CB into a reliable CB to even play outside. At SCB it's even worse. That is the most difficult position for a CB because the WR can move in any direction without the boundary to limit him. It's why Kupp always played Y or Z because they align off the LOS.

Durant must show promise with his technique this year or he's likely gone next year. He show's flashes but the Rams need more now. Forbes has been slow to develop because he needed developmental time and needed more than polish. It's good they gave him a whole season to simply take what experience he did have and build off of it. But Forbes is like most CBs coming out of college. They can flash in college but that stuff doesn't work in the NFL so they have to develop into NFL caliber DBs. Forbes is typical of most CBs taken from the mid first round out.

If they are looking for a plug and play player they are looking at RB, TE and to a lesser degree QB. RB is the position that translates best from college to the NFL. It's why IMO if they take a QB in the first round it probably will be McCord, because unlike most QBs he needs a year of polishing not developmental.

So if Snead really means what he says, in the first round it will be RB, TE and probably McCord if he's on the board. But it wouldn't surprise me if they took a RB or TE at 26.

[Dare]

Oh BTW Witherspoon timed at 4.45 at 6'3" thats very good. Also he had a very good 10 yd split which translate how fast he can get up to speed (1.53 electronic timed). Combined with his length it's why he's better than Williams. Darious Williams had similar times but is only 5'10". The length of a CB makes a big difference in how they must cover so his technique must be spot on every play with no room for error.

[PARAM]

If they are looking for a plug and play player they are looking at RB, TE and CB.

Fixed it for you. QB isn't even on the list of plug and play positions even if you qualify it by "much lesser degree".

I don't know the actual numbers for successful plug and play first round CBs but my guess is it has to be exponentially more than first round QBs.

So if Snead really means what he says, in the first round it will be RB, TE and probably McCord if he's on the board.

Really, does any GM worth his salt, mean what he says pre-draft? Particularly Snead, who is a savant at smoke screens. I would suspect, unless someone unexpectedly drops......and by that I mean someone the Rams don't expect will be available at 26........they're gonna try real hard to trade down a bit.

[Elvis]

From Dane Brugler's mock:

Los Angeles Rams
1 (26). OT/G Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon
3 (90). CB Quincy Riley, Louisville
3 (101). LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
4 (127). QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse
6 (190). WR Ricky White III, UNLV
6 (195). DT Cam Horsley, Boston College
6 (201). TE Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech
6 (202). Edge Que Robinson, Alabama

[Elvis]

Gist being, teams, including Rams, do follow mock drafts to get a sense of where players are likely to be drafted. So if they like a guy and wonder if they can get him later, they would see where he is in the mocks as one piece of information:

However a team’s draft leanings get leaked, Snead said the mocks get more accurate the closer the calendar gets to draft weekend.

“At that point people want to be known as being accurate versus early in the down, it might be a little too early to even do a mock. It might be this particular person doing a favor for an agent,” Snead said. “But when it gets closer to the draft, it’s almost like, ‘OK, favors are out. I’m gonna go with what I think is gonna happen.’ And maybe at that point they’ve talked to a lot of people and have a better understanding of what might (happen). Maybe as people figure out medical issues, intangible issues, things like that.”

...

“Sometimes I go, ‘I don’t know why we’re really using that,’” he said. “Maybe it helps you make a decision of, in the second round, you might should pick this player over another one because maybe you can get that player in the third round. … But there is a strategy where you can go, ‘OK, this guy’s been mocking in the top 60 picks pretty consistently, so probably not getting to (the) third round.’”

[actionjack]

From Dane Brugler's mock:

Los Angeles Rams
1 (26). OT/G Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon
3 (90). CB Quincy Riley, Louisville
3 (101). LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
4 (127). QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse
6 (190). WR Ricky White III, UNLV
6 (195). DT Cam Horsley, Boston College
6 (201). TE Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech
6 (202). Edge Que Robinson, Alabama

Conerly is the only one i see being a possible future Ram on this list.

[Elvis]

From NFL Draft IQ:

https://www.nfl.com/draft/iq/

Team Needs (NFL.com): LB, CB, OL, TE, WR

Mock Draft Tracker: WR Matthew Golden (Mike Band, 4/14), WR Isaiah Bond (Chad Reuter, 4/4), CB Jahdae Barron (Lance Zierlein, 4/1), S Nick Emmanwori (Eric Edholm, 3/28), OG Donovan Jackson (Charles Davis, 3/27), WR Tetairoa McMillan (Bucky Brooks, 3/25), CB Trey Amos (Daniel Jeremiah, 3/18)

Mike Band: WR Matthew Golden, Texas

After the signing of Davante Adams to pair with Puka Nacua (both possession-style receivers with 4.5 to 4.6 speed), the Rams' 11-personnel-heavy offense lacks a true vertical threat to stretch defenses. Golden offers that missing element with his top-end acceleration and explosive playmaking ability. His presence would help open space underneath for Adams, Nacua and Kyren Williams in Sean McVay’s layered passing attack.

Chad Reuter: WR Isaiah Bond, Texas

Matthew Stafford can never have too many targets. Bond splits time in the slot with Tutu Atwell while Davante Adams bedevils secondaries outside.

Lance Zierlein: CB Jahdae Barron, Texas

Les Snead -- no stranger to using draft capital aggressively -- trades up to grab the best cornerback on the board before the Chargers or Packers can go sniffing around.

Eric Edholm: S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

Just a wild guess here, but I can imagine the Rams being fans of Emmanwori. And I could see DC Chris Shula using Emmanwori where he's best: in the box, as a pseudo linebacker. Shula's mentor, Wade Phillips, deployed Mark Barron that way in L.A. Emmanwori's path to success might be similar.

Charles Davis: OG Donovan Jackson, Ohio State

Jackson was primarily a guard at Ohio State, but he kicked out to left tackle when Josh Simmons was sidelined by an injury last season. I see Jackson playing inside for the Rams, possibly allowing Steve Avila to move to center.

Bucky Brooks: WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

Adding a big-bodied pass catcher to a lineup that already features Puka Nacua further expands the strike zone for Matthew Stafford.

Daniel Jeremiah: CB Trey Amos, Mississippi

The only question I had about Amos was his pure speed, but he put any concerns to rest at the NFL Scouting Combine with his 4.43-second 40-yard dash.

[ramsman34]

Maybe Stutsman??