[ramsman34]

2STs guys for sure. Scott has returned punts?? He has returned kicks - I think the Rams wanted an upgrade to Countess there. They have 2 guys now that have done it in college; Henderson and Scott.

[Elvis]

PFF:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/d ... -191296893

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Round 2 (61): S Taylor Rapp, Washington

Round 3 (70): RB Darrell Henderson, Memphis

Round 3 (79): CB David Long, Michigan

Round 3 (97): OT Bobby Evans, Oklahoma

Round 4 (134): Greg Gaines DI, Washington

Round 5 (169): T David Edwards, Wisconsin

Round 7 (243): S Nick Scott, Penn State

Round 7 (251): LB Dakota Allen, Texas Tech

Day 1:

Los Angeles sent picks Nos. 31 and 203 to the Falcons in exchange for picks Nos. 45 and 79 on Thursday night.

Day 2:

Trading down multiple times on Day 2, Los Angeles didn’t make their first pick of the 2019 NFL Draft until pick No. 61, where they made value selection in safety Taylor Rapp. The former Washington safety is a sure tackler with a high-floor projection to the NFL. His slow 40-yard dash scared teams away, but Los Angeles should be happy to add Rapp — PFF’s No. 38 overall player in the class — where they did.

Michigan cornerback David Long, another PFF favorite, was a steal for the Rams. Coming off the board at No. 79 overall, Long had fantastic production in Ann Arbor. He allowed all of 18 catches on 595 coverage snaps in his entire college career at Michigan.

Darrell Henderson and Bobby Evans weren’t as favorable as Rapp and Long, but both players still bring a lot to the table. Henderson is a big play waiting to happen with his long speed and ability to force missed tackles. Evans, on the other hand, allowed just 20 total pressures across his 441 pass-blocking snaps in 2018, and he earned an impressive 78.2 pass-blocking grade playing left tackle for Oklahoma. He earned 76.8 and 86.2 overall grades playing right tackle in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Day 3:

Greg Gaines, though no one will love his arm length, got the job done at Washington as a top-end defensive interior for the Huskies. He was one of the best run defenders in college football but flashed some pass-rushing chops at the Senior Bowl, where he had the third-best win rate among interior players in the 1-on-1s.

David Edwards’ Wisconsin pedigree didn’t drive him up the PFF big board, as he finished at No. 239 on the final top-250 list. Edwards makes his money in the run game, as the former Wisconsin tackle ranked tied for ninth in the class in run-blocking grade (76.6). His 57.8 pass-blocking grade in 2018 is what drags him down to this spot.

DRAFT GRADE: ABOVE AVERAGE

[Elvis]

McVay on NFL Network during draft:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-draft/0ap ... gh-Round-6

[Elvis]

https://theathletic.com/950653/2019/04/ ... ayer-look/

Rams’ 2019 draft board reflects emphasis on production over measurables: A player-by-player look

By Vincent Bonsignore Apr 27, 2019

The​ Rams​ came​ into​ the 2019​ draft holding​ their only​ first-round pick since​ 2016​ and​ with various holes to fill both​​ presently and for the future.

They never got around to pulling the trigger on their first-round selection, opting to trade it away instead. They poured the assets they got in return into a handful of subsequent trades to steer themselves up and down the draft board to acquire eight players they believe will not only compete for roster spots but also lock down important roles.

The common thread among them — and characteristics the Rams put a particular emphasis on at the earliest stage of the draft-evaluation process — is intelligent, tough, productive players with a passion to play football.

Players who consistently show up on tape, if not always in physical measurables.

So much so that general manager Les Snead has a written reminder to that effect on an office whiteboard.

“The answers to your questions are basically right in front of you when you sit down and watch the kids play football on film when you do it December and April,” Snead said. “Take the testing — you always go back to the tape, right, and watch him play football.”

It may sound cliché, but as a Rams source told The Athletic, “It’s where we’ve had so much success the past few years.”

Their draft board this year reflects the emphasis they put on production over measurables.

Washington safety Tayler Rapp ran a pedestrian 40 at his pro day. But his game tape showcased a hard-nosed, instinctual defensive playmaker. The Rams took him in the second round and believe he’ll compete for immediate playing time.

Rapp’s teammate, Huskies defensive lineman Greg Gaines, is on the shorter side at just 6-foot-1. But he was one of the best run-stuffers in the Pac-12 and dominated against his peers at the Senior Bowl. The Rams traded up in the fourth round on Saturday to select him with the 134th pick overall and have already pegged him as their starting nose tackle in the base 3-4 defense.

Their last pick, Texas Tech inside linebacker Dakota Allen, was kicked out of college after being arrested for burglary, then worked his way back to Lubbock after all charges were eventually dropped, and he has been a model citizen and productive player ever since.

Where some teams removed Allen from their board altogether, the Rams sat down with him face-to-face and reached out to the people who know him best at Texas Tech.

They were satisfied with how Allen owned his mistakes and impressed with how ardently people vouched for him. On tape, he was a tackling machine who they believe will add special teams flair and has the potential to start eventually at inside linebacker.

The Rams are counting on that process leading them to players they can count on as early as next season.

“I think the thing you feel so good about coming out of this weekend is that there’s a vision for all eight of these guys and how they fit in the framework of our roster,” said Rams head coach Sean McVay. “Immediately, all these guys are going to have to come in and compete, but you can at least feel like, ‘All right, if this works out the way we project, these are guys we anticipate being Rams a long time.’”

Here is a player-by-player look at the Rams’ draft class:

Tayler Rapp, second round, No. 61 overall
School: Washington

Position: Safety

Vitals: 6-foot, 208 pounds

What’s good: Rapp was being mocked as a first-rounder before running a 4.7 40 at his pro day, a mark that could have been affected by a hip injury he suffered late in the 2018 season. The Rams benefited from the resulting fall and landed a great value pick. Rapp fills a future need at one of the safety spots but will likely get on the field early in sub-packages thanks to his advanced ability to diagnose plays and be a factor in run support and pass defense.

What’s bad: His overall speed could cause issues in certain pass-coverage matchups, and while he packs a punch physically, it can sometimes leave him vulnerable to injury.

Short-term impact: Rapp will be a Day 1 contributor in sub-packages when the Rams play three-safety sets and will likely make an impact as a rookie.

Long-term impact: With the clock ticking on veteran Eric Weddle, Rapp provides an organic procession plan to ultimately replace him in a year or two.

What they’re saying: “I think when you watch the tape, obviously, Les (Snead) had been a huge fan. He and his group had really looked at him, and he’s one of the top-rated players that we had in terms of just a guy who’s showing up, making a lot of different plays, showing a versatile skill set. And then once the coaches started to really look at him, he’s one of the guys that jumps off the screen. He’s got unbelievable instincts.” — McVay

Grade: B+

Darrell Henderson, third round, No. 70 overall
School: Memphis

Position: Running back

Vitals: 5-foot-8, 208 pounds

What’s good: Henderson was one of the most dynamic, productive running backs in this draft class after rushing for 1,909 yards, scoring 22 touchdowns and averaging 8.9 yards per carry. There is little reason to believe his combination of speed, quickness, power and vision won’t immediately translate to the NFL.

What’s bad: He can sometimes play too fast for his own good in terms of setting up blocks and maneuvering around defenders. He might be a bit smallish relative to being a carry-the-load back. Blocking on pass downs could be a wrinkle to iron out.

Short-term impact: Henderson offers so much in terms of speed and home-run potential as a runner or pass-catcher; it seems natural that McVay will scheme up ways for him to make an immediate impact as a change-of-pace weapon.

Long-term impact: Depending on the status of Todd Gurley’s left knee, Henderson could turn out to be the long-range replacement answer for Gurley or the copilot who shares a significant amount of duties.

What they’re saying: “He was a player that we identified as a unique playmaker. He can obviously do some things as a runner, but the versatility that he provides and some of the things that he can do are what was so enticing about him for us.” — McVay

Grade: A-

David Long, third round, No. 79 overall
School: Michigan

Position: Cornerback

Vitals: 5-foot-11, 195 pounds

What’s good: Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips prefers tough, physical, athletic corners who can jam receivers at the line of scrimmage and provide tight, effective man coverage. And Long perfectly fits that profile.

What’s bad: He isn’t the tallest corner, and he’ll likely play in the slot early on in his career, which will be an adjustment for a player so accustomed to lining up outside.

Short-term impact: Depending on how the situations of Troy Hill and Kevin Peterson play out, Long has a good chance to earn a role in nickel- and dime-coverage packages as a rookie.

Long-term impact: Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters are both entering the final year of their contracts, and given the ideal skill set Peters brings as a press-cover corner, there is a good chance he will be in the mix for a starting role by the 2020 season.

What they’re saying: “When you get into David Long, the character is off the charts, and he is a guy that has a skill set, the ability to come off and play man coverage, be able to play physical and be able to stay in guys’ back hips and mirror. You can see he is able to cancel routes out as he goes, and he just shows up and in a really, really productive defense over the last couple years. This was one of the best corners based off a production standpoint and another guy that loves football.” — McVay

Grade: B

Bobby Evans, third round, No. 97 overall
School: Oklahoma

Position: Tackle

Vitals: 6-foot-5, 295 pounds

What’s good: Evans was a three-year starter at both right and left tackle at Oklahoma, and his body type, power and skill set suggest a capability to move to guard if need be. That versatility is critical on a Rams offensive line that prefers prospects who can cross-train at multiple line positions.

What’s bad: He isn’t the best athlete, and at 6-5, he’s on the short side for a tackle. His average athletic ability could pose problems against athletic edge rushers.

Short-term impact: Barring an injury, the Rams don’t have any starting-job openings at tackle or guard, enabling Evans to learn, grow and develop as a rookie while providing insurance as a short-term starter if need be.

Long-term impact: Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth might be playing his final year in 2019, and with current left guard Joe Noteboom likely moving back to tackle to replace him, Evans could be in the mix as Noteboom’s eventual replacement at guard. Worst-case scenario: The Rams have a quality backup who can fill in at both tackle and guard spots in relief.

What they’re saying: “A tackle that has some versatility, some athleticism. Playing the left tackle position, I think you saw him do a lot of really good things on an excellent offense this past year, and we have full confidence that he is a guy that really can play across the line, both the left and the right side; he might be able to play in that guard spot as well. When you look at where we are at offensively, we feel really good about Brian Allen and Joe Noteboom stepping up into big-time roles this year, and we feel like Bobby is going to provide some depth and continue to learn and develop under the leadership.” — McVay

Grade: C+
Greg Gaines, fourth round, No. 134 overall
School: Washington

Position: Defensive tackle

Vitals: 6-foot-1, 300 pounds

What’s good: Gaines was a personal favorite of Rams GM Les Snead, who was on the lookout for a true run-stuffing nose tackle content with manning his gap and stonewalling the run — as opposed to players more focused on the pass rush at the expense of their run responsibility. Gaines played that role at an extremely high level at Washington, and his relentlessness and passion for football make him a likely candidate to make a seamless transition to the NFL.

What’s bad: He needs to immediately win one-on-one battles to avoid being overwhelmed by bigger opponents. He’s still a developing pass-rusher who might not add much to that part of the game early on. Lacks massive size and arm length.

Short-term impact: Gaines is a relentless, instinctive run defender who could forge an early role on run-down situations.

Long-term impact: If Gaines can develop some counter pass-rush moves, he has the capability to be a big-time contributor as a 3-4 nose guard.

What they’re saying: “He’s a guy we identified that we feel like will really do a great job as a nose guard in our base package. He was an outstanding, productive player for Washington, but then when you get a chance to really watch the Senior Bowl, where he’s going against some of the best interior linemen in this draft, guys that we really thought highly of, I think you got a sense for what a competitive player he is — a guy that loves football kind of in the mold of what we talk about. But what Greg was able to do at Washington, and then when you see the production he had at the Senior Bowl, that was what we felt strongly about.” — McVay

Grade: B+

David Edwards, fifth round, No. 169 overall
School: Wisconsin

Position: OT

Vitals: 6-foot-6, 308 pounds

What’s good: A former high school quarterback and college freshman tight end, Edwards has great feet for the tackle position and an easy, natural fluidity to his movement.

What’s bad: Edwards lacks great core strength and power, and in spite of the three years he spent as a starting tackle at Wisconsin, he is still a work-in-progress in terms of the technical aspects of offensive line play.

Short-term impact: Edwards will likely spend his rookie season as a redshirt candidate able to learn, grow and develop under the tutelage of respected Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer.

Long-term impact: All the attributes are there for Edwards to be developed under Kromer into a dependable backup able to swing from guard to tackle.

What they’re saying: “The last tackle we really, really desired, and thought we could put him in the hands of (offensive line coach Aaron Kromer) and start the development process.” — Snead

Grade: C

Nick Scott, seventh round, No. 243 overall
School: Penn State

Position: Safety

Vitals: 5-foot-11, 200 pounds

What’s good: A standout special-teams ace at Penn State, Scott is willing and able to pridefully and productively play that role. Has blazing speed, toughness and instincts to be a valued special-teams contributor.

What’s bad: Didn’t play much aside from special teams until his senior year, when he made 12 starts at safety.

Short-term impact: Scott has a good chance of cracking the regular roster as a rookie special-teams player.

Long-term impact: Scott has a ways to go in terms of making an eventual mark outside of special teams, but he’s got enough speed and athletic ability to turn himself into a useful reserve over his career while being a standout on special teams.

What they’re saying: “One of (special-teams coach John Fassel’s) favorite ever special-teams players that he’s ever graded. He’s probably been our No. 1 priority since Bones brought the POA to me.” — Snead

Grade: C

Dakota Allen, seventh round, No. 251 overall
School: Texas Tech

Position: Linebacker

Vitals: 6-foot-1, 232 pounds

What’s good: Allen is a productive and instinctive tackler at a position of major need for the Rams, who go into next season needing a replacement for Mark Barron. Fits all the traits needed to be a run-stuffing ILB in terms of adequate-enough speed and toughness and instincts.

What’s bad: Was dismissed from Texas Tech after his freshman year after getting arrested for home burglary, so there is some obvious baggage. All the charges were eventually dropped, and Allen worked his way back to Texas Tech after spending time at a community college. Allen still has some refining in terms of fighting off blocks and flowing to action.

Short-term impact: Has a chance to earn an immediate role on special teams while competing for the open job at inside linebacker.

Long-term impact: Fits the profile of a Wade Phillips-type 3-4 ILB and likely would have been drafted higher without the baggage from Texas Tech. If he continues to grow and develop, he will put himself into consideration for a starting job.

What they’re saying: “What was really neat, going through the process, was the mistake he made at Texas Tech — there were people at Texas Tech who definitely fought for him to get a second chance based on who he was. Great phone call today; I think it was one of our favorites because you could tell he was definitely appreciative to get this opportunity. Fun football player to watch.” — Snead

Grade: B –

[Watchdog]

McVay on NFL Network during draft:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-draft/0ap ... gh-Round-6

Paraphrasing - what I heard McVay say was to the effect of We can't stay in the 11, we need to have some new fresh looks to our offense....

Anyone else hear that, and get really excited?

[Elvis]

Eric Edholm

https://sports.yahoo.com/final-team-gra ... 28303.html

Los Angeles Rams

Picks: Washington S Taylor Rapp; Memphis RB Darrell Henderson; Michigan CB David Long; Oklahoma OG Bobby Evans; Washington DT Greg Gaines; Wisconsin OT David Edwards; Penn State S Nick Scott; Texas Tech LB Dakota Allen

Best pick: Rapp

It was a tossup here between Rapp and Long, but we’ll take a player – our No. 28 overall prospect – who fell surprisingly far following one bad 40-yard dash at his pro day. Running in the 4.7s took him out of first-round consideration, and he has a hip injury that is worth monitoring, but this is a Wade Phillips defender if we ever saw one. Lining up alongside Eric Weddle affords the Rams some tremendous versatility and playmaking with their safeties, so we consider this an inspired selection late in Round 2. It was a shock he tumbled that far.

Worst pick: Henderson

And by worst, we just mean it was one of the few picks we didn’t absolutely love. Henderson in the hands of Sean McVay does feel like a cheat code admittedly, as the big-play back can be schemed into success in this system. But perhaps the bigger story here is that the Rams now have invested quite a bit in the running back position with 2018 preseason standout John Kelly (a fifth-round pick), re-signing Malcolm Brown and giving Gurley a contract that still leaves the team with more than $25 million in dead money into the 2020 season. It’s perhaps more of an indication that Gurley’s long-term health remains a real worry.

Overall: What a haul for the Super Bowl runners-up. GM Les Snead continues to pull rabbits out of hats with his free-agent maneuverings and his draft work, especially with the foresight a year ago to add Day 3 talent on the offensive line. Those picks, along with this year’s selections of Evans and Edwards, should patch a lot of holes up front. And adding Rapp and Long to the secondary was just terrific. Long has the type of man-cover skills Phillips seeks and might be one of the better Day 2 sleepers. So much to like here, even without a full till of picks and no first-rounder.

Grade: A-

[Elvis]

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/wh ... ost-wrong/

Which Picks Did NFL Mock Drafts Get Most Wrong?
By Josh Hermsmeyer

With the first round of the NFL draft complete, it appears that the wisdom of the crowds wasn’t particularly wise. The first three picks went relatively as expected, but the draft went off script with the Oakland Raiders’ pick at No. 4 overall: defensive end Clelin Ferrell of Clemson — a player who mock drafters believed would go somewhere in the middle of the first round. The Raiders’ pick was the first of many that defied expectations and left amateur GMs scratching their heads.

In the case of the New York Giants, some fans were banging their heads against the wall and collapsing in tears. New York, which passed on many quarterbacks a year ago to take running back Saquon Barkley, took Duke QB Daniel Jones at No. 6. Jones averaged a 20.4 pick in mock drafts taken in the last 30 days before the draft but came off the board an eyebrow-raising 14.4 picks earlier. The Giants seemed to be trying to get ahead of a quarterback run that didn’t exist: Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins lasted until Washington took him at No. 15 (6.2 picks later than expected), and no subsequent QBs were taken on Thursday night.

But the New York football Giants, armed with three picks in the first round alone, weren’t finished reaching. Using the 17th overall pick they acquired when they dealt Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns, the Giants selected DT Dexter Lawrence of Clemson, 10.5 picks earlier than expected. The Giants were able to capture some surplus value with their third and final pick of the first round, however: Georgia CB Deandre Baker lasted 3.2 picks longer than expected and should help fill the void in the Giants secondary that was left when Eli Apple was traded to New Orleans last October for picks in the fourth and seventh rounds.

The NFL draft has been full of surprises

The first round of the 2019 NFL draft by each player’s pick and his average draft position (ADP) in mock drafts since March 26, 2019

TEAM PLAYER POSITION PICK ADP DIFF
Arizona Kyler Murray QB 1 1.8 -0.8
San Francisco Nick Bosa DE 2 2.1 -0.1
N.Y. Jets Quinnen Williams DT 3 3.7 -0.7
Oakland Clelin Ferrell DE 4 19.0 -15.0
Tampa Bay Devin White LB 5 7.0 -2.0
N.Y. Giants Daniel Jones QB 6 20.4 -14.4
Jacksonville Josh Allen LB 7 3.7 +3.3
Detroit TJ Hockenson TE 8 13.0 -5.0
Buffalo Ed Oliver DT 9 9.3 -0.3
Pittsburgh Devin Bush LB 10 15.5 -5.5
Cincinnati Jonah Williams OT 11 13.3 -2.3
Green Bay Rashan Gary DE 12 11.2 +0.8
Miami Christian Wilkins DT 13 19.0 -6.0
Atlanta Chris Lindstrom G 14 29.3 -15.3
Washington Dwayne Haskins QB 15 8.8 +6.2
Carolina Brian Burns LB 16 16.0 +0.0
N.Y. Giants Dexter Lawrence DT 17 27.5 -10.5
Minnesota Garrett Bradbury C 18 25.7 -7.7
Tennessee Jeffery Simmons DT 19 29.5 -10.5
Denver Noah Fant TE 20 22.9 -2.9
Green Bay Darnell Savage S 21 54.7 -33.7
Philadelphia Andre Dillard OT 22 17.6 +4.4
Houston Tytus Howard OT 23 60.7 -37.7
Oakland Josh Jacobs RB 24 27.2 -3.2
Baltimore Marquise Brown WR 25 25.4 -0.4
Washington Montez Sweat DE 26 10.6 +15.4
Oakland Johnathan Abram S 27 33.6 -6.6
L.A. Chargers Jerry Tillery DT 28 31.6 -3.6
Seattle L.J. Collier DE 29 62.9 -33.9
N.Y. Giants Deandre Baker CB 30 26.8 +3.2
Atlanta Kaleb McGary OT 31 43.3 -12.3
New England N’Keal Harry WR 32 29.3 +2.7
SOURCES: NFL, BEN ROBINSON

The selections of Lawrence and Ferrell were part of a larger trend: NFL GMs appear to have been particularly enamored with Clemson players. Three Tiger defensive standouts from the national championship team were selected in the first round, and they went 10.5 slots earlier on average than mock drafts predicted.

A dominant theme of the night, as expected, was NFL teams trying to find the next star pass rusher. But it was a pass rusher who had the biggest slide down the board among the first-round selections. Washington appears to have gotten a substantial value when it selected Mississippi State DE Montez Sweat 26th overall. In a draft class stacked with edge rushing talent, Sweat came off the board 15.4 picks later than expected.

When we look at all 32 first-round picks, the correlation between what mock drafters expected and what actually occurred was about the same in 2019 as it was in 2018. In 2019, the average draft position in mock drafts explained 48 percent of variance, down slightly from 49 percent of variance explained in 2018. This year’s first round skewed toward reaches, with six teams trading up on draft day to get their guys. Overall, players came off the board six picks earlier than expected; last year, that difference was five spots.

As a result, Day 2 of the draft should be one in which savvy teams can find more value than they may have initially anticipated. That could even drive more pick swapping, as teams look to swoop in and grab coveted players like mock draft darling D.K. Metcalf on the cheap.

[PARAM]

The Giants seemed to be trying to get ahead of a quarterback run that didn’t exist

Or......they got their guy and were happy with the pick. Had they gone another direction and missed out on the guy, the critics would have been asking "if you liked him why didn't you take him when he was on the board?" That's something that always baffles me. You trust your scouting department and all the work everybody from the GM to the assistant coaches put in before the draft, and you take who you have your eye on. The actual value of the particular draft slot/pick is determined by whether the player is successful or not.

[safer]

Just last year many of us (me included) thought the 9er's fleeced the Bears who moved up to #2 for QB Trabusky....And then the Bears got the best part of that deal.......I was shocked with the Gmen taking him there, but, hell, they may look genius in a year or so.

[RedAlice]

Are Hawks drafting ahead and playing some future philosophy to fool us all?