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LA Rams have a good draft class to find a center
by Bret Stuter6 minutes ago
Oh yes, the NFL is ramping up for another NFL Draft. While the draft is filled with reasons for optimism, the 2021 NFL Draft brings with it a sense of concern for the LA Rams. You see, the team has an immovable set of needs for their roster heading into the draft, and they are unavoidable. Drafting for a need is never an ideal situation because the draft itself is so unpredictable.
Yet heading into the draft, there is little guesswork about the positions that the Rams should be focussed upon. While there are some positions that could use more talent, the Rams need depth at offensive center, outside linebacker, cornerback, offensive tackle, and linebacker. Beyond that, the team could benefit from adding talent at practically any and all positions.
But there is the rub.
If the Rams face a situation at the 57th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft of choosing between a talented rookie who they expected to be one of the Top-15 selected on draft day or a position of need that they suspected may fall as far as the third round, which rookie’s name will the team call-out at the podium? If the team elects to go the best player available route (BPA), they risk missing out on addressing a position of need in this draft. But if they go after the positional need, they risk overreaching at the selection and miss out on the chance to dramatically improve the talent level of the overall roster.
It’s the NFL Draft version of the Kobayashi Maru, the unwinnable scenario. That damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don’t challenge. There is no way to win in this one.
Internal options
So what do the LA Rams do? Well, that is likely the question that the front office is tackling right now. The data is in, the prospects are now being assembled in any number of ways to ensure that come the moment of truth when the LA Rams step up to the podium for the first time, they will have instant answers available to the team as to how they believe their choices can best help the Rams roster.
One such question is the availability of NFL caliber centers in this draft. While the team will benefit from the healthy return of 2019 starting center Brian Allen, and the competition of reserve Coleman Shelton, neither player saw action in 2020. Of course, we haven’t much intel from the thoughts of offensive line coach Kevin Carberry.
Will he try to coach up rostered players like Tremayne Anchrum for the role? Anchrum is so intelligent and well-spoken, and he has a nice bit of mauler in him as well. Is this the chance for Jamil Demby to step into a larger role on the offensive line? In the past, he was used as a utility lineman across all five offensive line positions. Or will the Rams revert Austin Corbett back to the center position, and try to insert a player into the right guard spot?
Even if the LA Rams do not draft a single offensive lineman, they still have multiple options for their 2021 starting offensive line. The team will welcome back offensive lineman Chandler Brewer, who rejoins the team after opting out for 2020. The team will also be reinforced by the inclusion of veteran Jamil Demby. Yes, the LA Rams did lose a center to free agency. But the Rams roster already boasts 11 players. That is enough for a starter and backup at all five offensive line positions, plus one.
Don’t mock me
Simulating the NFL Draft has become almost like a video game. There are a number of great online NFL Draft simulators, like that of the Draft Network, First Pick, PFF, and Pro Football Network, just to name a few. While each has various levels of features, trades, draft strategy logic to auto pick for other teams, they all converge on two positives for the LA Rams.
First, they all agree that five quarterbacks will come off the board in round one, some project as early as five of the first 15 players selected. The second consensus is that the LA Rams will have multiple offensive center prospects to sort through in round two.
Players like Creed Humphrey, Quinn Meinerz, Josh Meyers, Kendrick Green, Landon Dickerson all or some project to be available at the 57th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. (We’ve featured them in previous articles). By round three, the Rams will likely have fewer options for the center position. Creed Humphrey and Landon Dickerson are unanimously off the board by the 88th pick. Quinn Meinerz is more than likely gone. The Rams may still have a shot at drafting Kendrick Green or Josh Meyers. Michae Menet shows up for round three.
The 2021 NFL Draft will be pretty wild. Even knowing what we know now, there is plenty of opportunity for a significantly talented prospect to fall through the cracks. Even players like Pittsburgh’s Jimmy Morrissey, Texas A&M’s Ryan McCollum, Georgia’s Trey Hill, or Stanford’s Drew Dalman could fall out of the draft and be signed as an undrafted free agent.
This is a draft year unlike any other. Prospects enter the draft without a 2021 NFL Scouting Combine. They either have played no football, some football, a lot of football, or a full 2020 NCAA schedule of football. Teams are still limited to virtual meetings with prospects, and cannot meet with them directly. And yet, the draft will happen, and the LA Rams will emerge with answers for their offensive center position. Still, there are no guarantees that it will be the answer you want.
by Bret Stuter6 minutes ago
Oh yes, the NFL is ramping up for another NFL Draft. While the draft is filled with reasons for optimism, the 2021 NFL Draft brings with it a sense of concern for the LA Rams. You see, the team has an immovable set of needs for their roster heading into the draft, and they are unavoidable. Drafting for a need is never an ideal situation because the draft itself is so unpredictable.
Yet heading into the draft, there is little guesswork about the positions that the Rams should be focussed upon. While there are some positions that could use more talent, the Rams need depth at offensive center, outside linebacker, cornerback, offensive tackle, and linebacker. Beyond that, the team could benefit from adding talent at practically any and all positions.
But there is the rub.
If the Rams face a situation at the 57th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft of choosing between a talented rookie who they expected to be one of the Top-15 selected on draft day or a position of need that they suspected may fall as far as the third round, which rookie’s name will the team call-out at the podium? If the team elects to go the best player available route (BPA), they risk missing out on addressing a position of need in this draft. But if they go after the positional need, they risk overreaching at the selection and miss out on the chance to dramatically improve the talent level of the overall roster.
It’s the NFL Draft version of the Kobayashi Maru, the unwinnable scenario. That damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don’t challenge. There is no way to win in this one.
Internal options
So what do the LA Rams do? Well, that is likely the question that the front office is tackling right now. The data is in, the prospects are now being assembled in any number of ways to ensure that come the moment of truth when the LA Rams step up to the podium for the first time, they will have instant answers available to the team as to how they believe their choices can best help the Rams roster.
One such question is the availability of NFL caliber centers in this draft. While the team will benefit from the healthy return of 2019 starting center Brian Allen, and the competition of reserve Coleman Shelton, neither player saw action in 2020. Of course, we haven’t much intel from the thoughts of offensive line coach Kevin Carberry.
Will he try to coach up rostered players like Tremayne Anchrum for the role? Anchrum is so intelligent and well-spoken, and he has a nice bit of mauler in him as well. Is this the chance for Jamil Demby to step into a larger role on the offensive line? In the past, he was used as a utility lineman across all five offensive line positions. Or will the Rams revert Austin Corbett back to the center position, and try to insert a player into the right guard spot?
Even if the LA Rams do not draft a single offensive lineman, they still have multiple options for their 2021 starting offensive line. The team will welcome back offensive lineman Chandler Brewer, who rejoins the team after opting out for 2020. The team will also be reinforced by the inclusion of veteran Jamil Demby. Yes, the LA Rams did lose a center to free agency. But the Rams roster already boasts 11 players. That is enough for a starter and backup at all five offensive line positions, plus one.
Don’t mock me
Simulating the NFL Draft has become almost like a video game. There are a number of great online NFL Draft simulators, like that of the Draft Network, First Pick, PFF, and Pro Football Network, just to name a few. While each has various levels of features, trades, draft strategy logic to auto pick for other teams, they all converge on two positives for the LA Rams.
First, they all agree that five quarterbacks will come off the board in round one, some project as early as five of the first 15 players selected. The second consensus is that the LA Rams will have multiple offensive center prospects to sort through in round two.
Players like Creed Humphrey, Quinn Meinerz, Josh Meyers, Kendrick Green, Landon Dickerson all or some project to be available at the 57th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. (We’ve featured them in previous articles). By round three, the Rams will likely have fewer options for the center position. Creed Humphrey and Landon Dickerson are unanimously off the board by the 88th pick. Quinn Meinerz is more than likely gone. The Rams may still have a shot at drafting Kendrick Green or Josh Meyers. Michae Menet shows up for round three.
The 2021 NFL Draft will be pretty wild. Even knowing what we know now, there is plenty of opportunity for a significantly talented prospect to fall through the cracks. Even players like Pittsburgh’s Jimmy Morrissey, Texas A&M’s Ryan McCollum, Georgia’s Trey Hill, or Stanford’s Drew Dalman could fall out of the draft and be signed as an undrafted free agent.
This is a draft year unlike any other. Prospects enter the draft without a 2021 NFL Scouting Combine. They either have played no football, some football, a lot of football, or a full 2020 NCAA schedule of football. Teams are still limited to virtual meetings with prospects, and cannot meet with them directly. And yet, the draft will happen, and the LA Rams will emerge with answers for their offensive center position. Still, there are no guarantees that it will be the answer you want.