Every year I do a series called “Snead’s Snacks”. In other words, we try to find and look at common themes and traits of previous Les Snead draft picks and see which players in the upcoming NFL Draft fit the mold for the Los Angeles Rams. We’ve covered five positions this season including safety, edge rusher, cornerback, offensive line, and running back. Last season we correctly predicted Ernest Jones and Robert Rochell as fits for the Rams.
Below I’ll recap the players that we picked out at each position and who I believe are the best fits for the Rams.
Best Fits For the Los Angeles Rams at Cornerback
Cam Taylor-Britt – Nebraska
Zyon McCollum – Sam Houston State
Chase Lucas – Arizona State
Decobie Durant – South Carolina State
Montaric Brown – Arkansas
Alontae Taylor – Tennessee
Tariq Castro-Fields – Penn State
If Taylor-Britt falls to the Los Angeles Rams at 104, he will likely be very much in consideration. However, Zyon McCollum checks a lot of the boxes that the Los Angeles Rams typically look for in the cornerback position. He has elite ball production as he finished his career with 13 interceptions and six forced fumbles. Additionally, he’s an exceptional athlete and posted an elite speed RAS grade with a 4.33 4-time.
Chase Lucas is another player to watch. He’s an experienced corner that comes from the Pac-12 at Arizona State. One of Lucas’ knocks is his lack of size, but the Rams don’t target big corners. He has six career interceptions at the collegiate level and 28 passes defended, but does a great job at tracking the ball. He also has good speed as he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash.
Best Fits For the Los Angeles Rams at Edge
Josh Paschal – Kentucky
DeAngelo Malone – Western Kentucky
Jeffrey Gunter – Coastal Carolina
Kyron Johnson – Kansas
Dominique Robinson – Miami (OH)
Christopher Allen – Alabama
Ali Fayad – Western Michigan
Gunter makes a lot of sense for someone who can learn behind Leonard Floyd. Gunter has a high motor and defends the run very well much like Floyd. The Coastal Carolina edge rusher scored in the 80th percentile in both the broad and vertical jumps and put up a great explosiveness RAS score. Like the other guys on this list, Gunter plays with a high motor and shows a good football IQ.
Another edge rusher to watch is Dominique Robinson. He was a quarterback and high school and played three years of wide receiver before switching to edge rusher. Robinson has the moldable upside that the Rams love as a very good athlete with a high motor and high football IQ. He played at McVay’s alma mater and is someone with untapped potential.
Best Fits For the Los Angeles Rams at iOL
Luke Fortner – Kentucky
Joshua Ezeudu – North Carolina
Dohnovan West – Arizona State
Cade Mays – Tennessee
Logan Bruss – Wisconsin
Brock Hoffman – Virginia Tech
Alec Lindstrom – Boston College
Zach Tom – Wake Forest
Zachary Thomas – San Diego State
At 6’4, 307-lbs and a RAS of 6.6, Luke Fortner fits both the size and athletic profile for the Rams. Additionally, he played at Kentucky where current offensive coordinator Liam Coen coached for the past two seasons. He has 36 starts with 23 at right guard and 13 at center.
The Rams just lost Austin Corbett and could draft an offensive lineman with a similar athletic profile. Ezeudu has good initial quickness with tackle and guard experience. He has good lateral movement with decent footwork and shows the ability to excel in zone schemes. Ezeudu had a very good career at UNC and could be a solid developmental prospect for the Rams that could become an eventual starter.
Dohnovan West deserves to be mentioned here as well. He fits the size profile that the Rams look for at 6’3, 296-lbs. Additionally he’s a three-year starter with versatility to play both guard and center. He’s started games at center and both guard sports. West is pretty undersized, but that’s what the Rams have drafted in the past for the interior. With a RAS of 6.94, he also fits the athletic profile. West is a developmental guy that I could see the Rams falling in love with. West has a similar profile as Coleman Shelton as an added bonus.
Best Fits For the Los Angeles Rams at Safety
Quentin Lake – UCLA
Leon O’Neal Jr. – Texas A&M
Elijah Hicks – Cal
Dane Belton – Iowa
Nick Cross – Maryland
Quentin Lake would almost be a perfect fit for the Rams. He’s a versatile piece on defense and has the football intelligence and leadership. He’s a solid tackler as well and will contribute on special teams immediately. The Rams like ball skills in their cornerbacks and Lake has shown that. He compares very favorably to Jordan Fuller who the Rams drafted in the sixth round two years ago. I would not be surprised if the Rams do end up with Lake.
Elijah Hicks is someone else that I really like as a fit for the Rams. This is a player with a lot of experience and shows good versatility. Additionally, he’s a good tackler, very smart player, and reacts well in coverage. Hicks is someone that could be a special teams contributor early and then hopefully develop into a depth player.
Best Fits For the Los Angeles Rams at Running Back
Tyler Badie – Missouri
Jerome Ford – Cincinnati
Isaih Pacheco – Rutgers
Kyren Williams – Notre Dame
Ty Chandler – UNC
Tyler Badieis a player that McVay could have fun with lining up all over the offensive formation. With that said, Ford is exactly what the Rams look for at running back in terms of size. His combination of lower body strength and quick feet also line up with what the Rams have drafted in the past. As a RAS comp, he lines up similarly to Sony Michel who was a primary ball carrier for the Rams last season.
Isaih Pacheco is someone to watch as well as a mid-late round player. He’s a physical style of runner that the Rams have liked with guys such as Sony Michel last season. The ability to finish runs and fall forward is something that the Rams covet and that’s something that Pacheco does well. At 216-lbs, Pacheco ran a 4.37 40-yard dash and also has quick feet. Additionally, he’s a plus pass catcher and solid in pass protection.
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