The Los Angeles Rams didn’t leave themselves with many glaring holes on their roster ahead of the draft, which should allow them to go best player available in each round.
There are still questions that need to be answered this offseason, but the draft will provide much more clarity leading into the summer.
With the draft less than a week away, I fielded questions on Twitter and compiled them into a mailbag in an attempt to provide answers before the Rams go on the clock next week.
Tyler Smith at No. 104?
Close to zero. He’s a great player and is likely to get drafted in the second round, well out of the Rams’ reach. Smith is fun to watch and after playing tackle in college, he’ll likely transition to guard where he can use his physicality and strength to his advantage against defensive tackles.
As nice as it would be for the Rams to land Smith, it’s not going to happen.
How do compensatory picks work pre- and post-draft?
During free agency and through the draft, players who are unrestricted free agency – not released by their team – count against the compensatory pick formula. The higher the value of a free agent’s contract, the higher the pick will be for the team that lost the player.
The Monday after the draft, however, free agents no longer count toward compensatory picks. That means the Rams can sign a free agent for as much as they want, and they won’t be in danger of losing a pick that they’re in line to gain from a free-agent departure.
As for Rochell’s chances of starting, they look good right now. But the draft could change that if the Rams select a cornerback early. David Long Jr. will also be competing for snaps.
Who steps up from 2021 class?
I’ll go back to Rochell for this question. He got on the field a little bit as a rookie but injuries and cornerback depth limited his playing time. With Darious Williams gone, I think…