The Los Angeles Rams are in good shape heading into the 2019 NFL draft. They don’t have any gaping holes on the roster, even after losing Rodger Saffold, Lamarcus Joyner, Mark Barron and eventually Ndamukong Suh.
Les Snead has done a good job filling the team’s biggest roster needs by signing players like Eric Weddle, Clay Matthews and bringing back Dante Fowler Jr. Those moves allow the Rams to take the best player available when they go on the clock in Round 1.
Whichever position they address in the first round will obviously impact their picks in the third, fourth and fifth rounds. For instance, if they take a safety in Round 1, they’ll be done at that position for the rest of draft weekend. There isn’t really a position the Rams will double-dip at in the first five rounds.
All that said, there are a number of ways they can go in Rounds 1-3. They only have three picks in the top 100 (Nos. 31, 94 and 99), which makes trading back out of the first round a strong possibility for Snead and Co.
Here are five different scenarios for Los Angeles in the first three rounds, as simulated using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine.
Scenario 1
31. Jerry Tillery, DL, Notre Dame
94. Bobby Okereke, LB, Stanford
99. Oshane Ximines, EDGE, Old Dominion
This is a defense-heavy haul in the first three rounds. It doesn’t address future holes in the secondary, but it’s the scenario that helps the Rams the most right away. Tillery is a Day 1 starter at defensive end, pushing Michael Brockers inside to nose tackle.
Okereke could potentially replace Barron and battle with Micah Kiser for the starting job, while Ximines would join the cast of pass rushers competing for snaps at outside linebacker.