Piece by Alex Christ
With the conclusion of the NFL’s 86th annual draft selection meeting, it is time to review each team’s draft picks and analyze how these players could make an impact in their rookie season or take a few years to develop their skills in the NFL.
The next division we will analyze is the NFC West, which has been a wild division since 2010 with all four teams (Seattle, Arizona, Los Angeles, San Francisco) winning at least one division title. But, as the start of the 2021 regular season moves closer, the NFC West looks to be as competitive as ever with all of the moves the Seahawks, Cardinals, Rams, and 49ers have made so far this offseason.
With the Rams trading for Matthew Stafford and the Cardinals signing playoff experienced veterans like A.J. Green, James Conner, J.J. Watt as well as Malcolm Butler, Los Angeles and Arizona look to compete with the consistent Seattle Seahawks under Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson as well as All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner. But, as the 49ers look to move on from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo after drafting Trey Lance with the 3rd overall pick, will the NFC West become one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL during this decade?
The second team in the NFC West we will analyze will be… the Los Angeles Rams!
Les Snead’s/Los Angeles Rams 2021 NFL Draft Grades/Analysis:
Day 2:
57th overall pick (2nd round): Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville. After using his first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft in a trade for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey during the 2019 NFL season, general manager Les Snead had to wait until late in the 2nd round to use his first draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. But, after signing former Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson prior to the draft, Snead decided to use his second round pick on wide receiver Tutu Atwell from Louisville to add more depth on the Rams talented wide receiver corps.
A first-team All-ACC selection in 2019, Atwell set the new Cardinals school record for receiving yards in a season (1,276 yards) during the 2019 college football season, which was previously held by former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas in 2007. But, with Atwell carrying on a family tradition with his father, Chatarius (Tutu’s given first name), as a former wide receiver with the
Golden Gophers, Atwell finished his career at Louisville with 20 receiving TD’s while his father finished with 17 receiving TD’s at the University of Minnesota.
With Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods returning after back-to-back 90+ catch seasons for Los Angeles’ primary wide receiver duo, Tutu Atwell has a great chance to fit into the Rams offense as a slot receiver with his 5’9” stature and could make a huge impact as a fourth receiving option for Matthew Stafford this year.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B+
*NFL Draft History Note: Tutu Atwell is the third wide receiver in Cardinals history to be selected in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft (Pro Bowl wide receiver Ernest Givins was drafted 34th overall in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers and Super Bowl XXXIX MVP Deion Branch was drafted 65th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots).
103rd overall pick (3rd round): Ernest Jones, LB, South Carolina. After finishing with the league’s #1 ranked defense last season, head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead used their third round pick on linebacker Ernest Jones from South Carolina to add more depth on the Rams young linebacker unit led by their newest superstar, outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.
A fourth-team All-SEC selection in 2020, Jones finished with the 2nd most solo tackles in the SEC in 2019 (59 solo tackles; Missouri’s Nick Bolton had 74 solo tackles in 2019) and tied the Gamecocks school record for tackles in a game during the 2020 season with 19 tackles against LSU (tied defensive tackle Roy Hart’s record that he held since 1987).
With former Falcons defensive coordinator Raheem Morris taking over the Rams defense after Brandon Staley was hired by the Chargers, Ernest Jones could have a great chance to compete for a starting position on the Rams linebacker unit this preseason with Micah Kiser, Troy Reeder, Kenny Young and Leonard Floyd returning as the only linebackers with starting experience on Los Angeles’ defense.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B-
*NFL Draft History Note: Prior to the Rams selection of Ernest Jones in the 2021 NFL Draft, the only other linebacker to be drafted from the University of South Carolina in the third round of the NFL Draft was Gerald Dixon, who was selected 78th overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 1992 NFL Draft and started 61 games for three different teams in his nine years in the NFL.
Day 3:
117th overall pick (4th round, trade with San Francisco): Bobby Brown III, DT, Texas A&M. After trading veteran defensive lineman Michael Brockers to the Detroit Lions prior to the NFL Draft, Les Snead addressed his defensive line with his first pick in the 4th round of the 2021 NFL Draft on defensive tackle Bobby Brown III from Texas A&M to add more depth behind three-time NFL Defensive MVP Aaron Donald and two-year starter Sebastian Joseph-Day.
A first team All-SEC selection in 2020, Brown was a two-year starter with the Aggies and made 19 starts in his last two seasons at Texas A&M. But, during Texas A&M’s run to the Orange Bowl last year, Bobby Brown III led the Aggies with 5.5 sacks while making 7.5 TFL’s (tackles for a loss) during the 2020 college football season.
With most of the starters on the Rams defensive line playing as defensive tackles, head coach Sean McVay and his new defensive coordinator, Raheem Morris, will have to make some changes on Los Angeles’ defense, which could open the door for Bobby Brown III to have a chance to compete for a starting job during training camp this offseason.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B+
*NFL Draft History Note: Prior to Los Angeles’ selection of Bobby Brown III in the 4th round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the last defensive lineman the Rams selected from Texas A&M in the NFL Draft was Jim Winkler, who was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1949 NFL Draft and was a Pro Bowl selection in 1952 (Winkler also was a member of the Rams 1951 NFL Championship squad).
130th overall pick (4th round, trade with Jacksonville): Robert Rochell, CB, Central Arkansas. After an All-Pro season from Jalen Ramsey and a solid rookie campaign from 6th round draft pick Jordan Fuller in 2020, Les Snead decided to use his second pick in the 4th round of the 2021 NFL Draft on cornerback Robert Rochell from Central Arkansas to add more depth on the Rams secondary unit.
A two-time FCS All-American with the Bears, Rochell was a three-year starter at Central Arkansas and became the first player in school history to earn back-to-back All-American honors since defensive lineman Larry Hart in 2008 and 2009 (Hart was drafted in the 5th round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars).
With Raheem Morris inheriting most of Brandon Staley’s assistants including Ejiro Evero (who served as Los Angeles’ safeties coach since 2017), Robert Rochell has a great chance to learn from his veteran teammates as well as the same coaches who have developed Taylor Rapp, Jalen Ramsey, and Jordan
Fuller into a solid secondary unit as Rochell looks to impress head coach Sean McVay in training camp to earn a starting role in the Rams secondary.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B+
*NFL Draft History Note: Robert Rochell is the ninth prospect selected from Central Arkansas in the history of the NFL Draft and five players in Bears history have had postseason experience in the NFL (Monte Coleman, an 11th round draft pick in the 1979 NFL Draft by Washington, is the only player from Central Arkansas to have played in a Super Bowl; won three Super Bowls in his 16 seasons in Washington).
141st overall pick (4th round): Jacob Harris, WR, UCF. After drafting Tutu Atwell in the 2nd round, Les Snead decided to add another receiving threat on the Rams offense by using his last pick in the 4th round of the 2021 NFL Draft on wide receiver Jacob Harris from UCF.
After transferring from Western Kentucky in 2017, Harris saw limited time in his first two years at Central Florida playing mostly on special teams and seeing little action at wide receiver in 2019. But, in his last season with the Knights in 2020, Jacob Harris emerged as Dillon Gabriel’s third receiving option on UCF’s offense with eight receiving TD’s.
With Los Angeles’ receiving corps starting to take shape with Atwell competing as a slot receiver, Jacob Harris could still have a chance to compete for a role on the Rams offense if DeSean Jackson struggles during the preseason or catches the injury bug again.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: C
*NFL Draft History Note: Jacob Harris is the third wide receiver selected from UCF in the 4th round in the history of the NFL Draft (Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2006 and Gabriel Davis was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2020).
174th overall pick (5th round, trade with Houston): Earnest Brown IV, DE, Northwestern. After drafting Bobby Brown III with his first pick in the 4th round, Les Snead decided to use his fifth round pick on defensive end Earnest Brown IV from Northwestern to add more depth on the Rams defensive line.
Despite not starting a game for the Wildcats in his first three years at Northwestern, Brown contributed on Pat Fitzgerald’s defense as a sophomore and junior with six sacks, 10 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, and five pass deflections. But, as a senior in 2020, Earnest Brown IV would finally become a starter on the Wildcats defense and finished with 8.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, and four pass deflections in nine games during his last season at Northwestern.
With only one year of starting experience at Northwestern, Earnest Brown IV will have to learn quickly from his veteran teammates on the Rams defensive line if Raheem Morris decides to start Brown in the season opener against Chicago due to the lack of depth at defensive end on Los Angeles’ defense.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: C
*NFL Draft History Note: Earnest Brown IV is the first prospect the Rams have selected from Northwestern in 15 years and could become the first Wildcat to start for the Rams as a rookie since center/linebacker Jack Haman, who started nine games for the Cleveland Rams in his first season in the NFL in 1940 and finished with five interceptions as a rookie.
233rd overall pick (7th round, trade with Houston): Jake Funk, RB, Maryland. After using a three-headed running attack last season with Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, and Malcolm Brown splitting the workload with at least 100 carries in the Rams backfield, head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead decided to use their first pick in the 7th round of the 2021 NFL Draft on running back Jake Funk from Maryland to add some more depth at running back after Malcolm Brown signed with the Dolphins prior to the draft.
A third team All-Big Ten selection in 2020, Funk saw limited action in his first two years with the Terrapins in 2016 as well as 2017, but scored seven touchdowns before struggling with injuries during the 2018 and 2019 seasons (appeared in only five games). But, after tearing his ACL during Maryland’s 2019 campaign, Jake Funk returned for a fifth season with the Terrapins and led the Big Ten with a yards/carry average of 8.6 in just five games (2nd in the NCAA; Arizona State’s Rachaad White led the FBS with a yards/carry average of 10.0 in four games due to COVID-19 restrictions).
But, after Cam Akers’ season ending injury a few weeks ago, Jake Funk has a great chance to compete alongside Darrell Henderson during the preseason and form a new running back duo for Los Angeles’ offense in 2021 under Sean McVay.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: C+
*NFL Draft History Note: Prior to the Rams selection of Jake Funk in the 2021 NFL Draft, the last running back that Los Angeles drafted from the University of Maryland was Ron Waller, who was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1955 NFL Draft and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie (Waller also scored his only career postseason TD in the Rams loss to the Cleveland Browns in the 1955 NFL Championship Game).
249th overall pick (7th round, trade with Jacksonville): Ben Skowronek, WR, Notre Dame. After drafting two wide receivers with his 2nd round pick and his last pick in the 4th round, Les Snead decided to add one more receiving threat on his draft list in his selection of wide receiver Ben Skowronek from Notre Dame with his second pick in the 7th round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
After two productive seasons at Northwestern during his sophomore and junior years in 2017 as well as 2018, Skowronek decided to transfer to Notre Dame after suffering a season ending injury early in his 2019 campaign with the Wildcats. But, during his senior season with the Fighting Irish, Ben Skowronek emerged as Ian Book’s third receiving option and scored six touchdowns during Notre Dame’s run to the Rose Bowl (finished his college career with 14 total TD’s including eight receiving TD’s at Northwestern).
With a lot of competition in the Rams receiving corps this preseason, Ben Skowronek will have to battle along with his rookie teammates, Tutu Atwell and Jacob Harris, to earn a spot on Los Angeles’ offense, but Skowronek could still make an impact on special teams as a gunner along with Jacob Harris if they struggle to impress head coach Sean McVay as potential playmakers on offense during training camp.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: C
*NFL Draft History Note: Ben Skowronek is the first prospect the Rams have drafted from Notre Dame in 16 years and is the third Fighting Irish wide receiver to be selected in the 7th round (Jack Snow, a 1967 Pro Bowl selection for the Rams, was drafted in the 7th round of the 1965 AFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers and two-time Super Bowl champion David Givens was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 7th round of the 2002 NFL Draft).
252nd overall pick (7th round): Chris Garrett, LB, Concordia-St. Paul. After drafting linebacker Ernest Jones with his third round pick, Les Snead decided to use his last pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on linebacker Chris Garrett from Concordia-St. Paul to add some more depth on Los Angeles’ linebacker unit and potentially the Rams defensive line.
The all-time leader in Division II history with 15 forced fumbles, Garrett also set a new school record with 36.5 sacks during his three years with the Bears from 2017-2019 while winning the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. In addition to his record-breaking tenure at Concordia-St. Paul, Chris Garrett also finished with 48.5 tackles for a loss, which was the 3rd most in school history, before sitting out in 2020 due to the NSIC’s (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) cancellation of the 2020 football season.
With limited starting experience in the Rams linebacker unit and very few options at defensive end, Chris Garrett could become a secret defensive weapon for defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to use in multiple positions at defensive end, linebacker, or edge rusher on Los Angeles’ defense in 2021 due to Garrett’s versatility.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B+
*NFL Draft History Note: Since the formation of the NSIC in 1992, Chris Garrett is only the fourth player in the history of the conference to be selected in the NFL Draft and will join former division rival Trey Pipkins, a 3rd round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019 from Sioux Falls, as the only two current draftees from the NSIC in the NFL.
Final Draft Grade/Analysis: My final draft grade for the Los Angeles Rams and their general manager, Les Snead, is a… B-. Despite not having a 1st round draft pick, head coach Sean McVay and Les Snead addressed several positional needs especially at wide receiver as well as linebacker with the selections of Tutu Atwell, Ernest Jones, and Chris Garrett.
The Rams secondary unit also was addressed after they selected cornerback Robert Rochell in the 4th round, but Snead struggled to address Los Angeles’ defensive line despite drafting Bobby Brown III and Earnest Brown IV in Day 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft.
With Raheem Morris trying to deal with depth issues on defense, Sean McVay will also have some big decisions to make on offense during the preseason with Jake Funk, Jacob Harris, and Ben Skowronek trying to make their case for an offensive role in 2021.
However, despite a few holes to fill on their roster, the Rams should be able to start six or seven of their draft picks this season (Atwell, Jones, Garrett, Rochell, Bobby Brown III, Earnest Brown IV, Funk) while Harris and Skowronek might start out on special teams, but could get some playing time this season if DeSean Jackson catches the injury bug again or if McVay adjusts his offense to allow his new quarterback, Matthew Stafford, to have a lot of options to choose from in his first season in Los Angeles.
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