New Mock Draft Has Rams Trading Back, Grabbing Powerful SEC DL Presence

Los Angeles needs to find a way to replace Aaron Donald.

One of the more surprising moments of the offseason came when All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald announced that he would be retiring from the NFL. It had been hinted at for some time now but now the Rams are left with a massive hole in the middle of their defensive front.

Luckily for them, they are armed with a first round pick this season and they should be able to net themselves a talented, young player. Los Angeles has been speculated to go after a defensive player in the first round, potentially trying to find a replacement for Donald.

In a new mock draft, the Rams did indeed find a replacement for Donald. Nate Davis of USA Today has them landing Darius Robinson out of Missouri after trading back with the Buffalo Bills to grab pick No. 28.

"No one walking through that door is going to replace retired DL Aaron Donald. Yet there’s ample room (and need) here for Robinson, who’s had a nice pre-draft process, to carve out quite a role for himself. The 6-5, 285-pound All-SEC selection has the size and athleticism to play inside or out while thriving against the run or pass – which sure seem like traits LA could use right about now."

Robinson is a powerful presence on the inside of the defensive line and could help bolster this defensive front going forward. He posted 43 total tackles this past season, 14.5 of them coming for a loss. Robinson also was great at bringing the quarterback down, putting up 8.5 sacks on the year.

This would be a solid pairing indeed and the Rams would net extra draft capital in this scenario. Robinson and Los Angeles seem like an ideal landing spot for each side but it remains to be seen what will actually take place.

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