NFL Draft: Who Are Rams' Best Fits?
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Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead has made a living out of doing two things - one, making aggressive trades for big-name players, and two, finding quality players in the mid-to-late-rounds of the NFL Draft.
In a sense, the two go hand-in-hand, as the trades have led to the Rams not having a first-round pick since selecting quarterback Jared Goff in 2016.
And still, over the last six years, Los Angeles has been to the playoff four times, Super Bowl twice and hoisted the Lombardi Trophy just over one year ago - thanks to the success rate of Snead's moves.
It's set to be a similar story for the Rams this year, as their first pick won't come until pick No. 37 - yet Snead and the scouting staff might have their biggest task thus far: get the team back to playoff contention after a disappointing 5-12 season.
Los Angeles has a roster filled with aging stars and currently holds negative cap space; while the latter will change, the former really can't - unless Snead infuses the team with young talent this offseason.
So, who could the Rams target in the draft? According to Pro Football Focus, LSU defensive end BJ Ojulari and BYU offensive tackle Blake Freeland are the two best fits early- and late-round fits for Los Angeles.
"It’s all about the trenches for the Rams. On the defensive side of things, Ojulari would be a high-ceiling pass rusher for them to grab with their first selection at the top of the second round. And with one of their mid-round picks, taking a chance on the 6-foot-7 offensive tackle from BYU would be a good bet." - Trevor Sikkema
Though the draft is still over two months away, Ojulari continues to be connected to the Rams. He's been frequently sent to Los Angeles in mock drafts and for good reason, as his athleticism off the edge would give a significant boost to a defense that ranked No. 21 in the NFL in sacks a season ago.
As for Freeland, the third-team AP All-American provides an athletic presence on the outside, and Los Angeles could have a question mark at left tackle following inconsistent play and a season-ending knee injury to incumbent Joe Noteboom.
Therefore, both Ojulari and Freeland make plenty of sense for the Rams and are worth remembering come draft weekend - but for now, the process is still young, and plenty can (and will) change in the coming months.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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