Rams Select Nebraska EDGE Ochaun Mathis With No. 189 Pick
The Los Angeles Rams had a big hole at edge rusher entering the 2023 NFL Draft, and they're doing everything to fill that hole. The latest move in this endeavor is taking Nebraska Cornhuskers edge rusher Ochaun Mathis with the No. 189 pick in the sixth round.
Mathis is the third edge rusher the Rams have selected in this draft. Previously, they took Tennessee's Byron Young at No. 77 and Appalachian State's Nick Hampton at No. 161.
SI Draft Bible says of the Nebraska product "a refined pass-rusher with solid open-field athleticism, Ochaun Mathis’s underwhelming play strength and movement skills through contact cloud his projection to the next level.
In 2022, Mathis recorded 48 tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Cornhuskers. Before that, he played four seasons at TCU, recording 135 tackles and 15.5 sacks. Although TCU was not Mathis' final stop, he is the third player the Rams have drafted this year to play for the Horned Frogs. The other two are offensive lineman Steve Avila and cornerback Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, taken at No. 36 and No. 182 respectively.
"He generally engages with early and accurate hands, using his length to manage distance," SI Draft Bible writes. "More importantly, Mathis is smart with his hand placement, regularly attacking soft inside shoulders when he sees them. Additionally, the pass rusher consistently gets low into engagement before using length and leg drive to threaten the opposition’s anchor."
The Rams are on the clock again with the No. 223 pick in the seventh round.
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