'Steal of the Draft!' Ex Rams Coach Liam Coen Voices Support for QB Will Levis
With the first round officially in the books, the Los Angeles Rams will find themselves on the clock for the first time on day two. After no picks on Thursday, the Rams have three picks on Friday, with the first one coming at No. 36 overall in the second round.
Now, though, the question becomes what the Rams will do when they're on the clock for the first time. With several areas of need, especially on defense and along the offensive line, there are several directions they could go with their first pick.
However, with 10 other picks in the draft, they could find themselves selecting their next franchise quarterback at No. 36 with Kentucky's Will Levis having fallen out of the first round.
Yes, Matthew Stafford is entrenched as the Rams' starter, but that doesn't mean they won't look at quarterback options in the draft. After all, Stafford will enter next season at 35 years old and coming off a season with multiple injuries.
Strengthening the potential connection between the Rams and Levis is Liam Coen, who was Levis' offensive coordinator in 2021 which was his best season before taking the same role with the Rams in 2022.
Even though Coen left the Rams after one season to return to Kentucky, his one season in Los Angeles could have given them plenty of insight into Levis. While it was a shock that Levis fell out of the first round, Coen texted NFL analyst Albert Breer and made sure it was known that he would be a quality NFL quarterback.
"Whoever gets this kid is going to get the steal of the draft," Coen said. "I can’t imagine him having to wait around long."
Breer also mentioned that at least four teams have contacted the Pittsburgh Steelers about trading up for the first pick of the second round, which makes sense if one of those teams doesn't want to risk Levis being scooped up.
In their one season together at Kentucky Levis put together the best season of his collegiate career. That season saw him throw for 2,826 yards with 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing 66 percent of his passes.
There is a lot to like about Levis as a prospect and plenty of questions surrounding his ability to make it as an NFL quarterback. The Rams, though, would offer him a situation where he wouldn't have to start immediately while he sits behind Stafford and learns from one of the NFL's best offensive minds in Sean McVay.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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