Even Without First-Round Pick, Rams Have Elite 2023 NFL Draft Class
Even without a first-round pick, Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay appear to have had a franchise-altering 2023 NFL Draft class, which has been crucial in helping the team to return to the postseason a year after going 5-12.
In fact, NFL Media's Bucky Brooks recently ranked the top five 2023 NFL Draft classes, and the Rams came in at No. 4. The only teams above the Rams were the Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Green Bay Packers.
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It's a remarkable achievement for a group that didn't have a selection until the 36th overall pick. With the 36th pick, the Rams selected left guard Steve Avila, who has been a starter from the word go in his rookie season.
However, it's been fifth-round pick Puka Nacua -- the 177th overall pick -- who appears to have been the real diamond in the rough of this class. While Nacua may have to settle for runner-up in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting to Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, he's unquestionably been one of the 10 most productive wideouts in the NFL this season. Nacua has 101 catches for 1,445 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season. If he racks up 29 yards in the regular season finale against the San Francisco 49ers, Nacua will break the single-season rookie receiving record Bill Groman set for the Houston Oilers in 1960.
In addition to Nacua looking like a legitimate building block for the Rams, Brooks also pointed to the success that third-round picks Byron Young and Kobie Turner have had. Young has 60 combined tackles, 18 quarterback hits, seven sacks, seven tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles from the outside linebacker position. Turner, a defensive tackle, has 57 combined tackles, 15 quarterback hits, nine sacks and eight tackles for a loss in his rookie campaign.
This draft class may just prove to be the appetizer for the Rams, who will have a first-round pick in 2024, marking the first they will pick in the opening round since selecting quarterback Jared Goff No. 1 overall in 2016. With another productive class, the Rams may very well be a Super Bowl contender in 2024.
