'Mr. Fantastic!' Rams Bolster Secondary in Post-Conference Title Mock Draft Projections
The Los Angeles Rams are in an interesting position with the 2024 NFL Draft. On one hand, they could draft future replacements for key players like quarterback Matthew Stafford, or they could put an emphasis on gaining some key pieces for a Super Bowl run next season.
Following the NFL's conference championship games on Sunday, FanNation released a new mock draft for the league, and it slated the Rams to take cornerback Cooper DeJean from the Iowa Hawkeyes with the 19th overall pick. You can view the entire mock draft here.
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Athlon Sports compared DeJean to Marvel superhero Mr. Fantastic, and it's hard to argue against that assertion.
Measuring in at 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds, he burst onto the scene as a sophomore for the Hawkeyes with five interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. He also made a living on special teams with 10 punt returns, averaging 16.5 yards a pop in that category.
Los Angeles surrendered 232.4 passing yards per game in 2023, and with three starting defensive backs slated to enter free agency this offseason, the Rams have some decisions to make.
Do they try to keep some of these roster pieces on board (Ahkello Witherspoon, John Johnson III and Jordan Fuller), claim some new talent in the draft, or go with a mixture of both?
Regardless, it's evident that L.A. could use a bit of a boost in the secondary, and with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris leaving town to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, that could not be more true at this juncture of the offseason.
