Rams Rivals' Draft Picks Have High Bust Potential

The Rams like every team in the NFL, will now have to prepare for a new crop of talent looking to help their teams dethrone the division champion.

The San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals bolstered their defensive line in pursuit of that effort but Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano has named their first round selections as two of the five most likely busts in the NFC, joining Atlanta's Jalon Walker and the Saints' Tyler Shough and Kelvin Banks Jr.

The San Francisco 49ers selected Mykel Williams with the 11th overall pick.

"The 49ers have struggled to find a productive No. 2 edge rusher to complement Nick Bosa." Wrote Manzano. "It’s tough to assess whether San Francisco finally found the right player to hold down the role for many years to come partly because Williams didn’t have the breakout junior season many expected him to have at Georgia due to a nagging ankle injury."

"Still, Williams displayed plenty of toughness and leaned on his superior strength to shed off blockers and create pressure. But the No. 11 pick might not have the same upside as the edge rushers who went after him. Walker is more polished and has positional versatility. Pearce is considered to be the best athlete among the edge rushers in this class. Shemar Stewart, the Cincinnati Bengals’ No. 17 selection, is another boom-or-bust prospect, but he’s just as strong as Williams and might offer more in terms of athleticism. If Williams can develop more tools and rely more on skills to break free, then adding the Georgia product to this list could look silly by next draft season."

The Arizona Cardinals selected Walter Nolen with the 16th overall selection.

"Nolen might be the biggest boom-or-bust prospect from the 2025 draft. His physical traits scream Jalen Carter-like potential, but it’s tough to ignore the red flags. He had two lackluster seasons at Texas A&M before his breakout season at Ole Miss. Scouts and draft experts reportedly had a hard time searching for glowing reviews from Nolen’s stint with the Aggies."

"With character and work ethic concerns, Nolen wasn’t in the top 16 of most draft boards from the prominent draft experts. But it’s not surprising that a team took a chance on Nolen’s elite physical traits, with the Cardinals rolling the dice on him with the No. 16 pick. Coach Jonathan Gannon is the ideal coach to help Nolen reach his high potential, with a defensive background that turned the Cardinals into a middle-of-the-pack defense despite the team lacking talent on that side of the ball. Also, Gannon knows the importance of having a stout defensive line as the former defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles."

"Nolen’s physical gifts are worth betting on, but there are plenty of concerns with this first-round selection."

Concerns are very valid, and it seems sometimes he has to limit his snaps due to his body. Unless there is an established locker room culture of unity and hard work, players with character and work ethic concerns struggle to succeed. Not sure if Arizona has the right environment for Nolen.

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