Rams Big Board: Top 50 prospects for Los Angeles in 2022 NFL draft
If you’ve been scouring the internet looking at top-50 prospect rankings and mock drafts, you probably haven’t come across many players that the Rams will draft. That’s because Los Angeles doesn’t pick until No. 104 overall, which is at the end of the third round.
So to give you a better sense of who the Rams might target with their first pick – and possibly even their second (No. 142) – I put together a big board that features the top 50 prospects Los Angeles could select.
This list doesn’t include players who absolutely will not reach No. 104 overall, or players at positions that the Rams won’t consider (quarterback). It’s specific to their needs and who they might select.
Top 10
1. CB Cam Taylor-Britt, Nebraska
2. CB Tariq Woolen, UTSA
3. OLB Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma
4. OLB Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina
5. CB Marcus Jones, Houston
6. CB Coby Bryant Cincinnati
7. G/C Cole Strange, Chattanooga
8. G Dylan Parham, Memphis
9. G/C Luke Fortner, Kentucky
10. OL Luke Goedeke, Central Michigan
Many of these players are unlikely to reach the Rams at No. 104 overall because, well, they’re really good prospects. However, if any one of them were to be there for the Rams in the third round, the Les Snead and Sean McVay should be elated.
Taylor-Britt is one of the top defensive backs in the class, bringing versatility and playmaking ability to the secondary as a corner, slot defender or even safety. Landing him in Round 3, even if it means trading up, would be a home run for Los Angeles.
Woolen is a physical freak, Bonitto and Enagbare are Day 1 contributors as pass rushers, Jones and Bryant are sticky in coverage and the quartet of offensive linemen could help round out the depth up front for Los Angeles.
11-20
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11. S Nick Cross, Maryland
12. WR John Metchie III, Alabama
13. WR Alec Pierce, Cincinnati
14. OLB Sam Williams, Ole Miss
15. OLB Joshua Paschal, Kentucky
16. S Bryan Cook, Cincinnati
17. S Kerby Joseph, Illinois
18. CB Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston State
19. CB Joshua Williams, Fayetteville State
20. OLB DeAngelo Malone, Western Kentucky
Can you tell this is a good draft to need a defensive? There are a bunch of talented corners and safeties who could be around at No. 104, including Cross, Cook and Joseph. They’re all capable of playing deep, which would provide the Rams with options on the back end of their secondary.
McCollum and Williams could compete right away for corner reps, though they’re not on the same tier as the four corners listed in the top 10 above. I personally don’t think the Rams should take a wide receiver in Round 3 but Metchie and Pierce would be awfully tempting.
21-30
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21. OT Nicholas Petit-Frere, Ohio State
22. CB Damarri Mathis, Pittsburgh
23. DL DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M
24. OLB Amare Barno, Virginia Tech
25. OLB Tyreke Smith, Ohio State
26. OLB Alex Wright, UAB
27. DT Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma
28. DT Phidarian Mathis, Alabama
29. OT Zach Tom, Wake Forest
30. OT Max Mitchell, Louisiana
All of the players in this group would fill one of the Rams’ needs, but above all else, they could use a pass rusher or cornerback. Barno is somewhat raw, and Smith and Wright need to work on their technique, too, but they’re all highly athletic.
Petit-Frere could replace Joe Noteboom as the Rams’ swing tackle early on, while Tom has position flex from tackle all the way inside to center. Mitchell is also a promising tackle prospect, but he’s not as versatile as other linemen.
This is where I grouped some of the defensive linemen, beginning with Leal. He can play anywhere from defensive end to 3-technique. Winfrey has good upside as a pass rusher, while Mathis is more of a run-stuffer on the interior.
31-40
31. G Ed Ingram, LSU
32. DB Alontae Taylor, Tennessee
33. CB Jalyn Armour-Davis, Alabama
34. S J.T. Woods, Baylor
35. OLB Dominique Robinson, Miami (Ohio)
36. OLB Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
37. CB Akayleb Evans, Missouri
38. TE Jelani Woods, Virginia
39. RB James Cook, Georgia
40. G Marquis Hayes, Oklahoma
The first tight end and running back appear in this group. Woods is a physical specimen at 6-foot-7 with good receiver skills, and a willingness to contribute as a blocker. The Rams met with Cook recently and he could legitimately be an option in the third round – though that’s not the route I would go position-wise.
Woods needs some time to develop but he has the tools to become a rangy, playmaking safety at the next level. Taylor’s ability to play cornerback or safety will make him an attractive prospect, especially for a team like the Rams with a need at both positions.
Ingram has a ton of experience at guard, and Hayes has the potential to start at guard from the jump as an NFL rookie. That has to intrigue the Rams, who need a new right guard.
41-50
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41. OT/G Sean Rhyan, UCLA
42. OT Kellen Diesch, Arizona State
43. CB Josh Jobe, Alabama
44. G/OT Joshua Ezeudu, North Carolina
45. DT John Ridgeway, Arkansas
46. C/G Dohnovan West, Arizona State
47. DT Matthew Butler, Tennessee
48. S Verone McKinley III, Oregon
49. OT/G Spencer Burford, UTSA
50. OT Rasheed Walker, Penn State
Most of these players would be better picked in the fourth round, with many draft analysts viewing them outside the top 100 prospects. Jobe has potential at cornerback, but his speed is lacking a bit. McKinley is a fun safety prospect, lacking size but not heart or instincts.
As for the offensive linemen, they’re more developmental prospects who likely won’t contribute much right away as rookies, but they still have promising futures as NFL prospects – particularly Ezeudu and Rhyan, who can play guard or tackle.
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