Rams met with Auburn WR/PR Eli Stove

The Rams brought in a new special teams coordinator by hiring Joe DeCamillis to replace John Bonamego, who will stay on as a coaching assistant. When DeCamillis was introduced to the media, he made a point to say the Rams need an explosive return specialist who can put the ball over the goal line.

Ever since then, the Rams have been looking at return specialists in the 2021 NFL draft class, led by D’Wayne Eskridge and Anthony Schwartz. Auburn wide receiver Eli Stove may not have a long track record of returning punts and kicks, but he did take back four punts for 30 yards and three kickoffs for 93 yards, contributing a great deal in all phases of special teams.

The Rams met with Stove, according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, and he could be a late-round target for Los Angeles.

In college, Stove caught 136 passes for 1,186 yards and six touchdowns. He also carried it 55 times for 554 yards and four touchdowns, showing excellent versatility. He’s not the fastest wideout, though, as evidenced by his 4.55 40-yard dash.

Here’s what Stove said about his versatility at Auburn’s pro day.

“Like I say to the scouts, I play everything,” he said. “Any position on the field you want to put me, I can do it. Slot, outside, play a little bit of running back, run in motion and get the ball on sweeps. I play special teams, too. I can do everything on the field. Versatility is my biggest thing.”

The Rams won’t spend a premium pick on a return specialist, but if that player offers upside on offense, too, his value increases significantly.