WorldWide Rams 2018 Mock Draft

Doug Nelson

WorldWide Rams

WorldWide Rams 2018 NFL Mock Draft 

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​A&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, will host the 2018 NFL Draft. Cleveland Browns, you are officially on the clock! Who will be the Browns select as the overall pick, will it be USC's Sam Darnold-QB, Penn St. Saquon Barkley-RB, UCLA's Josh Rosen-QB, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield-QB or North Carolina State Bradley Chubb EDGE?
 
However, here on the west coast in Los Angeles, CA; thousands of Rams fans are eager to know who will be selected at the #87th overall pick will be selected. The major need is for a inside-linebacker and EDGE rushers. This draft is loaded with talented EDGE rushers and linebackers, however, the question will who will the best fit when the Rams selects?
 
The Rams again for the second consecutive year, will have to wait until day two of the second round to make their first selection. Les Snead (Rams GM) and head second year head coach Sean McVay, managed to pull off one of the greatest draft drafting players who contributed well to the team.
 
Rookie tight-end Gerald Everett had his moments, receiver Cooper Kupp set a rookie record for receptions, and Safety John Johnson III was rated as one highest safety last season. Receiver Josh Reynolds had a his moments, defensive tackle Tanzel Smart had a couple of starts, and linebacker Samson Ebukam played well in the second half of the season.
 
Expectations are the Rams may make another move to trade up in the draft to grab a player they've had on the radar, but only inquiring minds will find out.
 
So let’s go and see how Doug Nelson selects in his mock draft

Round 3   Pick #23
#87th overall pick - Josey Jewell, ILB/OLB, Iowa (6’1” 234 lbs)

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Josey Jewell is the ultimate production vs. combine  dilemma guy. There is no denying his production on the field at Iowa, and likewise, there is no denying that fact that his combine numbers, and overall athleticism, leave a lot of questions. But he played well at a big-time program in a big-time conference, and was a tough, smart tackling machine. MY PREDICTION

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   Round 4   Pick #11
6'1  242 pound Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Edge, Oklahoma

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I don't know if Ogoronkwo will be available here, but if he is the Rams should grab him. While he isn't perfect, his upside as a pass rusher could make the Rams defense downright scary to opposing quarterbacks. Donald, Suh, Brockers and...Okoronkwo? Jimmy Garrappolo, Russell Wilson, and Sam Bradford (or whoever takes over for him once he gets injured, as usual), meet your worst nightmare. Ogoronkwo needs work defending the run, but the NFL has very much become a passing league and Ogoronkwo could be a pass rushing machine. Can you imagine what Wade Phillips could do with this guy? I hope we get to find out. Arden Key or Josh Sweat would also be great picks here, but I am guessing they will be gone by this point.
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Round 4   Pick #35
6'7, 305 pound Alex Cappa, Tackle, Humboldt State

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As much as the Rams need linebackers the offensive line needs to be addressed as well. The problem is that by the time you get to this point in the draft, the "sure things" from major programs are gone. But Alex Cappa may be available (hopefully). He was a man among boys at Humboldt State, and you have to love his size and his nasty attitude. Scouts disagree about whether he projects as a tackle or guard in the NFL, but he is a mountain of a man with a brawlers disposition. My guess is that NFL coaching can turn this diamond-in-the-rough into a force to be reckoned with. He is certainly worth taking a shot on at this point in the draft.
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​Round 4   Pick #36  
6'4, 246 Pound Dorance Armstrong Jr. Edge, Kansas

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While Armstrong played Defensive End in college, most scouts think he projects well playing outside in a 3-4. With Connor Barwin  (probably) not returning to Los Angeles and a lack of experienced edge rushers on the Rams roster, I would expect a heavy emphasis on that area from the team in the draft. Armstrong will need some work learning the finer points of the position, so I don't know that he is a guy you can expect to start immediately. Armstrong could be the kind of guy that everyone looks back on as a "steal" a few years down the road. A bit of a project, but one with a potentially huge upside.
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​Round 6   Pick #2
6'3 195 pound Vyncint Smith, WR, Limestone

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Wide receiver is not necessarily a position of need for the Rams, but sometimes you have to roll the dice on a player you really like. Vyncint Smith is another guy who could end up being a "steal." Lightning fast with above average height, he's a guy  who potentially could end up being a star. He's also known as a hard worker, and you know what they say about what happens when hard work meets ability. Yes, he played at a school very few people have heard of, and the caliber of the defenders was a far cry from the people he would face on Sundays. But you can always make an argument for tall, fast guys who aren't afraid of hard work as NFL receivers.

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Round 6   Pick #9
5'11 193 pound Roc Thomas, Running Back, Jacksonville State

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It's every Ram fans worst nightmare..a season ending injury to Todd Gurley [I don't even like writing it]. We have Malcolm Brown as the top reserve. Brown has his moments, but he is a bit of a plodder. The speedy Justin Davis offers some breakaway ability, but he has a serious tendency towards fumbling. If only we had a smaller, quicker back to complement Brown...one who could hold onto the ball. Enter Roc Thomas from Jacksonville State. Yeah, you aren't going to give him the ball 25 times a game. But as a change-of-pace member of a running back by committee group, he can make things happen. Think of Brown as "Mr. Inside" and Thomas as "Mr. Outside," a shifty, athletic type who can make people miss and take the ball up the field. No, they won't entirely replace Todd Gurley, but together they are good enough to give the Rams a serviceable running game.
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Round 6 Pick #20  
6'3, 222 Pound Quarterback Kyle Lauletta, Richmond

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A couple of qualifiers on this pick. A lot of people think Lauletta will be gone before this. And I don't know how the Rams brain trust really feels about Sean Mannion OR whether they would be willing to carry three quarterbacks. But if there are concerns about Mannion's ability to come in and play well if needed, you can make a pretty good argument for picking Lauletta. He threw for over 3,700 yards as a Senior, with 28 touchdowns versus only 12 picks. He was also the MVP of the Senior Bowl, which means stepping up in the quality of defenders on the other side of the ball didn't bother him. Yes, Lauletta has a questionable arm by NFL standards. But if there is a coach on the planet who could find a way to utilize his strengths and use him effectively, it is Sean McVay.
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​Round 6   Pick #21
6'3, 226 pound Kenny Young, LB, UCLA

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Kenny Young has about everything you could want in an NFL linebacker, except maybe ideal size. He is a fast, fluid natural athlete who excels in pass coverage. If the Rams at some point decide to part ways with Mark Barron, Young could offer a younger, cheaper alternative. Even if Barron stays, Young offers a lot to like. He could be a liability against the power running game--he tends to get overwhelmed by larger blockers at the point of attack--but how many linebackers plays every down these days anyway? A lot of people think Kenny Young can flat out play. And there is always a place for linebackers who fit that description.

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