Who would be the ideal top two picks for the Rams in the 2021 NFL draft?
As the Los Angeles Rams continue to assemble their draft board, there are a number of prospects they can absolutely rule out being available when they go on the clock at No. 57 overall. For instance, as badly as they’d probably love to have Patrick Surtain II, Jaycee Horn, Penei Sewell or Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, there is no chance any of them fall to the Rams’ pick in the second round.
Instead, Los Angeles will be looking more at players such as Asante Samuel Jr., Quinn Meinerz and Payton Turner who are projected to go in Round 2.
But who would be the ideal top two picks for the Rams at No. 57 and 88? NFL.com’s Chad Reuter selected the ideal prospects for each team’s top two picks in the draft and he pegged a cornerback and defensive lineman for Los Angeles.
He sees UCF corner Aaron Robinson as the ideal target for the Rams at No. 57, with Louisiana Tech defensive lineman Milton Williams being the top player for L.A. at No. 88 overall.
Losing Troy Hill in free agency makes finding a slot cornerback a top priority for the Rams, who traded their first-round pick to the Jaguars as part of the package to acquire Jalen Ramsey. There is enough corner talent in this draft to find a solid value like Robinson with the 57th overall selection. Robinson was an Alabama recruit who transferred to UCF, showing a nice combination of size and agility working inside. The trade of defensive lineman Michael Brockers to the Lions opens up a five-technique spot. It would be a nice landing spot for Williams, who displayed supreme athleticism in games for the Bulldogs and at his pro day.
It’s hard to argue with Reuter’s picks. Robinson is one of the best pure slot corners in the draft and though he didn’t garner a lot of national attention at UCF, he originally enrolled at Alabama before transferring, so he was a solid recruit.
He would immediately step in for Hill as the team’s slot corner, giving the Rams another playmaker in an already talented secondary. David Long Jr. can’t be counted on to become a starter, so the Rams will likely add a corner at some point in the draft.
Williams is a perfect fit at defensive end in the Rams’ 3-4 scheme, taking over Brockers’ role. He offers more pass-rushing upside than Brockers did and would benefit from playing alongside Aaron Donald.
If the Rams were to come away with this haul on Friday night of the draft, it would probably leave a lot of fans happy.
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Rams 7-round mock draft: Trading back from No. 57 nets LA extra 3rd-rounder
