5 prospects who would be shocking but defensible picks by the Rams

Rams adding speed at receiver, a QB project, or the top running back could make sense

The L.A. Rams could do what’s expected of them or they could do what’s expected of the L.A. Rams. Which is the unexpected. We’ve seen a lot of mocks with the same names, so who could be a prospect who goes to the Rams who nobody expects?

The fastest player in the history of the combine? A linebacker in a draft that isn’t supposed to have any first round linebackers? A first round quarterback who is a ‘fit’ for what Sean McVay wants to do?

These are not picks you expect so that usually means that they will be picks you hate. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.

WR Xavier Worthy, Texas

Mr. 4.21 was a four-star recruit out of Fresno, California in 2021—ranked four spots ahead of Marvin Harrison, Jr. on Rivals—and then he had almost 1,000 yards as a true freshman at Texas. He has the pedigree, the production, and definitely the speed, but lacks the size. At 165 lbs, that will undoubtedly bring back some bad memories for Rams fans on Tavon Austin and Tutu Atwell.

So should every football player who is the same size as another football player be doomed to the same results? If it was that easy, wouldn’t Greg Robinson have had a good career and Aaron Donald a bad career?

In addition to the 40, Worthy had an absurd 1.49 10-yard split, 41” vertical, and 10’11 broad jump. He’s an athlete on the Olympic level. He also had 75 catches for 1,014 yards last season in 14 games, sharing the ball with Adonai Mitchell, another potential top-40 pick at wide receiver.

Worse comes to worse, could Worthy be a team’s kick returner in 2024? He returned punts at Texas (with a 17 yard average in 2023) and the NFL’s new rules on kickoffs could give Worthy a boost into the first round because he’s just that unique on a field in cleats.

If going in the top-20 sounds absurd for Xavier Worthy, then welcome to this article. There will be a player picked in the top-20 who sounds “absurd” to you right now. I won’t say it will be the Rams or Worthy or the Rams picking Worthy, but we should all be able to agree that surprises will happen on draft night like a “second round pick” going in the top 20.

Worthy’s absurd combine testing, his production at Texas, and his potential value as a kick returner could push him into the first round range.

On the Rams side, they have a Puka Nacua and a Cooper Kupp, but they don’t have anyone like Worthy who can make it down the field as fast as he can and be that deep threat for Matthew Stafford and whoever is to follow Matthew Stafford. L.A.’s current depth at receiver behind those two—and we don’t know how much longer Kupp will be around—is not good and it doesn’t have a reliable WR3.

For what it’s worth, Atwell weighed 155 lbs, so 10 lbs less, and he didn’t run at the combine. He reportedly had a 4.32 at his pro day, but with pro day numbers who could probably add at least 0.05 to that, so he’s not even that close to Worthy in speed.

Tavon Austin weighed 174 and ran a 4.34, 1.55 10-yard split, 32” vertical, and 10’ broad. If we called Austin a 90th percentile athlete, then we’d call Worthy a 99th percentile.

QB Bo Nix, Oregon

Bo Nix has been working that interview circuit hard lately, I’ve seen him on a number of shows and I’ve watched a lot of people breakdown tape of Nix in college including former Rams great Kurt Warner.

Something I’ve heard more than once is that being in the Oregon system under Dan Lanning is going to feel a lot like being in the Rams system with Sean McVay.

The marriage makes sense if the timing is right.

I don’t think there would be any controversy in the Rams drafting a first round quarterback because Stafford is 36 and Jimmy Garoppolo is not the heir. Stetson Bennett was only picked in the fourth round, expectations should have already been low and even lower after his rookie season absence. The controversy is really just going to be the divisiveness of it being Nix, but you’re going to get that with ANY quarterback: There are still people who think the Bears made the wrong decision in picking Caleb Williams over Justin Fields.

There are people divided over every QB in this class, including Jayden Daniels and Caleb, so expect nothing less from Nix.

The knocks will be that he had the highest percentage of passes at or behind the line of scrimmage, but Nix doesn’t lack the arm to throw down field. He’s not small or immobile, there’s a lot to like there in theory, you just can’t overrate his stats at Oregon and know that he’s not going to be a 78% passer with a 15:1 TD:INT ratio. His NFL team may not get a player that good, otherwise he wouldn’t make it out of the top-3, let alone top-15, but he could end up being the best option if the Rams want to stick a potential successor behind Stafford and Garoppolo, giving him at least one full year to adjust to the NFL. If not three like Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love.

There would probably be a lot of hate for a Bo Nix selection, but I couldn’t erase him as a possibility just because fans would not like it at the time. The Rams have taken plenty of players who fans didn’t want in the draft.

WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia

Another receiver who complements Puka and Cooper with exceptional speed and athleticism, McConkey might have fewer “boos” than Worthy because he checks in at a more NFL-sized 186 lbs on a 6’ frame. McConkey has to overcome the problem of playing in the Georgia offense, which notoriously does little for its receivers, all of whom had to take a backseat to tight end Brock Bowers on the few occasions they did pass.

Despite that, McConkey was close to Bowers in 2022 when Georgia won its second national championship with Stetson Bennett at QB: 762 receiving yards, 7 TD, 134 rushing yards, 2 TD. Those numbers are only slightly behind Bowers.

McConkey only played in nine games last season so his numbers dipped, but he made up for it with an exceptional combine: 4.39 40-yard dash, 1.52 10-yard split, 36” vertical. Here’s what Lance Zierlein had to say:

If pass rushers have rush plans, McConkey has route plans that allow him to uncover on all three levels. His pace and rhythm make cornerbacks more reactive than proactive. He has the footwork and body control to snap off crisp breaks and open windows for his quarterback. He can manipulate coverage with an advanced feel for leverage and has enough top-end speed to get past cornerbacks who are non-believers. He might not be sudden enough to beat press and will need to prove he has enough play strength to finish contested catches against tight man. McConkey’s 2023 injuries might have slowed the draft conversation about him, but his route polish, athleticism and ability to uncover over the first two levels could make him a productive slot receiver as a Day 2 pickup.

A player like McConkey might not make it past the Panthers with the first pick in the second round, so he could still go on day one.

McVay might love to add someone like McConkey to his receivers room and then L.A. would have a real future at the position beyond Kupp’s eventual retirement. The Rams don’t like to operate the offense without three special wide receivers and right now they only have two.

LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M

There isn’t a consensus first round linebacker or safety in the entire 2024 draft class—perhaps people are just scared by the lack of good first round picks on linebackers in the past 10 years—but Edgerrin Cooper is in competition to push for one of those coveted 32 spots. If there’s a first round linebacker at all, it could be Cooper.

I’ve seen Cooper’s name sneak into the back end of the first round in more mock drafts lately and though linebacker may not seem like an immediate need, it could become a huge hole on the roster if Ernest Jones is not retained as a free agent in 2025. That’s not something we can rule out as the team has said that they probably won’t be giving out an extension in 2024, so that means that they could let him leave just as they did Cory Littleton a few years ago.

Running the defense they’re expected to keep with Chris Shula, we know that two linebackers could be utilized at the same time and that Christian Rozeboom is not the ideal person to be starting next to Jones again.

A splash linebacker selection like Cooper, instead of waiting until day 2 or 3, solidifies that Les Snead and McVay expect to have someone pushing for a starting role on the defense right away. Linebacker may even be more of a need than cornerback given recent free agent signings.

RB Jonathan Brooks, Texas

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t end this on the scariest note of all: Could the Rams use their first pick on a running back?

This is Snead we’re talking about, why couldn’t he?!

The same GM who picked Todd Gurley 10th overall and used a second rounder on Cam Akers in 2020, nobody can deny that the Rams think the position is important and Kyren Williams has missed significant game time in each of his two seasons because of injury. L.A.’s current depth chart has Ronnie Rivers and Zach Evans as the only backups if Williams is out, so running back is most likely a consideration somewhere before the fifth round.

Is it in the first round? No, probably not. But if it happens in the first round, Brooks is the running back most often mocked there in spite of tearing his ACL last year and not likely being ready for the start of the 2024 season. Evaluators often agree that Brooks is still the most complete running back in the class and Zierlein went as far as comparing him to Jamaal Charles.

The comparison of Brooks to former Longhorn Jamaal Charles might feel lazy to some, but he has similar size and traits as a runner. Brooks’ limited collegiate carries could be seen as a balancing agent against the fact he’s coming off an ACL tear. He’s agile and smooth working from cut to cut and is likely to improve his feel for reading blocks and setting up defenders as he gains experience. Brooks has the wiggle and know-how to create yardage in tight quarters or in space but is efficient finishing runs when it’s time. He has good burst but can be a little hesitant to punch the gas between the tackles until he sees clear points of entry, and he isn’t a physical run finisher. Brooks is a runner on an upward trajectory. He’s a good pass catcher with three-down potential who should fit nicely as an early starter for zone-heavy teams.

The Rams know that they wouldn’t need Brooks now because they have Kyren Williams, but could picking him make the room the best in the NFL in 2025 and give the team options when Williams becomes a free agent in 2026? There’s no question that the Rams need a better backup to Williams because he probably won’t play in 17 games. He might not even play in 14 games. That’s the reality of the NFL and his history. Rivers shouldn’t be starting in his place, Evans is completely unproven he still needs to make the roster.

This team found itself in a Sony Michel desperation grab hole a few years ago, and even if Michel was a good addition, he wasn’t a great addition. A player like Brooks—who most likely would only come to L.A. if the Rams traded down or picked him in the second round—could be a great addition.

As much as fans hate the pick, they might love the player when he’s eventually healthy.