5 worst draft picks in the Sean McVay era: Rams third round issues need fixing

Which draft misses have hurt the most?

Ever since the Los Angeles Rams hired him in January of 2017, Sean McVay has worked hand in hand with General Manager, Les Snead to turn a suffering franchise into a top franchise within the NFL. The two have hit on plenty of picks over the last six drafts. Even without a first round pick in all six of his years as head coach, Sean McVay has still been able to capitalize on overlooked talent. However, McVay has never been short on draft capital because of the compensatory formula and trading down on draft day. There have been significant misses in the make-or-break middle rounds.

So who are his 5 worst draft picks since 2017? Based on round and amount of time spent on the field (or maybe lack thereof), here are the five names that Sean McVay and the Rams organization regret turning their card in on previous draft nights…

1. Bobby Evans, OL (2019, 3rd Round)

Evans takes the cake for biggest draft miss. The swing tackle was drafted and immediately cross-trained to be a guard and tackle option for Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the experiment went horribly wrong for LA. When starters missed time, Evans played left guard and right guard and the results left Goff and Stafford running for their lives.

2. Terrell Burgess, S (2020, 3rd Round)

Nick Scott was drafted in Round 7 of the 2019 draft and Jordan Fuller was drafted in Round 6 of the 2020 draft. Both players beat out Burgess for starting role opportunities in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons. Burgess was left on the bench and was rarely able to get onto the field. After impressing in his first game against the Chicago Bears in 2020, Burgess was never able to regain the same type of consistency. LA released him in November of 2022.

3. Terrell Lewis, EDGE (2020, 3rd Round)

Lewis was considered one of the most athletic prospects in the 2020 draft. However, knee and other injury issues kept him off NFL draft boards. The Rams took a chance on him in the third round but the investment never panned out. In 30 games (seven starts), he was only able to register six sacks. The worst part was that in year three, Lewis was unable to take a jump after backing up Von Miller in 2021. Lewis’s release left LA short-handed with edge rushers and still remains a key concern for the defense heading into the 2023 season.

4. David Long Jr, CB (2019, 3rd Round)

Part of me wonders if David Long Jr was a system failure. Long Jr was drafted when Wade Phillips was the defensive coordinator, when the team played more man coverage. However, the team transitioned to a heavy zone scheme. The shell defense became a staple for the Los Angeles defense, but Long just never looked comfortable in the scheme.

5. Sam Sloman, K (2020, 7th Round)

Yes, he was a seventh round draft pick. But, Sloman’s time with LA was a catastrophe. The Miami of Ohio kicker won the place kicking job in his rookie year of training camp, albeit against a lackluster competition group. Sloman missed three field goals and three extra points in seven games as a rookie, making Rams fans want to pull their hair out. His touchback rate was a pedestrian 59.5%. The fact that McVay thought he would/should be the starting kicker was a failure.