Rams 7-round mock draft: Les Snead loads up on big men in 2022

How would you grade this draft for the Rams?

Oh sure, some NFL team sites get to bask in the glory of all the popular mock drafts from the likes of ESPN and NFL.com. You can have your Mel Kipers and your Todd McShays though—we don’t NEED first round picks around here in L.A. Rams country.

And so we don’t need first round mocks. Or mocks that have a second round too. And hell, keep your three-round mocks for your mama!

Around Rams country, we want seven-round mocks only.

That’s why today I’m profiling a seven-round mock draft done over at DraftCountdown.com. Why? Because they did one! In fact, Shane Hallam of DraftCountdown posted an entire seven-round mock draft recently and that meant every day three pick for the Rams.

Here are the prospects selected by Hallam for the Rams: How do you think he did? Tell me in the comments below.

104-OT Max Mitchell, Louisiana

L.A.’s first pick here is a 6’6, 307 lbs tackle with 33.5” arms out of Louisiana. Mitchell is praised for “toughness, consistency, and leadership” by coaches and with improvement could play on either side of the line. The Rams can definitely afford to use their first pick on an offensive tackle, which would be a move expected to pay off in 2023 or 2024.

142-DL Otito Ogbonnia, UCLA

At 6’4, 324 lbs, with 35.4” arms, Ogbonnia is one of the biggest players in this draft. Ogbonnia could be the new replacement for Sebastian Joseph-Day.

175-EDGE DeAngelo Malone, Western Kentucky

Listed at 6’3, 243 lbs at the combine, Malone says he’s added 15 lbs this offseason to prepare for the NFL. He was insanely productive in college, winning Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in two of the last three seasons. He’s projected as an OLB in a 3-4 defense.

211-CB Joshua Thompson, Texas

He’s got speed, which Les Snead will like.

Thompson is a shade under 6’, weighing 194 lbs with 30.8” arms. Says Lance Zierlein:

“He’s better off playing bump-and-run coverage over zone if he stays at cornerback, but his limitations and measurables make a move to safety his best opportunity to make an NFL club in the future.”

212-S Leon O’Neal, Texas A&M

The 6’, 204 lbs safety had a 35” vertical and a 125” broad jump at the combine, but didn’t run in the 40-yard dash. He was one of the top coverage safeties in the SEC last season and was a three-year starter at A&M. I see a lot of Rams fans curious about who could be the next safety starting next to Jordan Fuller… could it end up as another sixth round rookie, like Fuller was?

218-RB Tyler Badie, Missouri

After three seasons of sharing the backfield, Badie had 268 carries for 1,604 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2021. But he also did something few college backs do anymore, which is act as a dual threat: 54 catches for 330 yards. That’s nearly 2,000 yards from scrimmage last season.

Badie is 5’8, 197 lbs, and he ran a 4.45. Could he complement Cam Akers for the next two to three years?

Undersized, change-of-pace back with a big heart and pass-catching talent. Despite a lack of desired size, Badie took on a monster workload and produced at a high level. He played in a run scheme heavily tilted to outside zone and is at his best in space, although he’s natural and confident in tight run lanes. He’s a tough runner but lacks short-yardage leg drive, so his role as a pro could be fairly well-defined as a talented third-down back who can handle an occasional spike in carries if needed.

238-DL Thomas Booker, Stanford

A 6’3, 301 lbs lineman with 33.25” arms and a 4.94 in the 40-yard dash. But Zierlein calls Booker’s film “frustrating to watch” and he will need a lot of coaching to get up to being an NFL player at the next level. Booker had 7.5 sacks in his first two seasons, but two sacks in his final two.

253-DL Tre Williams, Arkansas

During Arkansas’ surprising ascent to the top of the college football world (momentarily) in 2021, Williams, a transfer from Missouri, had six sacks in 10 games. The super senior is 6 ‘5, 253 lbs, has long 33.75” arms, but lacks elite athleticism. He was also arrested multiple times during his college career, which could push him off boards entirely.

How would you grade this seven-round mock draft for the LA Rams, if this is similar to the direction that Les Snead goes?