Schefter says this prospect could go higher than expected: Should Rams target WR?

If Texas WR Adonai Mitchell goes top-20, does that put the Rams in the conversation to pick him?

A week ago, our own Danny Stone wrote about Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell and why he could be a fit for the L.A. Rams in the first round. For the most part, Mitchell has not been talked about as a top-20 pick, instead getting mocked in the late first or early second rounds, so it would be understandable if some Rams fans scoffed at the team taking him as a “reach”. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter says not so fast.

Maybe pick 19 is actually going to be too late for Mitchell.

During an appearance on the Establish the Run podcast on Monday, Schefter was asked if there is any prospect who he hears is not getting an accurate projection in the media whether that’s too high or too low. He decided to go with Adonai Mitchell, asking the podcast host where he thinks Mitchell will go. When host Adam Levitan said “late first” and “25-32 range”, Schefter said he believes that Mitchell will go higher than that based on conversations he’s had.

Could Mitchell be a top-15 pick and surpass Brian Thomas, Jr., the LSU receiver who has been the consensus WR4 of this class? Could the Rams be considering either of Mitchell or Thomas if they’re available to them at 19?

Brian Thomas has a unique combination of physical and athletic traits, as well as film and college production, that would normally make him the first or second wide receiver off the board in an average draft class. This class just isn’t ‘average’ with Marvin Harrison, Rome Odunze, and Malik Nabers at the top. Thomas is 6’3, 209 lbs, ran a 4.33 in the 40 and 1.5 in the 10-’yard split with a 38.5” vertical at the combine. He also led the country with 17 touchdown receptions despite splitting Jayden Daniels’ attention between himself and Nabers.

If Nabers were to somehow escape the top-10 picks, his explosiveness might be more enticing of a trade up than sitting and waiting for a receiver like Thomas or Mitchell, but if we focus on what’s expected to happen than the top-three receivers will go very early.

Adonai Mitchell had 55 catches for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns, also sharing the field with a unique athlete at Texas, that being Xavier Worthy of the 4.21 combine speed.

What really makes Mitchell and Thomas intriguing as potential top-20 picks though is the potential they have to become consistent threats in an offense that knows how to utilize their skills properly and to cover up their weaknesses. Certainly Sean McVay has been as good as any coach in getting the most out of offenses with two or three “number one” receivers, although we can’t overlook L.A.’s missed picks in Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell.

Though the team has gotten lucky by finding Cooper Kupp in the third and Puka Nacua in the fifth, odds of a home run pick are always higher in the first round. Given that the Rams kind of already have a need for a third receiver to push Demarcus Robinson back to his more comfortable spot of being a WR4, and that Kupp could be entering his final season with the team, choosing a wide receiver in the first round can’t be ruled out. Neither can choosing a wide receiver in the second or third rounds, which might work out perfectly well if not as good as Puka, but we shouldn’t bookmark the Rams for a first round defensive pick just because that appears to be the weaker side of the roster:

Even if that’s true, Les Snead’s team has made it ABUNDANTLY clear that they don’t believe that the only way you address a need is by using your first round picks on it.

If Adonai Mitchell or Brian Thomas Jr. happen to be their highest-graded players on the board when the team is on the clock and they don’t have any enticing offers to trade down, which is also a possibility, don’t put it past the Rams to pick a wide receiver first.

It seems this draft could have at least five receivers going in the top-20 picks and for once the Rams are right in the thick of those conversations.