Who would be the best target for the Rams in round 2?

It’s so rare that we can talk about the Rams picking in the first round, we almost forgot about the second

The L.A. Rams so rarely have a first round pick that it has become easy to be so fixated on pick 19, we forget the also have 10 more picks. Including one in the second round. Who would be the best target or best position to target in the second round at pick 52?

In a mock draft for CBS Sports, Josh Edwards actually has the Rams trading up to 12 to select defensive tackle Byron Murphy, then doubles down on the front-seven in the second round by picking Washington edge rusher Bralen Trice.

Trice is a 6’3, 245 lb edge rusher who isn’t the most athletic or skilled at the position, but gets day two hype for motor, effort, and college production. Lance Zierlein doesn’t seem too high on Trice, giving him a “decent backup in a 4-3 defense” grade for NFL.com.

Team captain with good size who is well-liked by his teammates and coaching staff. Trice isn’t going to be the most skilled edge defender, but he parlays urgency and effort into impressive production. He carries a thick frame but lacks juice as an edge rusher and fails to stack and control tackles as a run defender. He’s a better fit in gaming fronts that allow him to play on the move, but he might lack the athleticism and explosiveness needed to carry his production to the next level. Trice’s try-hard demeanor and play strength give him a chance to become a decent backup end in a 4-3 defense.

Maybe this particular prospect isn’t the most exciting, but the position seems on the right track. If not, day two of the 2024 NFL Draft figures to be loaded with interesting prospects all over the field.

Some of the prospects who I am most intrigued by and could be available in the 50s are Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw, Oregon receiver Troy Franklin, Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin, Florida State defensive end Braden Fiske, Iowa State corner T.J. Tampa, Alabama edge Chris Braswell, South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette, Michigan corner Mike Sainristil, Michigan receiver Roman Wilson, Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall, Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall, Miami safety Kamren Kinchens, or Michigan running back Blake Corum to name…let me count….to name 13.

Obviously, the list of potential day two receivers is long and will surely deliver 2-3 really good starters in the NFL. It’s a position Les Snead is known to address on day two with the likes of Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, and Tutu Atwell, and this class is better than most.

For example, Roman Wilson is a 5’11, 185 lb receiver out of Michigan who ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash (which is now become absurdly common by NFL receiver prospects) and he could be an immediate WR3 on the Rams next to Puka Nacua and Kupp, potentially serving as an heir apparent to Kupp in 2025. I would not expect Plan A to have Demarcus Robinson or even Tutu as the WR3 next season, with at least Snead adding some competition to the room.

For all the knocks on J.J. McCarthy for “not throwing often enough to know what he is capable of”, let’s not forget Roman Wilson might have had 1,500 yards if he played for Washington instead of the Wolverines.

There’s almost no wrong direction for the Rams in the round two in terms of position. It’s just a matter of getting the best player. They did pretty good with Steve Avila last year, could it be even better in 2024? That’s not a question to be left out.