General manager Les Snead spent a significant amount of draft capital to acquire the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Naturally, this year’s class will be judged based off the performance of the man who was selected with that pick, Jared Goff. The Rams have been improving over the last few seasons and Snead has formed one of the best defensive units in the league. This team is a legitimate quarterback away from contending for a Super Bowl, so it will be interesting to see if Goff can lead the Rams to the promised land. Here’s who Los Angeles selected:
1st Round, 1st Overall: QB Jared Goff (California)
4th Round, 110th Overall: TE Tyler Higbee (Western Kentucky)
4th Round, 117th Overall: WR Pharoh Cooper (South Carolina)
6th Round, 177th Overall: TE Temarrick Hemingway (South Carolina State)
6th Round, 190th Overall: LB Josh Forrest (Kentucky)
6th Round, 206th Overall: WR Mike Thomas (Southern Miss)
Rams 2016 Draft Grade: 8.0/10
Los Angeles Rams 2016 NFL Draft Review
The Best Player: Jared Goff is clearly the best player in this draft class for the Rams. He was the most NFL-ready quarterback in the class and the Rams did not want to take a chance on a riskier prospect in Carson Wentz. Los Angeles obviously gave up a lot for him, so expectations will be lofty. Snead did a nice job of surrounding him with playmakers in this draft. If he can become a franchise quarterback, the Rams will be a contender for a long time.
The Head-Scratcher: The Rams did not really have a head-scratcher in this class. Usually a head-scratcher is a player who was selected earlier than his projection, but the Rams actually managed to capitalize on value throughout the draft. An argument can be made for Temarrick Hemingway because the Rams had already selected a tight end earlier in the draft, but the selection was more of a surprise than a head-scratcher because it is hard to fault Snead for wanting to give Goff another weapon.
The Surprise: As I just suggested, Temarrick Hemingway is the surprise of this draft class. With veterans Lance Kendricks and Cory Harkey on the roster plus the addition of Tyler Higbee earlier in the draft, the selection of Hemingway was very surprising. Most Rams fans were hoping for a free safety or an offensive lineman because Los Angeles still has questions at those positions. It will be interesting to see how Hemingway fits on the roster and if the coaching staff can develop him into a reliable target.
The Steal: Pharoh Cooper is definitely the steal of this class. CBS Sports projected Cooper to be selected in the second or third round and compared him to Randall Cobb. NFL.com projected him to be selected in the third round. Either way, acquiring a weapon like Cooper in the fourth round is impressive. With veterans Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, and Brian Quick already on the roster, the Rams suddenly have a dangerous group of playmakers for Goff to utilize.
Most Likely to Turn Heads in Training Camp: Tyler Higbee has the talent to be a good tight end in the NFL, but he was arrested on April 10th on suspicion of second-degree assault, evading police, and public intoxication. If he can avoid problems off the field, he should become a reliable weapon for the Rams. Jeff Fisher has not avoided prospects with off-field issues in the past, so look for Higbee to turn into a steal under his guidance. He needs to improve his blocking, but he is a reliable pass catcher already and he should be able to impress the coaching staff during training camp.
The Rest: Josh Forrest was the only defensive player selected in this draft class, and the Rams needed depth at inside linebacker after losing James Laurinaitis and Daren Bates this off-season. Forrest should be a solid special teams player initially and a respectable backup to Alec Ogletree at middle linebacker.
The Rams finished the draft with another wide receiver, taking Mike Thomas in the sixth round. Thomas is a hard-working athlete who put up big numbers as a senior at Southern Miss. He probably won’t see the field much as a rookie, but Los Angeles likes his combination of size and speed.
The Bottom Line: This draft could be really great if Goff turns into a franchise quarterback, but it could be really horrible if he doesn’t. Los Angeles spent the majority of the third day acquiring new weapons for Goff, and both Tyler Higbee and Pharoh Cooper are promising prospects who could make an immediate impact. Temarrick Hemingway and Mike Thomas are projects who will need to be developed over time. Josh Forrest is a quality depth linebacker who will probably assume the role that Daren Bates performed last season. The Rams didn’t address the need at free safety and the needs along the offensive line, but with so much invested in Goff, it wasn’t possible to satisfy every weakness.
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