Draft Positioning

[Russ Smith]

To me this is the problem. I don’t want a right tackle at 5 either and if you can’t trade down what do you do. I’m warming up to the idea of taking Love to replace Connor and then going o line in round 2. The reality might be that the best guys on the board at 5 are defense and with DRob being so so and Williams injury making him uncertain that might be to the best way to go.

He's clearly the best RB in the draft but it's really hard to justify a RB that high anymore. Top 5 in yards this year Cook, Taylor, Henry, Achane, Robinson. only 2 of them Henry and Robinson were first rounders. Only Cook is in the playoffs for sure.

I've been saying RT or DL I think at 5 there's no RT you want that high so you go DL again and go RT in round 2. unless there's a QB you want. I've said my peace on Dante Moore before but he likely has the highest ceiling of all the QB's in the draft and I expect he'll be gone when we pick so am I moving up to get Simpson or Moore, no.

One of the guys moving up the boards is Peter Woods from Clemson but I have to say he's scary to me. Like D Rob he's played both DT and Edge, and I think he's better inside and not sure he's good enough for top 5. I like Bain.

Certainly not taking him at 5 but another guy who is intriguing is Caleb Banks from Florida. Missed most of the year with a foot injury and he's already 24 so I think he'll be picked later than his talent says he should. 330 pound DT, 6'5" 330 pounds I wanted Jordan Davis a few years ago, Banks is that type of prospect if the medicals are good

 

[GatorAZ]

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that game completely meaningless for our SOS compared to the Titans? Given that the Titans also played against the Rams and we played the Falcons (the Titans didn't), a Rams win would add +2 for the Rams and -1 for the Falcons defeat, so a net of +1 on our side (+1 for the Titans aswell)... a Falcons win gives us +1 for the Falcons and -2 for the Rams, so a net of -1, same for the Titans with -1.

When the Niners beat the Colts last week it separated our SOS from Tennessee who played both teams. Playing them twice affects our opponent’s opponents more than playing them once.

 

[slanidrac16]

He's clearly the best RB in the draft but it's really hard to justify a RB that high anymore. Top 5 in yards this year Cook, Taylor, Henry, Achane, Robinson. only 2 of them Henry and Robinson were first rounders. Only Cook is in the playoffs for sure.

I've been saying RT or DL I think at 5 there's no RT you want that high so you go DL again and go RT in round 2. unless there's a QB you want. I've said my peace on Dante Moore before but he likely has the highest ceiling of all the QB's in the draft and I expect he'll be gone when we pick so am I moving up to get Simpson or Moore, no.

One of the guys moving up the boards is Peter Woods from Clemson but I have to say he's scary to me. Like D Rob he's played both DT and Edge, and I think he's better inside and not sure he's good enough for top 5. I like Bain.

Certainly not taking him at 5 but another guy who is intriguing is Caleb Banks from Florida. Missed most of the year with a foot injury and he's already 24 so I think he'll be picked later than his talent says he should. 330 pound DT, 6'5" 330 pounds I wanted Jordan Davis a few years ago, Banks is that type of prospect if the medicals are good

Russ, we are chasing our tails. This o-line and scheme and OC will make Love look ordinary. Everything needs to fix this o-line. Monti or whoever needs to invest deeply in the o-line.
A great o-line can make a 4th-5th round back look good. A terrible o-line will make a great back look ordinary.

 

[kerouac9]

I don’t know how you can look at the Raiders and Jeanty and then say a bad team drafting a RB is a great idea.

It’s crazy also that Jacksonville got almost nothing from their #1 pick and are in the running for the #1 seed in the AFC. Browns not exactly going to own the 2026 NFL draft.

 

[NWMike]

Russ, we are chasing our tails. This o-line and scheme and OC will make Love look ordinary. Everything needs to fix this o-line. Monti or whoever needs to invest deeply in the o-line.
A great o-line can make a 4th-5th round back look good. A terrible o-line will make a great back look ordinary.

I appreciate this line of thinking but the whole Adrian Peterson/Levi Brown fiasco gives me pause. Another poster brought that up in a different thread and it hit home for me. I would rather take the money we have in free agency and go out and get a new right tackle and hopefully another guard and then use the draft to take impact guys early (especially in the top 10). A right tackle is not going to be an impact guy. In a perfect world you have some combination of Reese/Downs, Tyson/Tate and Simpson sitting there at 5 and someone sitting around 10/11 wants to come up and get them and is willing to throw in a 2nd rounder to do it.

 

[HookemCards]

I just can't get behind drafting a RB at 5. 12 maybe, 20 probably. I definitely would draft one somewhere in this draft, in addition to signing one. Depending on Conner or Benson in 2026 would be idiocy.

 

[Russ Smith]

I appreciate this line of thinking but the whole Adrian Peterson/Levi Brown fiasco gives me pause. Another poster brought that up in a different thread and it hit home for me. I would rather take the money we have in free agency and go out and get a new right tackle and hopefully another guard and then use the draft to take impact guys early (especially in the top 10). A right tackle is not going to be an impact guy. In a perfect world you have some combination of Reese/Downs, Tyson/Tate and Simpson sitting there at 5 and someone sitting around 10/11 wants to come up and get them and is willing to throw in a 2nd rounder to do it.

I get that but I don't think Love is Adrian Peterson. I think Love is very good, I don't think he's clearly better than Jeanty and Jeanty had a pretty pedestrian rookie year because the Raiders aren't good.

I would not be kicking and screaming if we took Love but we need to build the line first IMO. Adrian Peterson was just a freak it was obvious he was the best RB to come into the NFL in years and we should have picked him

 

[Chopper0080]

I’m hiring Grant Udinski & drafting Ty Simpson.

It's looking like Ty Simpson or EDGE at 5

 

[WisconsinCard]

It's looking like Ty Simpson or EDGE at 5

I agree even if Ty is a bust it doesn't hurt as bad as trading away the future for a QB that busts

 

[Chopper0080]

I agree even if Ty is a bust it doesn't hurt as bad as trading away the future for a QB that busts

I am of the mind that none of the three potential QBs wow me enough to move up for them with the information I know. That isn't a knock on them, it's more that you have to really believe in a player to give up picks for them and generally speaking, a lot of times this is info that only people who have access are getting.

Maybe I get more wow'd throughout the process, but none of them resonate with me like Drake Maye did.

 

[slanidrac16]

I appreciate this line of thinking but the whole Adrian Peterson/Levi Brown fiasco gives me pause. Another poster brought that up in a different thread and it hit home for me. I would rather take the money we have in free agency and go out and get a new right tackle and hopefully another guard and then use the draft to take impact guys early (especially in the top 10). A right tackle is not going to be an impact guy. In a perfect world you have some combination of Reese/Downs, Tyson/Tate and Simpson sitting there at 5 and someone sitting around 10/11 wants to come up and get them and is willing to throw in a 2nd rounder to do it.

I agree either or. I’d rather have an experience lineman that can step in today. But if you draft a rb you’d better have your o-line set before the draft.

 

[AustrianCardFan]

Uagh, just saw that the NFL has scheduled the 49ers-Seahawks game for Saturday night. That sucks because if the 49ers win that game, the Rams really have nothing to play for and will probably rest everyone...

 

[Cardinal88]

Rams second and third stringers are better than our practice squad guys. Case in point… Hall looked like trash. Can’t cover/can’t tackle. Oh yeah, add to it their coaches are far superior to ours.

 

[slanidrac16]

Uagh, just saw that the NFL has scheduled the 49ers-Seahawks game for Saturday night. That sucks because if the 49ers win that game, the Rams really have nothing to play for and will probably rest everyone...

Ha! The Rams could play with just 7 guys and give us a game.

 

[HairZach]

The Falcons beating the Rams is huge. The Rams are no longer in possession of a top 10 first round pick!

 

[Stout]

I think they need stars

This team is in desperate need of Big Johns.

 

[TheCardFan]

Drafting a QB is already sketchy at best due to a very low hit rate.

Drafting one that only has 1 year of starting experience is even more unlikely to hit.

Mendoza is 22 and has 32 starts plus the playoffs this year
Dante Moore is 21 and has 18 starts plus the playoffs this year
Ty Simpson is 23 and has 14 starts plus the playoffs this year

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When evaluating NFL Draft QB prospects, how much does starting experience matter?​

QB Comparison on starts in college

 

[Chopper0080]

Drafting a QB is already sketchy at best due to a very low hit rate.

Drafting one that only has 1 year of starting experience is even more unlikely to hit.

Mendoza is 22 and has 32 starts plus the playoffs this year
Dante Moore is 21 and has 18 starts plus the playoffs this year
Ty Simpson is 23 and has 14 starts plus the playoffs this year

You must be registered for see images attach

When evaluating NFL Draft QB prospects, how much does starting experience matter?​

QB Comparison on starts in college

Didn't stop people from wanting to draft Kyler/. Ultimately this is why I wouldn't trade up for any of these guys. At least I wouldn't want to give up a lot to move up.

 

[slanidrac16]

Didn't stop people from wanting to draft Kyler/. Ultimately this is why I wouldn't trade up for any of these guys. At least I wouldn't want to give up a lot to move up.

Totally agree. I’m not sure I would draft one if they were available at 5.
If one of them were to slip into the 20’s I might be tempted to trade up.
If we head into the draft with Brissett as the starter would it mean we are going to make a move and get a qb?

 

[NWMike]

I’d be tempted by Nussmeier if he is there in round 2. Especially if we could trade out of 5 and get another 2nd as part of the deal.

 

[DVontel]

I’d be tempted by Nussmeier if he is there in round 2. Especially if we could trade out of 5 and get another 2nd as part of the deal.

Why do you want a guy that got benched in his last year

 

[KYCardFan]

Dante Moore is the guy if he comes out.

 

[az jam]

Big games on News Year's day will give us a good feel for the top 3 qbs. Indiana (Mendoza) vs Alabama (Simpson) and Oregon (Moore) going agains the tough defense of Texas Tech. Must watch games for draft pundits!!

 

[Harry]

Why do you want a guy that got benched in his last year

Injured

 

[DVontel]

Injured

Was he also injured last year during that Texas A&M game? His falloff started off there, not just this year.