Draft Review: Los Angeles Rams
Editors’ Note: As part of our post-draft coverage, we’re still doing our very best to leave no stone unturned and bringing you draft recaps from each and every NFL franchise. Make sure you’re ready for your dynasty league rookie draft and season by staying up on all these articles, checking out our rookie SWOT series, rookie draft guide, rookie rankings, rookie draft cheat sheet and mock draft rooms. There are simply no better resources out there for dynasty fantasy football enthusiasts.
The Los Angeles Rams of Anaheim St. Louis California United States Missouri Earth North America are magicians. How else could you explain them turning the lump of dog poo that is their franchise into something drawing more fans to a preseason game than Johnny Manziel has TMZ mentions? Whether there is witchcraft going on or not, the Rams have no chance of retaining their fan base if they don’t start making hay in the draft. Here is a look at their most recent attempt.
Round 1, Pick 1 – Jared Goff, QB, Cal
Despite Coach Mustache’s cloak and dagger routine, this pick wasn’t much of a shock to anyone, and for good reason. The Cal product has everything needed to be a very good NFL quarterback: a big league arm, good footwork, a quick release, touch, and requisite football intelligence. If Goff can get over occasional accuracy issues and sub-par pocket awareness, the Rams may have found themselves a franchise QB.
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Round 3, Pick 110 – Tyler Higbee, TE, Western Kentucky
Spoiler alert: I love Higbee. My DLF Podcast co-host Nick Whalen was the first person to get me excited, with his enthusiasm sending me to YouTube for some film fun. On top of what I already knew about Higbee’s off-field concerns (an unresolved arrest for assault and evading police) and athleticism, I really liked what I saw. His catch radius is massive, ability to blaze up the seam elite, and he sports big hands that are soft as pillows.
Higbee does need to add weight to stay on the field all three downs, as he is about the same size as Kelvin Benjamin. But other than that, it is hard to find fault with the guy. He is one of my favorite stashes in dynasty.
Round 4, Pick 117 – Pharoh Cooper, WR, South Carolina
The most popular refrain you will hear about Cooper is that he is basically a less-athletic Tavon Austin. Despite similar size and deployment (Cooper was used all over the formation in college), I initially resisted this comparison, as I thought Cooper was able to handle a more traditional outside role. But as time has passed, and thanks in large part to an abysmal showing in Matt Harmon’s Reception Perception analysis, I’ve cooled considerably on he with the misspelled first name. Even if Goff proves to be a legit NFL starter, Cooper’s ultimate upside is limited by his size and lack of traditional separation skills. I wouldn’t touch him until the third round of rookie drafts.
Round 6, Pick 177 – Temarrick Hemingway, TE, South Carolina State
As long as we are doing player comps, let me add a lazy one: Hemingway is bad Tyler Higbee. They are the same size and have similar athletic profiles, but that is where things end (I told you it was lazy).
Hemingway is a work in progress when it comes to route running. He is also terrified of contact much in the same way I am terrified of vegan meat substitute. Did I mention his hands are bad? I didn’t? OK, here goes: His hands are bad. All that said, Hemingway is an intriguing, basically free, stash in tight end premium leagues with the raw tools to be something much more than he is now.
Round 6, Pick 190 – Mike Thomas, WR, Southern Miss
Informally named the biggest snub of the combine by Football Twitter, Thomas found his way into one of the league’s more mediocre wide receiver groups. He does stand out in a key area, though: effort. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com nailed it when he said Thomas, “Plays like his hair is on fire.” One look at the film is all you’ll need to agree.
The biggest issue I see is Thomas struggles to separate. When you look at his 4.53 40 time, you wouldn’t think this would be such an issue, but the stiffness in his midsection (heh) holds him back considerably. There have also been reports of a case of the dropsies coming out of Rams’ camp. Still, I am taking him in the third round of rookie drafts and holding for 2017 when Brian Quick and Kenny Britt are both likely gone.
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