The 2017 Los Angeles Rams draft positioning can be summed up as the following: Move up once, spark fan interest; move up twice, expose your desperation.
ESPN.com seems intent on moving the Rams into the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, releasing a second story this about Los Angeles acquiring the No. 12 overall pick from the Cleveland Browns ahead of the April 27 event. ESPN.com’s Bill Barnwell already posted the possibility a day earlier.
The latest ESPN.com story, coming from Scout Inc.’s Steve Muench, projects the Rams using the acquired No. 12 pick overall to select Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Then somehow, the Rams still would get Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram in Day 2—even though Barnwell’s scenario would have Los Angeles trading its second-rounder as part of the deal to acquire the first-round pick next week.
L.A. then would Georgia State wide receiver Robert Davis, a 6-foot-2, 219-pound speedster (as his 4.44-second 40-yard dash time) suggests. If the Rams could get Humphrey, Engram (who at 6-3, 234 runs a 4.42 40) and Davis, then by all means they should trade up.
Barring that miracle, the Rams cannot afford to mortgage more of their future for a “now” that is far from a playoff-ready franchise.
“Value” should be the buzzword of the 2017 Rams draft. They can’t afford to miss on the few prospects they have, especially without a first-round pick. They still need help at cornerback, outside linebacker, offensive line, tight end and wide receiver. If they were to give their first-round pick to Cleveland in 2018, chances are good that the pick would end up being higher than No. 12.
Los Angeles better have a can’t-miss prospect in mind if it is considering moving up. A poor choice could delay the Rams progress by another year or two, and that could have an impact on whether defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who becomes a free agent after the 2018 season, returns to the team.
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