The Los Angeles Rams haven’t had a first round pick since 2016 and now they enter a draft with more capital than any year since 2015, when Les Snead chose running back Todd Gurley with the 10th overall pick. The Rams pick 19th this year, but with 11 draft picks and one in the top-20, they have more ‘value’ to work with than 22 other teams in the NFL according to Warren Sharp.
Just two years ago, the Rams were 30th in draft capital for the second time in a row.
According to Sharp, the Rams had the most draft capital in the NFL in 2001, 2010, and 2014. In 2001, the team picked Damione Lewis, Adam Archuleta, Ryan Pickett and Tommy Polley all in the first 42 picks. In 2010, the Rams picked Sam Bradford first overall and Rodger Saffold with the first pick in the second. In 2014, the team picked Greg Robinson and Aaron Donald in the top-13.
When the Rams last ranked 10th in capital in 2015, Snead chose Gurley, then Rob Havenstein in the second round, followed by Jamon Brown and Sean Mannion in the third. Havenstein is still on the team, which alone is great value for the 2015 class. For what it’s worth, nobody else really panned out except Gurley; sixth rounder Cody Wichmann started 18 games in two years.
How important is this draft capital? If the Rams want to move up for a player like Joe Alt, they could certainly try. If they want to move down to help fill out the roster, they could do that too.
What it really means though is that Rams fans will have more to watch this year than Browns, Texans, Vikings, and Panthers fans.