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15 Senior Bowl standouts the Rams should target in the draft

cameron dasilva
·7 min read

As valuable as the Senior Bowl game on Saturday is, the week of practice is an even better way to evaluate prospects in Mobile. The American and National teams wrapped up their sessions on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s matchup, and there were more than just a couple of standouts in practice.

The Rams should have plenty of good options at positions of need on Day 2, with many of those players being in attendance at the Senior Bowl. Here are 15 standouts from practice who should interest the Rams in the draft.

Minnesota C John Michael Schmitz

If Schmitz is there at No. 36, the Rams should really consider pouncing. He’d be an upgrade over Brian Allen, who’s undersized and injured too often. Schmitz had a fantastic week of practice and entrenched himself as the top center in the class.

Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave

According to The Athletic, Musgrave was clocked at 20 mph in practice. That’s absurd considering he’s a 255-pound tight end. Tyler Higbee has lost a step and is no longer the threat down the seam that he used to be. Musgrave would be a nice addition and potential starter in Year 2.

Bowling Green DT Karl Brooks

Brooks primarily played on the edge in college but he’s expected to rush inside more in college. Look how quickly he gets to the quarterback on this rep from the interior. He probably fits best as a 3-technique, which is the spot Aaron Donald plays, but the Rams need depth on the O-line regardless – and life without Donald could come sooner rather than later.

Ohio State OT Dawand Jones

Jones is a fringe first-round prospect and though he could only practice for one day, he improved his stock in Mobile. He’s a massive offensive tackle at 6-foot-8, 350 pounds, which already makes him an intriguing prospect. The Rams have Joe Noteboom and Rob Havenstein, but adding another young tackle wouldn’t hurt – especially someone with Jones’ upside.

Maryland OT Jaelyn Duncan

Duncan is another solid offensive tackle prospect who could interest the Rams if they’re in the market for help on the outside. Isaiah Foskey is one of the better pass rushers at the Senior Bowl and Duncan did a nice job against him in the rep below.

Stanford CB Kyu Blu Kelly

Kelly really stood out at cornerback and was voted by his peers as the National team’s top cornerback in practice. He has the size and instincts to be an early starter in the NFL, showing good ball skills during Senior Bowl practice and throughout his career at Stanford.

Kansas State CB Julius Brents

Brents showed off his coverage skills in man-to-man drills during Senior Bowl week, as evidenced in the video below. His size is evident, being a 6-3 cornerback, but he still moves well for being that big.

Fresno State QB Jake Haener

Even with Matthew Stafford coming back, the Rams should be in the market for a quarterback – a backup and a potential starter in a few years from now. Haener is only 6 feet tall, but he has the accuracy and arm talent to succeed at the next level.

Iowa State OLB Will McDonald IV

McDonald has some juice off the edge. Just watch him win his rep against the right tackle in the tweet below. He makes it look so easy, blowing by the tackle en route to the quarterback. His bend on the edge is what could push him up draft boards.

South Carolina CB Darius Rush

Rush was the American team’s practice player of the week at cornerback and his rep in this one-on-one drill shows why. He showed perfect technique and essentially ran the route for the wide receiver, undercutting it for a terrific interception.

North Dakota State OL Cody Mauch

Mauch can play just about anywhere on the offensive line and he’ll do so with some fire. If he were to land with the Rams, guard would be his likeliest position and he showed in practice this week that he can succeed on the interior, as well as at tackle.

Purdue TE Payne Durham

Another highly athletic tight end who can win down the field, Durham had one of the best weeks of practices of anyone. Another guy who was voted a practice player of the week, Durham made this fantastic catch for a touchdown despite getting his helmet knocked off in the end zone. The Rams need more speed and he brings that at tight end.

Florida G O’Cyrus Torrence

Torrence is a top guard in the class, which should have the Rams interested. He crushes this rep against the interior defender, barely getting walked backwards and locking him down from the jump. He has the requisite size for a guard, too, at 6-foot-5, 337 pounds.

Illinois S Sydney Brown

Safety is an underrated need for the Rams with Nick Scott and Taylor Rapp hitting free agency. Brown has great ball skills and range on the back end, which would give the Rams a much-needed upgrade in coverage over Rapp.

Miami CB Tyrique Stevenson

Stevenson came into the week as one of the top cornerbacks in Mobile and that hasn’t changed. He has the speed to recover after he gets beat, as well as the footwork to stay in the pocket of receivers. The Rams need help at cornerback and Stevenson could be a target on Day 2.

Story originally appeared on Rams Wire