LA Rams: Three roster holes and how to fix them in the draft
Wide receiver:
As a result of the departure of Sammy Watkins, a replacement at the wide receiver position has become a position of need for the team. While Watkins’ 2017 statistics are not particularly impressive, his value to the team was far greater than his statistical production. Having a player like him, who was a big play threat on every down, is vital to an offense as proficient as the 2017 Rams. Forcing the defense to respect the deep ball potential of Watkins served to stretch the secondary thin, allowing Sean McVay to be creative in how he takes advantage of the resulting weaker parts of the field.
More from LA Sports Hub
- Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
- LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
- LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
- Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
- LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month
With the elite offensive prowess that McVay possesses, the team could survive without replacing Watkins. Regardless, the team’s roster is in such a great place that they can afford to use a draft pick in the first few rounds to address this new hole. But who is the right fit to jump right into Sammy Watkins’ old role?
The answer to that is wide receiver D.J. Chark out of LSU. Chark is a 6’3” speed demon on the outside, with a similar build and vertical threat ability as Watkins. He came in with a 4.34 40-yard dash time at the combine, the same time that Watkins ran at his own combine.
The main critique of Chark is his limited route running ability. This isn’t a huge problem when it comes to his fit with the LA Rams, as Watkins also has a limited route tree. The team could use Chark in a sort of Desean Jackson-esque role, where he essentially just runs in straight lines very quickly.
With his size and speed, it is not impractical to think that Chark could develop into the deep threat, jump ball receiver that the team could utilize for years to come. He would be a great pick in the second or third round round. The team would have to trade into the second round if this were the case, as they do not currently have a second round pick. This is not unrealistic seeing as the team possesses 94 6th round picks in this years draft.