The LA Rams landed two insane sleeper picks in the 2018 NFL Draft

The LA Rams did not have any early selections in the 2018 NFL Draft. However, the team made best of the late round selections it had.

The LA Rams had one of the most unconventional NFL Drafts. Los Angeles had 11 total picks in the draft, which is a pretty large amount considering there are only seven rounds. This number seems even larger considering that the team did not have any selections in the first two rounds of the draft.

Instead, the picks were bottom-loaded. Los Angeles owned a single third-round pick, two fourth-round picks, two fifth-round picks, four sixth-round picks and two seventh-round picks. Cameron DaSilva of RamsWire does a great job outlining all 11 picks.

The LA Rams also had another pick from trading Tavon Austin to the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas sent the Rams a sixth-round pick in exchange for the former first-rounder.

It was not the four sixth-round picks, two seventh-round picks, two fourth-round picks or the third-round pick that was the best, though. Although the Rams did get solid players in each round, considering the point of the draft, the team’s best round came in the fifth round.

In that round, the LA Rams selected linebacker Micah Kiser from Virginia and Defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo from Oklahoma. In these two picks, the Rams solidified the two weakest positions of the team with two guys that are ready to be every game starters.

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Kiser is not as versatile and dynamic as current-day linebackers, hence why he fell all the way to the fifth-round. However, the hard-hitting linebacker is immensely talented in stopping the run. Kiser will not be an every down kind of backer, but will instead be used in short-yardage and early drive situations to be a drive stopper.

Kiser is such a hard-hitter and so good at stopping the run that he is bound to make many plays happen in his rookie year. He has the potential to be the Rams’ best linebacker behind Mark Barron and was rated as the 12th best linebacker heading into the draft by Walter Football.

As for Okoronkwo, he has more of a potential to be an every-down threat on the Rams’ defense and not only has a shot to be the sleeper pick of the year but can even threaten for rookie accolades in his first season.

Wade Phillips was the perfect coach for Okoronkwo to play for in his first system and the Rams’ defensive line was the best possible scenario for his production. Los Angeles already has the best interior line in football, the team desperately needed outside rushers.

Okoronkwo was a scary good outside rusher at the collegiate level and will fit in nicely with Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh. With Donald and Suh getting most of the attention, Okoronkwo will sneak in as a threat to the quarterback with the other team even seeing it coming.

There are criticisms and concerns around Okoronkwo. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report went as far as to say, “The hype surrounding Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is confusing. He posted good production against bad talent in the Big 12 and lacks the athletic tools to succeed in the NFL. He’s a role player at best who needs to be scheme-protected to make plays.”

Those concerns are justified. Okoronkwo did indeed have subpar competition and has shown that he may only be fit for certain schemes. The thing is, though, that the LA Rams present the perfect 4-3 scheme for Okoronkwo to best succeed. While he is a little rough around the edges, his natural talent will carry him to huge results in this scary Rams’ defensive line.

Next: Why the Tavon Austin trade was good

At the end of the day, Kiser and Okoronkwo will likely end up being the best picks the LA Rams made out of this entire draft. Not only, they could be the two of the best sleeper picks in the entire draft.

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