Los Angeles Rams 2019 NFL Draft: Taylor Rapp fits perfectly

The Los Angeles Rams have a first-round pick for the first time since the 2017 NFL Draft and should be targetting safety Taylor Rapp in the first round.

The Los Angeles Rams have not had a first-round pick in the NFL Draft since the 2016 NFL Draft when the team traded up to the first overall pick to select Jared Goff out of Cal.

That trade led to no first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and then the Los Angeles Rams traded the 2018 first-round pick to the New England Patriots for Brandin Cooks.

As of right now, the Los Angeles Rams have the 31st overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. It might be the second to last pick a team can have in the first round but is a first-round pick nonetheless. That is unless the team trades the pick.

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The team looked to have its first-round pick last season entering the offseason before the Cooks trade happened in early April. There is still a lot of time for the Rams to make a move.

However, with several key pieces hitting free agency and after going big last offseason, the Rams should be focusing on retaining talent, not going on a spending spree like last season. With that in mind, it appears logical that the Rams would keep the pick.

And if so, the teams No. 1 target for pick 31 should be safety Taylor Rapp from Washington.

Rapp varies in ranking depending on whose draft big board you read but it appears as if he will be available with the 31st pick. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report ranks Rapp as the 32nd overall prospect in the draft while CBS Sports ranks Rapp as the 44th overall prospect.

There is a lot of time for that to change and a good combine showing can send Rapp’s stock through the roof. Not only that, but teams are going to be drafting positional needs. Rapp might be worthy of an early second-round pick but a team that needs a safety might be willing to take him before the Rams.

The Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs should be watched.

Regardless, Rapp would be the perfect first-round pick to replace LaMarcus Joyner and would keep the Rams from overpaying Joyner after franchise tagging him last season.

Rapp’s best attributes all bank on his athleticism. He has elite closeout speed and can close the distance on deep routes as a deep safety, similar to the touchdown-saving play that Jason McCourty made on Brandin Cooks in Super Bowl LIII.

Rapp is a ball hawk in every sense and can also use his athleticism to help in all areas of the field. He excels at zone coverage but can easily man up average-sized NFL tight ends and is a great option as the second line in the run defense.

Rapp won’t be a huge contributor in run defense but he can keep five-yard runs from turning into 10 yards runs.

Rapp has been compared to Earl Thomas and has a much similar skill set to Thomas. Of course, he is not going to be an All-Pro like Thomas right away, but he already has the foundations to progress towards that in the right defensive scheme.

The Los Angeles Rams are probably going to need a quality free safety and definitely need help in the secondary. For that reason, I would expect Taylor Rapp to be a surefire selection if he is still on the board for the Rams to take.