Los Angeles Rams mock draft: Rams trade down, rack up two extra picks
By Jason Reed
Round 3, pick 20: Ben Bartch, OL, Saint John’s (Minn)
Now is time for the Los Angeles Rams to address the offensive line and there were two similar tackles that were on the board for the selection. The decision was between Ben Bartch and LSU’s Saahdiq Charles.
The reason for going with Bartch was the potential ceiling that Bartch has. Bartch is naturally this low on the draft board because he played for a small school and did not get the benefit of top collegiate coaching nor film.
Bartch is showing some signs of greenery as a result but the ceiling of how good he could be is tantalizing. With the right coaching and getting to develop in an NFL season, Bartch could quickly develop into an every-down starter, and at the very least, is a flexible offensive lineman that could help in the interior as well.
He has NFL size at six-foot-six, 309 pounds and with some added core strength he has the raw power to overwhelm opposing edge-rushers. He is not a lock to be an impact starter in year one, but the Rams are not going to get that out of a third-round pick, anyway.
Charles played for the elite college and has a lot of film and was part of a very important offensive line that was blocking for Heisman Trophy winner, Joe Burrow. Scouts know more about Charles, and he may be the “safer” bet, but he does not have the potential ceiling that Bartch has.