LA Rams shockingly pass on offensive linemen in the second round

The LA Rams were able to position themselves fairly nicely with two picks in the second round of the NFL Draft. However, they didn’t address a glaring need.

After not having a pick in the first round of the NFL Draft, the LA Rams were on the board twice in the second round. With the 52nd and 57th picks, the Rams were in a good position to address some needs.

Last season was nothing short of a disappointment for the Rams. They missed the playoffs and their team looked pretty lost. One of the reasons for the decline in their production on offense was because of their offensive line struggling.

Coming into the draft, many believed that the Rams would be addressing this need with at least one of their second-round picks. However, to the surprise of many, they didn’t an offensive lineman with either pick.

With the 52nd overall pick, the Rams decided that they would be replacing Todd Gurley in the backfield, as they went wit Cam Akers out of Florida State. Getting a running back made sense for the Rams, as while they can throw the ball, a lot of things start for the Rams on the ground.

Of the two picks in the second round, the puzzling one was the selection of Van Jefferson, who is a wide receiver from Florida. The Rams did trade Brandin Cooks to the Houston Texans in the offseason, creating a void at the position. However, they do still have Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and Josh Reynolds.

Wide receiver was definitely a position of need, but the second round might not have been the spot to do, and certainly not with Jefferson. This feels like a reach pick for Jefferson, who wasn’t graded in the Top 100 prospects on the big board of ESPN.

For the Rams, passing on offensive linemen with both picks in the second round won’t help them strengthen a unit that struggled last season. While it is nice to have good players at the skill positions, a running back can’t be effective without a good line in front of him, and neither can a quarterback.

Seeing a guy like Erza Cleveland go right after Jefferson would have been a better selection for the Rams, as he could have helped out at the tackle position soon. With the Rams passing on an offensive lineman in the second round, we will have to see what the plan will be after the draft to strengthen the unit, as they likely won’t be getting starters on the third day of the draft.