Los Angeles Rams 7-Round Mock Draft: Best Player Available Approach
The Los Angeles Rams finally have a top-50 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, and plenty more. They reload the roster in this 7-round mock.
Like it or not, there’s a bit of a rebuild going on in Los Angeles. The Rams feel long removed from a Super Bowl title. Odell Beckham Jr. hasn’t yet returned to play football. Andrew Whitworth retired. Leonard Floyd departed this offseason. Nick Scott left for Cincinnati. Jalen Ramsey was also traded to Miami. Darrell Henderson, their best running back, got released.
Los Angeles Rams 7-Round Mock Draft: Best Player Available
The roster is very barren right now. There’s a lot of unproven talent in the secondary and at linebacker. The offensive line isn’t settled either. Matthew Stafford still has weapons to throw to, but it’s a team that is starving for draft picks and high capital to finally build back up what’s fallen apart.
This Los Angeles Rams mock draft does its best to add talent across the board, from the running back room, to the offensive line, defensive line, and secondary. Let’s dive in and look at how the Rams could begin to steer the ship back towards contention.
Round 2, Pick 36: Brian Branch, SAF, Alabama
For a long while, Brian Branch has been the class of the safety position in the 2023 NFL Draft. Mock drafts have seen him go as high as Atlanta at eight, and he’s been a first-round mainstay. But, after a weaker combine than expected, it’s possible NFL teams have had him as a fringe guy in the first for a while. He’s begun to fall out of the first as media catches up.
That’s great news for the Los Angeles Rams. The safety room needs a playmaker like Branch. Branch lined up in the slot for the Crimson Tide in 2022, showing off impressive transitional quicks and closing speed to disrupt the catch point. He’s a phenomenal box defender, with the closing speed to create tackles for loss and the processing speed to match. In zone coverage, Branch either has eyes on the quarterback or to a potential assignment in his area. He played true safety in high school, and his processing speed should indicate he can play there. Wherever Branch plays, he’ll be an impact player for the Rams defense.