Les Snead and company scored glowing reviews across the board for LA’s incoming freshman class
The 2024 NFL Draft has come and gone for the Los Angeles Rams and early indications are that Les Snead hit another home run.
National outlets have largely approved of LA’s incoming draft class which is much-needed news in Hollywood. The Rams are looking to build on their solid ‘23 campaign and it would appear Snead and company have only added to the team’s promising foundation. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. gave LA a B+ and called first-rounder Jared Verse a “10-sacks-per-season guy,” despite being a “difficult evaluation” for the draft guru.
“L.A. got excellent rookie seasons from Byron Young and Kobie Turner in 2023, and GM Les Snead has started putting together his plan for life without Aaron Donald, who retired this offseason.
Speaking of, Snead traded up in Round 2 for a potential starter at defensive tackle in Braden Fiske (39), getting Carolina’s pick but surrendering Nos. 52 and 155 along with an extremely valuable 2025 second-rounder. Fiske had 11.5 sacks when lined up as DT over the past two seasons, which were the second most in the FBS. He isn’t going to be Donald — one of the greatest defensive linemen in NFL history — but Fiske can wreak some havoc. Still, I have to downgrade it a little bit because of that 2025 pick.”
Kiper stated he wanted to give the Rams an A- but had to mark them down a letter grade because of the 2025 second-round pick given up to select Fiske. However, he acknowledged there were several talented players that could boost the roster moving forward.
Trevor Sikkema from Pro Football Focus also gave LA’s draft class a B+. Like Kiper, Sikkema praised Verse and considered him to be “arguably the best power rusher in the class,” being a firm believer in his potential. The PFF analyst also appeared somewhat bothered by the somewhat lofty compensation sent to the Panthers for the opportunity to land Fiske.
Yet, NFL.com’s Chad Reuter was in wait-and-see mode regarding the transaction. Reuter did not dock the Rams for the trade up and gave them an A- overall. LA received an A for the Verse selection, a B+ on Day 2 and a B- for their Day 3 picks.
“The run on offensive players in Round 1 allowed the Rams to land a bargain edge rusher (which they really needed) in Verse, their first first-round pick since 2016. Fiske will help make up for the loss of Aaron Donald to retirement, but we’ll have to see if it made sense to trade a 2025 second-rounder to acquire him instead of getting Michael Hall at their original pick (No. 52; he went to the Browns 54th overall). Corum will play bigger and faster than his numbers indicate, and Kinchens is a downhill player at a soft spot for the Rams.
Jackson and Davis bolster the depth on the defensive line with former Florida State teammates Verse and Fiske. The Rams needed to find a kicker in his draft, and they chose Karty over Cam Little (who went to the Jags at No. 212). Limmer and Leveston should be long-time pros at center and guard, respectively. Rookie cornerbacks not drafted this weekend should be getting calls from the Rams.”
Pete Prisco from CBS Sports said Snead “had another good draft” and gave the GM an A for his efforts. Prisco named Brennan Jackson as the Rams’ best pick while surprisingly labeling Blake Corum as the team’s worst pick. Here is everything the CBS Sports writer had to say about both selections:
“I loved the pick of Washington State defensive end Brennan Jackson in the fifth. He will bring a relentless style that will keep him in the league for a long time. He is perfect for the Rams defense.
I didn’t love the pick of running back Blake Corum in the third. They have a good back in Kyren Williams, who they got in the fifth round. They could have waited to take a back.”
I completely disagree with Prisco’s assessment of the Corum pick. Had Los Angeles waited, they might’ve missed out on Corum and if a team is in love with a prospect, they should do everything possible to acquire them. Pairing Corum and Kyren Williams will add another dimension to an already dynamic running game. I’ll be curious to see how Sean McVay eases the Michigan product into the offense along with how he distributes their carries.
Draft classes take years to assess and while initial draft grades can be fun, it’s essentially too early to tell anything. Several draft analysts loved the Rams’ 2023 draft and that class turned out even better than anticipated. Hopefully the same thing will happen with this class as it has so much potential on paper.
What are your thoughts on these quick-snap draft class grades and what grade would you give Les Snead for his 2024 picks?
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