Rams draft Matthew Stafford’s successor in latest NFL.com mock draft

Will Sean McVay find a QB to groom in the 2024 NFL Draft?

Quarterback is not a position that the L.A. Rams really need to address in the 2024 NFL Draft thanks in part to the Jimmy Garoppolo signing. Jimmy G jokes aside, there is legitimate stability under center for head coach Sean McVay. However, could LA possibly draft Matthew Stafford’s successor in April?

Rather than address a position of need, NFL.com analyst Charles Davis has the Rams drafting Oregon star Bo Nix with the No. 19 pick in a new 2024 mock draft.

“With Matthew Stafford heading into his age-36 season, Sean McVay finds his next pupil to groom for the QB1 role,” Davis wrote in his March 28 mock draft.

Nix has already met Lakers icon Lebron James so Hollywood might be a good fit for him.

Joking aside, LA taking Nix would make some sense — just nowhere that early in the draft. In all fairness, the Rams might be wise to invest at the QB3 spot and develop someone behind Stafford in the meantime. The team sorta did this in the 2023 draft but that of course did not turn out well.

Last year, the Rams made a ill-advised move in drafting Georgia QB Stetson Bennett as the possible heir apparent to Stafford. The two-time national champion ended up sitting out his entire rookie season due to personal issues, leaving LA with the hapless Brett Rypien at backup. I think we all remember how that turned out.

The main thing Nix has going is that he’s accurate. During his final season with the Ducks, Nix posted a 45-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio and set an NCAA-record with a 77.4 completion percentage. He also started an astonishing 61 collegiate games.

While there may be some relative unknowns prospect-wise in the draft — cough J.J. McCarthy cough — there is plenty of film on Nix to know what he’s about. After 61 freaking games, I would certainly hope so. The Oregon product is admittedly a film junkie and appears to carry himself as a player who could handle the franchise QB role well.

Unfortunately, Nix has gotten a bad rap from draft analysts for being limited in his physical abilities and apparent short passing prowess. Despite finishing second in all the FBS behind Heisman winner Jayden Daniels in yards per attempt, Nix isn’t viewed in the same class as Daniels. Perhaps the “optimal playing conditions” he experienced at Oregon are what has held him back as a prospect.

As much as I like Nix, the Rams are not the fit for him. LA needs to get someone like Jared Verse or Byron Murphy II rather than fall under the spell of another experienced signal caller. Nix will most likely get drafted too early by team desperate for a quarterback — looking at you Sean Payton and the Broncos.

The Rams have a borderline contending roster and need to maximize it. Drafting Bo is not the answer. Unless (knock on wood) Matthew Stafford’s play falls off a cliff, there is no reason for LA to take a QB so early or at all.