Who should the Rams select at #52?

The best 35 candidates off my Top 300 draft board

While the Los Angeles Rams may have written about tight end Brock Bowers in their diary, they asked edge Jared Verse to the dance. To say fans are content with first round selection of Jared Verse is an understatement, fans and pundits alike think they make a handsome couple.

On to pick #52.

Do the reports of Matthew Stafford wanting more guaranteed money bring quarterback into draft play? The Rams still have plenty of areas of need and it may be wise to focus on prospects than can both compete for deep roles and upgrading the team’s overall depth and talent level. Off my Top 300 draft board, there’s a long list. Here’s a look at some possibilities.

The Top 10 best remaining prospects from my draft board

If Day 2 begins by following yesterday’s form and the Rams having 19 teams ahead of them, most of the Top 10 should be gone. S Tyler Nubin may have to wait a little longer, there are at least 10 potentially potent cornerbacks in what’s left of the Top 100. How far will WR Keon Coleman really fall? It’s a deep class. For my money, he’s got talent and the later he goes, the more value he offers. Is Cooper DeJean all hype or the second coming of Riley Moss and destined for Round 3?

21) DT Jer’zhan Newton- Illinois

23) CB Kool-Aid McKinstry- ‘Bama

24) CB Ennis Rakestraw- Mizzou

25) CB Cooper DeJean- Iowa

26) WR Keon Coleman- Florida State

32) C Jackson Powers-Johnson- Oregon

33) CB Kamari Lassiter- Georgia

34) WR Adonai Mitchell- Texas

35) WR Ladd McConkey- Georgia

37) S Tyler Nubin- Minnesota

The Top 25 prospects immediately surrounding the Rams Round 2 pick

The Rams will have options at #52, they obviously filled a need at #19. Where do they go next? My gut tells me that Day 2 starts with teams dipping into the deep cornerback pool and as many as 12 could be selected. If L.A. thinks they need help in this area, most of top-rated talent is still there for the taking.

38) WR Troy Franklin- Oregon

39) T Kingsley Suamaita- BYU

41) E Chris Braswell- ‘Bama

43) CB TJ Tampa- Iowa State

44) C Zach Frazier- West Virginia

45) Cooper Beebe- Kansas State

46) Peyton Wilson- North Carolina State

47) DT Kris Jenkins- Michigan

48) E Bralen Trice- Washington

49) G Christian Haynes- UCONN

50) S Javon Bullard- Georgia

#52) WR Malachi Corley- Western Kentucky

53) CB Max Melton- Rutgers

54) DT Ruke Ohohoro- Clemson

55) T Kiran Amegadjie- Yale

56) T Patrick Paul- Houston

58) WR Roman Wilson- Michigan

59) WR Ja’Lynn Polk- Washington

60) E Adissa Issac- Penn State

61) Braden Fiske- Florida State

62) S Cam Kinchens- Miami

63) DT T’Vondre Sweat- Texas

65) ILB Junior Colson- Michigan

66) ILB Jeremiah Trotter- Clemson

67) S Jaden Hicks- Washington State

Who should the Rams take at #52?

The Rams mirrored most NFL teams and took the conservative route in Round 1, should they continue on down that path or reach for someone not really within arm’s length? Is it time for some Les Snead incremental bartering? Or pyrotechnics?

As much as I like stockpiling picks in the Top 100, I would counsel the same conservative draft pathway. Grab high floor prospects at #52, #83, and #99 and then try to identify some athletic/physical/hot motor freaks later on. The Rams did more than pay lip service to the defensive front/pass rush in Round 1, keep it up. Mix BPA and needs, improving depth and maybe catching a rising star. Don’t forget special teams in later rounds, they certainly need an overall athletic upgrade.

Where do Rams fans stand at #52?