Who were we right about? And which class flopped most?
Sean McVay and Les Snead have partnered to lead nine NFL drafts during their tenure together with the Los Angeles Rams. The tandem has only ever held a first round draft selection in 3 of the 9 drafts but when the dust has settled, the GM and young head coach have only drafted one first rounder in that time span: Jared Verse. Not many GMs and head coaches would be able to succeed in today’s NFL using that type of strategy and operation. But that’s a credit to the two minds leading this franchise and how they have ultimately found tremendous success on Days 2 and 3 of the draft. Here’s a look back on each class and regrading each one from their initial assessment.
Recap: The Rams will be remembered in this draft for selecting Cooper Kupp in the third round. Anytime you draft a triple crown winner and SB MVP, it usually grades well. But the Rams had contributions from their first five selections. Gerald Everett did not quite live up to expectations probably in large part due to his limited size. However, John Johnson was a top safety in the league for a five year span; earning a contract with the Cleveland Browns. Josh Reynolds served as a WR3 for the Rams when Kupp tore his ACL in 2018. Reynolds then rejoined Brad Holmes in Detroit soon after.
Best Player: Cooper Kupp
Grade: B
Recap: After going “all-in” in the offseason, the Rams did not have a ton of draft capital early but were flush with Day 2 and 3 picks. The Rams found John Franklin-Myers in the 4th round, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo in the 5th, and Sebastian Joseph-Day in the 6th but JFM was surprisingly released in the training camp the next offseason. SJD would anchor the starting nose tackle position for Los Angeles in his second season until halfway through 2021 when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. The head scratching component of this class was that Sean McVay and Les Snead always something in Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen yet they underwhelmed when thrust into starting roles and when receiving second contracts.
Best Pick: Overall…John Franklin-Myers. For the Rams…Sebastian Joseph-Day.
Grade: C
Recap: In 2019, the Rams actually had a first round pick but traded back twice to select Taylor Rapp. Henderson saw time as the starting running back following Todd Gurley’s demise. There were late round contributors with Greg Gaines, David Edwards, and Nick Scott. In evaluation, the Rams chose the wrong Memphis running back as Tony Pollard has had the more successful career to date.
Best Player: Greg Gaines
Grade: D+
Recap: When the Brandin Cooks experiment did not work, LA shipped Cooks to the Houston Texans for a second round pick (Van Jefferson). Unfortunately, I think this draft class was the worst in the Snead/McVay era because they did not parlay two 2nds and two 3rds into anything significant. Akers tore his achilles in training camp of 2021; missing almost of the regular season and then became a headache for the organization the following year. Jefferson was a well-respected player but his poor hands always left fans wanting more. Lewis could never overcome his injury-bug from Alabama, while Burgess was a bust altogether. Last but not least, Sam Sloman single handedly drove McVay and the offense mad with his inability as a place kicker.
Best Player: Jordan Fuller
Grade: D-
Recap: As I mentioned last week, Tutu Atwell remains the lone survivor of this draft class now four years later. I do believe the organization will try harder to unlock his full potential in 2025. There was a lot of hope surrounding the ability and potential of Ernest Jones. However due to the organization and Jones disagreeing about financial compensation, Jones was traded before the 2024 season. I imagine a lot of discontent with Jones was seeing Bobby Wagner receive a sizable contract from LA.
Best Player: Tutu Atwell
Grade: C-
Recap: This class feels so tough to evaluate because of the limited talent but there has been production. Logan Bruss was a complete bust because of a knee injury. Although his ceiling his limited but his lack of explosion, Kyren Williams has redeemed the group for his ability to lead the backfield the last two seasons after Cam Akers was traded. Quentin Lake and Cobie Durant have seen time in the secondary albeit with mixed results.
Best Player: Kyren Williams
Grade: C
Recap: This is Snead and McVay’s greatest draft to date. With the superstar ability of Puka Nacua and the promise of players: Steve Avila, Byron Young, and Kobie Turner, the Rams enter year three with a group hungry to prove they are a Super Bowl champion caliber team. Kobie Turner was the ideal “replacement” for Aaron Donald. Steve Avila has potential to a be a pro bowl left guard and Byron Young is a starter opposite of Jared Verse.
Best Player: Puka Nacua
Grade: A
Recap: We are only able to judge off of one year but this group also has the making to be special. Jared Verse and Braden Fiske stayed together as teammates from Florida State. Kam Kinchens seems destined to patrol the secondary with a hard hitting presence for the next three years. LA also found two sixth round players in place kicker Josh Karty and wide receiver/kick returner Jordan Whittington.
Best Player: Jared Verse
Grade: A
Recap: It seemed as though the Rams predetermined their positional selection by taking Terrence Ferguson in the second round but no one expected the Atlanta Falcons to trade up into the first round by surrendering a 2026 first rounder. Les Snead admitted that this draft was more fixated on filling specific needs rather than chasing best player available throughout.
Best Player: Jarquez Hunter (just my prediction)
Grade: TBD