Given their recent history, the Los Angeles Rams will probably have traded all their picks from this 2022 7-Round NFL Mock Draft by April. Right now, however, let’s investigate how the reigning Super Bowl champions can use the 2022 NFL Draft to retool for another run at the sport’s biggest prize.
Los Angeles Rams 2022 7-Round Mock Draft
For the purposes of this Rams 2022 NFL Mock Draft, we’ve used PFN’s free Mock Draft Simulator with trades. However, the selections are hand-picked based on the projected needs for the Rams in the 2022 NFL Draft. They currently have seven picks following multiple trades. Let’s break down how this haul improves Los Angeles’ future fortunes.
Round 3, Pick 104: Matt Waletzko, OT, North Dakota
For a period of two months, Andrew Whitworth was the oldest active player in the NFL. With Tom Brady announcing his un-retirement, the Rams’ left tackle has been denied the right to call himself the oldest player in the league. And on Tuesday, the 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year waltzed off into the sunset, ending his career on a high as a Super Bowl champion.
Finding the long-term successor at left tackle should be a priority for general manager Les Snead over the next six weeks. In this mock draft, LA finds their man in North Dakota’s Matt Waletzko. He’s an imposing figure with great size and sensational length. Waletzko has the athletic and technical foundations to be a starter in the NFL for many years.
Round 4, Pick 142: Alex Wright, EDGE, UAB
While there’s no surety over Whitworth retiring, Von Miller’s free agent status is an even bigger cause of concern and uncertainty. The dominant pass rusher is still producing the goods at almost 33. As a result, he’s expected to be one of the prize targets in free agency. Even if he returns to the Rams, they’re likely to attempt to find his long-term replacement.
If not for suffering an injury at the NFL Combine, Alex Wright might have already ascended beyond this fourth-round selection in this Rams mock draft. At 6’5″ and 271 pounds, Wright is an imposing athlete who plays with incredible power and explosion as a stand-up pass rusher. While he’ll need some technical refinement, all the building blocks are there for the UAB edge player to develop into a productive playmaker at the next level.
Round 5, Pick 175: Zakoby McClain, LB, Auburn
The inside linebacker room is a little bare. There’s very little depth behind Ernest Jones, himself a first-year starter. Auburn’s Zakoby McClain is a productive tackling machine who plays the game with a high motor and decent sideline to sideline speed.
He has the football intelligence to read the game and the athletic profile to match. While McClain’s a little undersized, the strength of the Rams’ defensive front should allow him to thrive coming downhill.
Round 6, Pick 210: Vincent Gray, CB, Michigan
Without a selection in the top 100 picks, the Rams are backloaded in the 2022 NFL Draft. Five of their seven picks come after pick 200. As a result, they’re looking for value additions. Michigan cornerback Vincent Gray gives them great value at a position of need.
Gray is suffering from “A.J. Terrell syndrome,” where giving up a big play in a big game forces a player’s NFL Draft stock to slide. Nonetheless, he possesses NFL size and length. Additionally, he plays the game with physicality and is faster than his NFL Combine speed.
Round 6, Pick 211: Cordell Volson, OT, North Dakota State
When you’re limited with your picks, finding versatility — especially on the offensive line — is key. North Dakota State’s Cordell Volson is one of the most versatile offensive linemen in the class. He’s played at both bookends and guard spots. While he’s played predominantly at tackle for the Bison, a transition inside to guard could see him secure a long NFL career. Volson is a big, nasty mauler who excels as a blocker in the run game.
Round 6, Pick 213: Mike Rose, LB, Iowa State
Doubling up at the linebacker position as they seek to add depth to that unit, the Rams add Iowa State linebacker Mike Rose in the sixth round of this 2022 NFL Mock Draft. At 6’4″ and 245 pounds, Rose has imposing size as a downhill thumper against the run. He’s also seen some impressive production as a pass rusher, and he’s snagged 6 career interceptions in coverage.
Round 7, Pick 236: Isaiah Weston, WR, Northern Iowa
With their first of their two seventh-round selections, I found myself in a quandary between adding a wide receiver or tight end to the Rams roster. While tight end might be considered a bigger need, there wasn’t a player at the position on the board that I felt fit. Furthermore, Isaiah Weston gives Los Angeles a size and speed threat who possesses a great catch radius and an athletic profile that suggests he can be an after-the-catch weapon at the next level.
Round 7, Pick 251: Jordan Stout, P, Penn State
In one of the shocks of the early free agency period, the Rams announced that they were cutting punter Johnny Hekker. One of the special-teams stars in the league, Hekker was an All-Pro every year between 2013 and 2018. He also has a 60.9% completion percentage as a reliable passer on fake punts.
In this mock draft, the Rams find a ready-made replacement in Penn State’s Jordan Stout. A strong-legged and accurate punter, Stout has proven a reliable punter for the Nittany Lions. Furthermore, he holds the program field-goal record.