Rams' Late-Round Magic: Drafting Stars

0:00On April 22nd, the NFL draft kicks off Thursday night, but for the Los Angeles Rams, the real magic happens after Round 1. They built a powerhouse by unearthing stars like Cooper Cup, Puka Nakua, Kobe Turner, Byron Young, and Quentin Lake in later rounds. This year, they skipped the 4th and 5th, but packed two picks on day 2 and 4 more, more in the 6th and 7th prime spots to snag contributors. Meanwhile, wide receivers topped their shopping list if they pass on one early. Guys like Alabama's Jeremy Bernard bring steady hands and touchdowns without blazing speed, while Tennessee's 6 foot 4, Chris Brazil, the second, offers rare size and 4.37 wheels to stretch the field. Notre Dame's Malachi fields adds another polished option. Rams fans love their love for versatile defenders, and this class delivers. Arizona's trade-and-stukes flips between corner and safety with Captain Grit, Indiana's tiny but explosive DeAngelo Ponds thrives in the slot, and TCU.

1:02Safety butt card boasts 15 picks over 4 years for deep-aw theft. Pittsburgh's Kyle Lui covers like a champ, fixing last season's linebacker woes. Day 3 could yield edge rushers like Michigan's Jay-Shan Barrum or LSU's fallen star Harold Perkins Jr. plus massive tackles such as Miami's. 6 foot 9, Markle Bell. Don't sleep on return wizards. Iowa's Caden Wet Gen and LSU's Barry and Brown, with their touchdown halls, upgrades special teams right away. As the board shakes out post-first round, watch how Rams' defensive coordinator Chris Shula schemes these fits into McBays' vision could be another. That tall-turning contenders into champs.