2024 NFL Draft Grades: Los Angeles Rams

Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: B+
Day 3 grade: B

Analysis: The run on offensive players in Round 1 allowed the Rams to land a bargain edge rusher (which they really needed) in Verse, their first first-round pick since 2016. Fiske will help make up for the loss of Aaron Donald to retirement, but we'll have to see if it made sense to trade a 2025 second-rounder to acquire him instead of getting Michael Hall at their original pick (No. 52; he went to the Browns 54th overall). Corum will play bigger and faster than his numbers indicate, and Kinchens is a downhill player at a soft spot for the Rams.

Jackson and Davis bolster the depth on the defensive line with former Florida State teammates Verse and Fiske. The Rams needed to find a kicker in his draft, and they chose Karty over Cam Little (who went to the Jags at No. 212). Limmer and Leveston should be long-time pros at center and guard, respectively. Rookie cornerbacks not drafted this weekend should be getting calls from the Rams.

Top needs entering the draft: Edge defender, cornerback, offensive line

The Rams were back in Round 1 for the first time since 2016, and despite rumblings that they wanted to trade up, they stayed put and took the most complete edge defender in the class. Jared Verse (19) dominated at times at Florida State but also disappeared too often for my tastes, making him a difficult evaluation. The traits are there, though. He can be a 10-sacks-per-season guy. L.A. got excellent rookie seasons from Byron Young and Kobie Turner in 2023, and GM Les Snead has started putting together his plan for life without Aaron Donald, who retired this offseason.

Speaking of, Snead traded up in Round 2 for a potential starter at defensive tackle in Braden Fiske (39), getting Carolina's pick but surrendering Nos. 52 and 155 along with an extremely valuable 2025 second-rounder. Fiske had 11.5 sacks when lined up as DT over the past two seasons, which were the second most in the FBS. He isn't going to be Donald -- one of the greatest defensive linemen in NFL history -- but Fiske can wreak some havoc. Still, I have to downgrade it a little bit because of that 2025 pick.

Blake Corum (83) is a powerful running back who reminds me a little bit of Kyren Williams, the Rams' starter. Safety Kamren Kinchens (99) had 11 interceptions over the past two seasons but ran a subpar 4.65-second 40-yard dash at the combine. I love the way outside linebacker Brennan Jackson (154) plays the game. Use him in a situational role and he can make an instant impact. Joshua Karty (209) is my No. 1 kicker.

Man, I want to give this class an A- because of the bevy of talented players, but I have to knock it down a tier because Snead gave up his second-rounder next year for Fiske.

THE RAMS WASTED NO TIME IN BUTTRESSING A DEFENSIVE FRONT THAT JUST LOST A FUTURE HALL OF FAMER IN AARON DONALD, grabbing a pair of Florida State teammates—pass rusher Jared Verse in the first round and defensive tackle Braden Fiske in the second. The Rams paid a heavy cost to move up for Fiske, surrendering a 2025 second-rounder to do so, but with Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp both getting long in the tooth, this team has no time to waste. I thought the third-round selection of Michigan running back (and Kyren Williams clone) Blake Corum made sense, giving Sean McVay another heady, three-down running back who can take some of the workload off of Williams in 2024. Safety Kamren Kinchens brings ball-hawking skills and the intimidation factor to the safety position, giving L.A. nice depth at safety.

They drafted in Round 1 for the first time in eight years, which kicked off a run that seemed to bring four immediate contributors in the first three rounds: Edge rusher Jared Verse (Round 1), DT Braden Fiske (Round 2) — the former Florida State teammates thrilled to transfer once again and reunite ahead of their collective task to replace retired DL Aaron Donald — before Michigan RB Blake Corum and Miami (Fla.) S Kamren Kinchens landed in Round 3. The loss of Donald is massive figuratively and literally, but it feels like a team that's turned over so extensively since its Super Bowl 56 triumph remains firmly on the upswing.

Sean McVay prepared for life without Aaron Donald by selecting five defensive players, including four who can play along the front seven to generate a pass rush. The Rams selected in the first round for the first time since taking Jared Goff No. 1 overall in 2016, grabbing powerful edge rusher Jared Verse at No. 19. They followed that by taking Verse's teammate at Florida State in the second round in defensive tackle Braden Fiske. Michigan RB Blake Corum gives L.A. a similar runner to spell Pro Bowler Kyren Williams. And Stanford product Josh Karty being selected in the sixth round is L.A.'s latest attempt to solve this team's kicking woes. Overall, the Rams put together a solid class to follow up a very productive group from last year. —Williams

Best Pick: I loved the pick of Washington State defensive end Brennan Jackson in the fifth. He will bring a relentless style that will keep him in the league for a long time. He is perfect for the Rams defense.

Worst Pick: I didn't love the pick of running back Blake Corum in the third. They have a good back in Kyren Williams, who they got in the fifth round. They could have waited to take a back.

The Skinny: They finally had a first-round pick after not having one since 2016 and used it on edge Jared Verse. He fills a need and will be a tough, edge player. They followed that up by trading up to take Florida State defensive tackle Brandon Fiske in the second. They gave up a lot to get him, so they must love him. Les Snead had another good draft.

Analysis: The Rams, finally back in the first round under GM Les Snead, would have been "B" just on the strength of taking Verse and Fiske from the same Florida State defense back-to-back to help new coordinator Chris Shula. Those were the high-priority positions, and safety was also addressed. Corum adds the right change-of-backup to Kyren Williams for Sean McVay.

Analysis: I want to know who thought it was a good idea to let Rams running backs coach Ron Gould get his hands on Corum, one of the smartest backs in this class. Los Angeles spent last year revamping its running game, utilizing it as a weapon to propel its passing attack. Meanwhile, Verse becomes the team's first first-round pick since the Obama administration. If he's anything like some of GM Les Snead's mid-rounders, he should be playing well and playing right away.

The Rams made their first first-round pick since 2016, but they did pretty well for being out of practice. Jared Verse might be my favorite edge defender in this class, his power profile is very much like Houston's Will Anderson Jr., the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Now, Verse will do his thing on the same line as Kobie Turner, who had my vote for that award. Pair him with the productive and underrated Brennan Jackson, and the Rams are cooking with gas all of a sudden with their pass rush plan, bereft of Aaron Donald as it may be. Safety Kamren Kinchens had an off-year in 2023 after two much better seasons before, and he's got al the tools to succeed.

As GM Les Snead and his crew have been so good with their later-round picks, it's important to mention Jordan Whittington, who isn't afraid to the dirty work, and Clemson's Tyler Davis, who could help complete that defensive line in a rotational sense.