Although there are a number of promising defensive line prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft, general manager Les Snead is keeping his fingers crossed that one may fall to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams are hoping to address some serious voids on the roster through this year’s draft. Among them is their need to shore up some depth up front on defense.
Los Angeles is currently slated to pick 31st thanks to their Super Bowl run in 2018. It seems Snead is well aware that this may leave them on the outside looking in when it comes to taking a potential star on the defensive line.
According to Clarence Dennis of the team’s official website, Snead feels the best prospects will likely be out of reach for them, which could lead to them looking to trade down:
“The problem for us is, it’s a very deep defensive line class, but it could get really thin even before we pick at [No.] 31. So, there’s some good and bad to being a deep defensive line class,” Snead said. “But, I do think we’ll remember this draft as one where more of those guys were drafted earlier than probably ever, and then now it’s up to the kid and the teams to get them to reach their potential.”
Snead’s comments indicate that the hope is to use a first-rounder on a defensive lineman. The departure of Ndamukong Suh has left a notable void up front and the Rams could be looking to fill with young talent.
Players like Montez Sweat, Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell and Ed Oliver are among the most notable players at the position. The prospect of any of them falling to the Rams to play alongside Aaron Donald is enough to have fans excited for the draft.
Unfortunately, it seems Snead is already preparing for all of these players to be off the board by the time the Rams make their pick. It will be interesting to see it ultimately pans out for the front office.
