Going into the 2022 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams had a number of needs to address, with interior offensive line and the secondary being chief among them.
The Rams wasted no time on Day 2 addressing the offensive line, selecting Wisconsin guard Logan Bruss with their lone pick in the third round.
Now on Day 3, the Rams clearly made it a point to add to their secondary, both in the draft and elsewhere. With the Rams’ first pick in the third round at No. 142 overall, they took South Carolina State cornerback Decobie Durant, via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic:
Rams are taking DB Decobie Durant at No. 142. South Carolina State!
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) April 30, 2022
Then just five minutes later, they turned to the trade market to bring back a familiar face in cornerback Troy Hill from the Cleveland Browns:
2023 fifth-rounder https://t.co/KlbqlS41ey
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) April 30, 2022
Durant projects as a bit of a project, so he likely won’t be playing much in 2022, using that time to learn from Jalen Ramsey, Hill and the rest of the Rams’ veterans in the secondary.
Drafting a project that can help for the future isn’t exactly ideal for a team trying to compete now, although it became more understandable when the Rams immediately turned around and brought back the veteran Hill.
Hill is a name that Rams fans are very familiar with as he played five seasons with the team from 2016-20 before signing with the Browns in free agency last offseason.
He should be able to immediately step in and resume the previous role he had with the Rams as a slot corner, bringing some experience and familiarity with the team’s scheme to the table.
Hill is under contract for the 2022 season at a very affordable $1.5 million, which is why the Rams had to give up a 2023 fifth-round pick to acquire him.
The Rams still have six more picks in the 2022 draft, which they can now use to address other needs now that their secondary seems to be set.
