After watching the opening day of action unfold without a first-round pick, the Los Angeles Rams finally managed to get on the board by taking Louisville wide receiver Tutu Atwell with the No. 57 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Despite not having first-round pick, L.A. still suffered a bit of a setback with general manager Les Snead testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). Fortunately, his absence from the Rocket Mortgage Draft House did not stop the team from doing their due diligence and adding another potential weapon to the offense and return game.
In 2019, Atwell led the ACC with 1,276 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns thanks to his 4.32 speed. While he checks in at just 5-foot-9, 150 pounds, the Rams are optimistic that he will be an outlier thanks to his playmaking ability.
Head coach Sean McVay acknowledged his desire to bring back that explosive element to the offense that it had been sorely missing since the departure of Brandin Cooks. Although they managed to add a veteran speedster in DeSean Jackson, they have now made efforts to shore up a surplus of firepower on offense for quarterback Matthew Stafford to work with.
McVay noted that L.A. did not have any pressing needs on the roster leading up to the draft, but still had some voids to fill when it came to the return game. Even though he was confident in the current personnel, the recent selection indicates that the team is hoping that they will be able to kill two birds with one stone in the form of Atwell.
The diminutive speedster will have a chance to emerge as a game-breaker that is capable of keeping the defense on their toes over the top for the Rams. Given the amount of weapons already in the passing game, it will be interesting to see if they also plan to have him take over primary return duties.
