The Los Angeles Rams sat out and watched the first day of the 2023 NFL Draft as they did not have a first-round pick as the final part of the Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff trade with the Detroit Lions.
The Rams got in on the action on Day 2 though as they held three picks, one in the second round and two in the third, to start the day.
It didn’t take long for the Rams to make their first pick as they selected TCU offensive guard Steve Avila with the No. 36 overall pick in the second round.
Avila had a second-round grade and should be able to help the Rams address their issues up front after starting 14 different guys on the offensive line in 2022, which was the most by a team in more than 50 years.
Avila is a big, physical offensive lineman at 6’4″ and 332 pounds who played everywhere during his time at TCU, which gives the Rams some versatility. He is expected to play guard but could move all over if needed.
While Avila is not known for his athleticism, his physicality is his biggest strength as scouts say that if he gets his hands on a defensive lineman, it’s over for them.
The Rams also started the day picks 69 and 77 in the third round, the latter of which they acquired in the Jalen Ramsey trade with the Miami Dolphins.
They traded down from 69 multiple times though, eventually ending up with picks 89, 128 and 161.
Their first pick in the third round was 77 though and they used that on Tennessee outside linebacker Byron Young. In two seasons at Tennessee, Young had 12.5 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss and 83 total tackles.
After losing Leonard Floyd and others, pass rush is a huge need for the Rams so they are hoping that Young will help fill that.
With their final pick of the night at 89, the Rams took defensive tackle Kobie Turner out of Wake Forest. In his lone season there, the big man had 38 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and two sacks.
Similar to the last pick, he will help fill the void left by the departures of Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson alongside Aaron Donald up front.
After their trades, The Rams will have a plethora of picks on Day 3 on Saturday including 128, 161, 167, 171, 177, 182, 189, 191, 223 and 234, so their draft is just getting started after Day 2.
