Lloyd Cushenberry III, LSU Tigers. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Rams have six picks to make in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. Here is their latest 2020 NFL mock draft. Who will they end up taking this year?
After winning the division the two previous years, the Los Angeles Rams narrowly missed out on the NFC playoffs in 2019. Sure, they would have made them last if year the expanded field was in play, but that’s not the point here. The point is the Rams may have very well seen their Super Bowl window close on them. The offseason has not been kind to the Rams thus far.
Key players like Dante Fowler, Todd Gurley and Corey Littleton are not on the team anymore. The Rams have an expensive team and one that will be hard to add the right pieces to up against a tough salary cap situation. Because of a handful of trades, the Rams won’t be operation with a full arsenal of picks in the next few drafts.
Entering the 2020 NFL Draft, the Rams have six picks to work with. Though they have two in this year’s third round, they do not have a first-round pick this year, or next year for that matter, nor do they have a fifth-round pick to use this year either. With only two top-100 picks, Rams general manager Les Snead will need to get creative with how he wants to approach the draft process.
Primary needs for the Rams are at all three positions along the offensive line (offensive tackle, center, guard). Secondary needs are out on the edge, safety and cornerback. Tertiary needs are at linebacker and at wide receiver. Here is the latest 2020 NFL mock draft for the Rams.
First Round
The Rams do not have a first-round pick this year. This stems from a trade deadline deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Los Angeles gave us its 2020 first-round pick, its 2021 first-round pick and its 2021 fourth-round pick to land All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Though still very much in the midst of his prime, giving up consecutive first-round picks for any player may not be worth it.
Second Round
52
Lloyd Cushenberry III
C LSU Tigers
Yes, we should expect Snead to go heavy along the offensive line in the early stages of the 2020 NFL Draft. If the Rams can get guys who can play multiple positions in the trenches, that would be terrific. With their No. 52 overall pick in the second round, the Rams could go with a guy like LSU Tigers center Lloyd Cushenberry III with their first selection of the upcoming draft.
Cushenberry is 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds. He was part of the 2019 National Championship Team at LSU last season, earning a sport on the All-SEC First Team in the process. Cushenberry was the guy responsible for snapping the ball to Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow, as well as opening up holes on the offensive interior for Clyde Edwards-Helaire to sprint through.
Overall, it’s hard to get excited about a team using its first pick in the draft on a center during day two of the draft. However, the best way the Rams can get back to the Super Bowl is to give quarterback Jared Goff as much help upfront as possible. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth is no spring chicken anymore, so he’ll gladly welcome someone from his alma mater to help him out.