The Pick Is In — Los Angeles Rams 2023 NFL Draft

Liam Blutman, Karan Jangra and Dylan Reubenking

Howdy folks! Welcome to The Pick Is In! That’s right, we’re back for another run with this experiment and can’t wait to see what our GMs, err, writers can cook up. If you’re unfamiliar with this series, lemme paint the picture for you. Our writers will be stepping up to the plate for a NFL franchise and act as if they have full control of the team on draft day. For each team, we’ll have three writers step into the front office and take over as general manager. You’ll see picks made from No. 1 overall to a sixth-rounder, bold picks will be made in unique spots, and trades will be cooked up. To highlight some of our success from 2022, we saw the Bengals trade up to take a star named Tariq Woolen in the mid 40s, the Packers snagged a stud in Jalen Pitre with the 28th overall pick, and with the 98th overall pick, the Saints struck gold with the valuable Zach Tom. This year will be no different. Our GMs will once again be showcasing their unique abilities to find intriguing talent. Whether you know it or not, the draft has already begun and it resumes with The Pick Is In. Welcome to the 2023 NFL Draft. The Los Angeles Rams are on the clock…

Liam Blutman:

The Pick Is In: Julius Brents CB — Kansas State (Trade Up)

julius brents
Photo Credit: Kansas State Athletics

Goodbye, Jalen Ramsey. We traded you away for nothing but sincerely appreciated your time in Los Angeles and your phenomenal play which helped us capture a Super Bowl. We’ll miss you, but it’d be foolish to think about you much longer. We’re ready to move forward and draft a cornerback or two with high hopes of striking gold.

The Rams once again lack top end draft capital. This year, the Rams hold a trio of top 100 picks: 36, 69, and 77. In addition to these, Los Angeles possesses eight picks from Rounds 5-7. My job here as the temporary Rams GM was simple as evidenced by my opening paragraph… we need a cornerback. We need a flat out stud with big-time potential. Hello, Julius Brents.

The Kansas State product enjoyed a terrific NFL combine, which really helped him rise up the draft ranks. Despite his wicked 9.99 RAS while being a 6-foot-3, 198-pounder, Brents hasn’t rocketed up the mocks like I envisioned. In the grand scheme of things, that really doesn’t matter at all. If even just a few NFL front offices view Brents as a first-round talent, that’s where he’ll end up going. With that in mind, I feel comfortable swinging a deal for Brents, and I’ve cooked a deal up with Cincinnati.

The Bengals will receive: No. 36, No. 77, and No. 223

The Rams will receive: No. 28 and No. 131

Los Angeles moves up to snag Brents by spending a mid-third and an extra seventh-rounder. The Bengals move down just eight spots and surrender a late-fourth.

I see this as a very fair and even trade where both sides benefit. We know why the Rams benefit as we’re honed in on Brents. Cincinnati’s front office can definitely get behind a deal here where it collects a mid-third and a seventh just for moving down eight spots and having a variety of stellar options available at 36 that the Bengals would feel comfortable taking at 28.

So why are we moving up for Julius Brents? He is a bigger corner but still boasts excellent speed, length, and range. He’s equipped with tree branches for arms. More literally, he has 34-inch arms, which rank in the 99th percentile. The 23-year-old rookie is a prolific athlete as evidenced by his 9.99 RAS and a 98.3 In-Game Athleticism Score but also on tape as he’s showcased it plenty. On tape, Brents will wow you with superb footwork, exquisite twitch, and outstanding lateral movement. King Julius has hopes of being a mastermind in zone coverage, and we’re confident he can explode through his ceiling in LA. I love how Brents’ instincts show up on tape all the time. He’s sniffing out what routes are being run and showing up in run support as an aggressive tackler who is really hard to get by. He plays with a lot of physicality too, which I’m always a big fan of. He’s just fierce! One of my biggest worries with Brents is something that is very coachable. He’ll find himself getting lost on vertical routes at times. This happens because he’s got his eyes locked in on the QB and loses track of his assignment. It’s whatever to me. This doesn’t really bother me at all. As I mentioned this is very coachable, and Brents is such an intriguing talent with one heck of a mind that it’d be foolish for us to write him off because of this.

To the Rams fans reading this… you’re welcome. I just made a smooth trade to go up and grab a potential CB1 for our franchise. And to the real Los Angeles Rams front office, I suggest you make this dream a reality… you’re welcome.

Karan Jangra:

The Pick Is In: Jake Haener QB — Fresno State (5th Round, 167th Overall)

jake haener
Photo Credit: Michael Owens/Getty Images

One of the less talked about, but incredibly important, NFL storylines this offseason is what the Rams’ future plans are when it comes to the quarterback position. At 35 years old and coming off a 2022 season in which he missed eight games with both a concussion and spinal cord contusion, Matthew Stafford is both figuratively and literally on his last limbs heading into 2023. The Rams experimented with bringing in Baker Mayfield down the stretch of last season, but the former No. 1 overall pick lasted just five games before leaving for Tampa Bay in free agency. Either way, with no clear backup plan behind Stafford, Sean McVay’s Rams will almost certainly be drafting a QB in this draft. Who better than Fresno State’s very own Jake Haener to sit and learn behind the 14-year vet?

Haener became a household name amongst hardcore college football fans after his late-game heroics against UCLA in 2021. After transferring from Washington in 2019, Haener quickly broke out for Fresno, going 21-8 and throwing 67 touchdowns to just 17 interceptions in his three seasons starting. Haener also notoriously handled a huge volume of responsibility for the Bulldogs, throwing just under 500 passes in 2021 and 40+ times in a game on 12 different occasions throughout his career. 

Putting his folk hero status aside, Haener is quietly going under the radar as a legit NFL QB prospect. The guy’s film is on par with, if not better than, some recent QBs we’ve seen drafted in the first three rounds. If he wasn’t on the radar of teams coming into the process, an MVP performance in front of scouts at the Senior Bowl should certainly help his stock. 

In a lot of senses, Jake Haener plays a lot like a miniscule Matthew Stafford. He can rip a backside crossing route as well as anyone and throws with consistently strong mechanics and anticipation. Similarly to Stafford, Haener has made a career out of completing passes in the face of pressure and not being afraid to take hits in the process. The guy isn’t an incredible athlete by any means, and at just 6-foot there’s room to be concerned, but he possesses a lot of the uncoachable traits that coaches like McVay look for in a developmental QB. Look no further than McVay’s good friend, Kyle Shanahan, and his recent success with 2022 seventh-round pick Brock Purdy. 

Haener is a tough, pro-ready QB who can, at worst, come in and serve as a day one backup to Stafford in LA. Where he goes from there is to be determined, but it’s hard to argue any other “tier two” QB in this class has the film and résumé to match him. McVay’s Rams are in a weird spot, but finding the answer at QB should be their number one priority from this point onward.

Dylan Reubenking:

The Pick Is In: DeWayne McBride RB — UAB (5th Round, 171st Overall)

dewayne mcbride
Photo Credit: UAB Athletics

The Rams’ biggest priority this offseason is to get healthy, especially on offense. Only the Titans and Broncos had more players on injured reserve than the Rams. They also had 11 different starting offensive line combos through the first 11 games, which is just impossible to win football games with. But in all reality, Sean McVay’s team just needs more playmakers — guys that defensive coordinators highlight in team meetings, guys that can electrify a crowd and put butts in seats.

Outside of Cooper Kupp, the Rams don’t really have that, especially at the running back position. The Rams have failed to average 100 rushing yards per game in each of the last two regular seasons. DeWayne McBride can change that.

The winner of the 2022 Colt Brennan Award, our award given to the most outstanding Group of Five player, enjoyed a historic season for UAB, shattering single-season program records for rushing yards (1,713) and touchdowns (19). His production won’t be topped in this running back class, but he passes the eye test as well. And if you’re like me, he passes the dawg test.

“Debo” has a fantastic blend of shiftiness and power, using quick footwork to bounce to the outside or cut upfield, but the strength to bulldoze his way through to the second level and beyond. One reason that the Rams should have McBride on their radar is his underrated ability to hold his own in pass blocking. Look at how he fends off Nolan Smith on this play.

The Rams’ current running back room of Cam Akers, Kyren Williams, and Ronnie Rivers doesn’t move the needle for me. Akers had a strong finish to the 2022 regular season, but he was quite inconsistent until December. In fact, he didn’t have a carry of more than 20 yards until his 141st carry on Christmas Day against the lowly Broncos. McBride isn’t a guy who will blow you away with breakaway speed, but he will earn yards after contact just by sheer force. If you watch broadcasts of UAB games from last year, I’d bet money that you’ll hear the broadcaster exclaim “he’s STILL on his feet” at least once during a McBride run.

About the author

Liam Blutman
Read more posts by this author

I am a diehard UCLA fan that has enjoyed (?) mediocrity year after year. My favorite CFB moment was witnessing UCLA comeback from 34 down against Texas A&M. Being at the Rose Bowl for that historic moment is something I’ll never forget. I have written about CFB since I was 14 and my favorite thing to do is give under-the-radar athletes the recognition they deserve. You might know me from @NoContextCFB !

Karan Jangra
Website | Read more posts by this author

Proud California Golden Bears fan and aspiring football mind. I specialize in Pac-12 and NFL Draft coverage. My past experiences in journalism include covering the San Francisco 49ers, as well as creating film breakdowns on my own blog. I love the X’s and O’s just as much as anyone else, but also see value in numbers. My favorite CFB game ever was the 2007 Fiesta Bowl between Oklahoma and Boise State.

Dylan Reubenking
Read more posts by this author

I am an Oregon Ducks fan who graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism. At the UO, I did on-site reporting with Duck TV Sports and KWVA Sports 88.1 FM and have covered events such as the 2020 Pac-12 Football Championship Game and the 2021 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament. I previously wrote for Ducks Digest on the Sports Illustrated network.

You may like these posts