With the 2016 NFL Draft in the books, we take a look at the Los Angeles Rams’ draft class and evaluate how their draftees fit with their new team.
Los Angeles Rams’ general manager Les Snead was a busy man in the days preceding the 2016 NFL Draft. After trying for a while to reach an agreement with the Tennessee Titans to move-up to the number one overall selection, a deal was finally reached on April 14th. It took a pretty-penny to move-up 14 spots (numbers 15, 43, 45, and 76 in 2016, and a first and third-round pick in the 2017 Draft), yet Snead is confident that it was well worth it if they indeed found their next franchise quarterback in Cal’s Jared Goff.
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This draft class (and Snead’s future) will forever be tied to Goff’s career. If Goff goes on to have an illustrious career, Snead will be looked at as a genius; if Goff stumbles and flames out, Snead will have to get his resume together pretty quickly.
In order for Goff to have success, he must have weapons surrounding him, and the Rams’ made it a priority in this draft to do just that. Of the five picks the Rams made (besides Goff), four were on offense (with the exception of Josh Forrest, a raw linebacker who has shown flashes of being able to rush the quarterback):
- Round 1 (#1): Jared Goff, QB, California
- Round 4 (#110): Tyler Higbee, TE, Western Kentucky
- Round 4 (#117): Pharoh Cooper, WR, South Carolina
- Round 6 (#177): Temarrick Hemingway, TE, South Carolina State
- Round 6 (#190): Josh Forrest, LB, Kentucky
- Round 6 (#206): Mike Thomas, WR, Southern Mississippi
The first non-Goff pick the Rams made was Tyler Higbee. Higbee has had some legal issues in his past—most notably pleading not guilty to an assault charge—but at 6’ 6” and 249 pounds, he has a chance of being an instant security blanket for Goff. His hands and route-running are exceptional, and his large frame could make him an ideal target in the red zone.
Temarrick Hemingway is another tight end who’s not as polished as Higbee, but has a nice upside. He’s a decent blocker and should be a solid intermediate target for Goff. With Lance Kendricks and Justice Cunningham as the only other tight ends on the roster, both Higbee and Hemingway should get a fair-share amount of playing time, and it wouldn’t be a shock if either one was starting by midseason.
In Pharoh Cooper, the Rams get a do-it-all receiver who can line-up out wide, in the slot, or even in the backfield. While he’s more quick than fast (4.63 40-yard dash time), he excels at generating yards after the catch, and his pro comparisons have been the likes of Randall Cobb and Emmanuel Sanders. If he’s anything close to those two players, the Rams might have gotten one of the steals of the draft.
Mike Thomas out of Southern Mississippi might not be as well-known as the other Mike Thomas who was drafted this year (Round 2, #47 to the New Orleans Saints), but he generated nearly 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior season, and at 6’ 1” and 193 pounds, he could serve as quality depth early on and grow into a more substantial role as his career goes on.
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Overall, the Rams’ future is tied directly to Goff, but the other five players selected could all contribute in some way or another. Goff now has a nice group of young weapons around him, and they all figure to grow together. It might take a few years to develop, but the Rams have drafted a nice young nucleus that could grow into something special.