Los Angeles Rams NFL Draft 2023 guide: Picks, predictions and key needs

The Athletic has around-the-clock coverage of the NFL Draft. Follow our NFL Draft Round 4-7 live blog and round 2-3 winners and losers, round 2 grades and best available players.

The Los Angeles Rams have the 36th overall pick (Round 2) in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins on April 27 in Kansas City. The Rams own 11 total picks in the seven-round draft.

Advertisement

Rams’ draft picks

ROUNDPICKOVERALLNOTES

2

5

36

3

6

69

3

14

77

From Patriots via Dolphins

5

33

167

Compensatory

5

37

171

Compensatory

5

43

177

Compensatory

6

5

182

6

12

189

From Titans

6

14

191

From Packers

7

6

223

7

17

234

From Steelers

Full draft order

Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.

NFL Draft details

• Round 1: April 27, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 28, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 29, Noon ET

All rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.

About the Rams

• Head coach: Sean McVay (seventh season)
• General manager: Les Snead
• Last year’s record: 5-12

One season after winning the Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Rams struggled to a 5-12 finish. They were hit hard by injuries, especially along the offensive line and lost six games in a row after starting the season 3-3. The Rams have been quiet in free agency with a handful of players — Nick Scott, Greg Gaines, Brandon Powell among them — signing elsewhere while high-profile players like Bobby Wagner (signed with the Seahawks), Leonard Floyd (released) and Jalen Ramsey (traded to the Dolphins) are also gone.

Rams’ key position needs 

Tight end: Even with the addition of tight end Hunter Long, via the Ramsey trade, the Rams will be looking to update some of the layers in their passing game and veteran tight end Tyler Higbee is in the last year of his deal.

Cornerback: After trading Ramsey, the Rams need a fearless cornerback to support them in all of these phases. They will depend on still-unproven young cornerbacks Cobie DurantDerion Kendrick and Robert Rochell. Among the three, Durant showed the most consistency in limited reps in 2022.

Edge rusher: The Rams released Floyd on March 10. Without Floyd, the Rams are really thin at pass rusher. Barring other moves, they would depend on converted defensive tackle Michael Hoecht (an undrafted free agent) and seventh-round pick Daniel Hardy, who missed most of his rookie 2022 season while on injured reserve. But the Rams will attend to this position in the draft as well as evaluate veteran pickups later in free agency.

Advertisement

Rams draft analysis

Rams big board: Final look at potential Day 2 and 3 picks

Analyzing the picks: Dane Brugler picked all seven rounds. Jourdan Rodrigue looks at each one.

Their offseason play? GM Les Snead and VP of football Tony Pastoors discuss what’s ahead for the Rams

Mailbag — draft, free agency and more: No sugar-coating it, this is probably one of the most important drafts for the Rams in recent history. They are potentially at the start of their new “window” and the foundation they set now will have ripple effects into 2026 and beyond.

What Jalen Ramsey’s trade means: In 2023, they have 11 draft picks (no first-rounder) to help them overhaul their depth on both sides of the ball, and other resources will go into jacking up an offense that ranked among the worst in the league last season. In 2024, they’ll have cash, cap space and draft picks, including a first-rounder.

What we learned at the NFL combine: The Rams did due diligence on backup quarterbacks and because most of their current picks are on Day 3, the high-profile names at the combine weren’t really part of their thinking.

The Athletic’s most recent mock drafts

April 26: Final beat writer mock — Jourdan finds DE at No. 36

April 24: Jourdan Rodrigue’s final 7-round mock for the Rams

April 17: The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mocks all seven rounds

April 12: The Athletic’s Diante Lee projects what happens if Lamar Jackson is traded

April 7: The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner goes three rounds deep

March 28: The Athletic draft experts Diante Lee and Nate Tice mock Round 1

March 22: Beat writer mock draft: QBs go quickly, surprise trade, Aaron Rodgers stalemate: Jourdan Rodrigue finds a cornerback to help fill void left when Jalen Ramsey was traded

March 8: Rams mock draft: Trading back and still finding player at much-needed position

Advertisement

Rams’ last five top picks

2022: OL Logan Bruss, pick No. 104 — Bruss was expected to contribute on the interior of the Rams’ offensive line as a rookie. But he tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee in the preseason against the Houston Texans and was lost for the season. He’s expected to find his way back into the competition for a starting role in 2023.

2021: WR Tutu Atwell, pick No. 57 — His rookie season was a wash after the 5-9, 165-pound receiver saw limited action in eight games before spending the rest of the season on injured reserve. He caught 18 passes for 298 yards last season and showed glimpses of his big-play capability.

2020: RB Cam Akers, pick No. 52 — After a promising rookie season when he ran for 625 yards and two TDs, Akers suffered an Achilles injury before the 2021 season and amazingly returned to carry the ball three times in Week 18 and added 172 rushing yards and 76 receiving yards in the Rams’ playoff run that ended with a Super Bowl title. He ran for 786 yards and seven TDs last season as he eventually emerged as the team’s lead back.

2019: S Taylor Rapp, pick No. 61 — In four seasons, Rapp intercepted nine passes in L.A., including six combined the past two seasons. He’s a free agent after totaling at least 92 tackles in three of his four seasons.

2018: OT Joe Noteboom, pick No. 89 — It’s been a difficult journey for the third-round pick. He suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 6 after getting the starting left guard spot entering the 2019 season. A calf injury slowed his progress in 2020. He spent 2021 as mostly a backup at tackle and signed a three-year, $40 million extension in 2022. But in Week 6 last season, he tore his Achilles and done for the year. He is expected to compete for a starting spot again this season when he’s healthy.

(Photo of Adetomiwa Adebawore: Patrick Gorski / USA Today)

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k2xramhnbXxzfJFsZmlsX2eDcLjOrGSappeauaa%2FjKuYpqtdo7OtecOrmJ%2BsXaW2pLfSZqWenZSoerG%2BxJ2gnKyZpLu0ecauoJ2dXw%3D%3D