Rams give Matthew Stafford 2 weapons in new 3-round mock draft

USA Today

03-04-2025

Rams give Matthew Stafford 2 weapons in new 3-round mock draft
The Los Angeles Rams' first three picks will be critical for both the short- and long-term future of the team. General manager Les Snead has hit on a lot of rookies over the past three years, but the Rams enter an interesting time as a win-now contender with an aging quarterback and a young defense.
If the Rams are serious about pushing for a Super Bowl in 2025, they'll need to find Week 1 contributors on both sides of the ball with their first and third-round picks (L.A. doesn't have a 2025 second as of this writing after trading up for Braden Fiske in 2024).
Pro Football Network's Jacob Infante went through the first three rounds of the draft and predicted every pick for ever team. The Rames came away with a receiver, linebacker and tight end.
Round 1, Pick No. 26: Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka
The Rams could go in a few different ways with this pick, but Infante believes adding another receiver will open their Super Bowl window a little wider this year. Egbuka finished the 2024 season with 1,011 yards on 81 receptions and eight touchdowns. He's been incredibly prolific in college — as most OSU receivers have been — with 205 receptions for 2.868 yards and 24 touchdowns in 49 career games.
'Emeka Egbuka is a sturdy, reliable receiver with good hands and quick lateral movements as both a route runner and a ball carrier,' Infante wrote. 'Don't let the hype around his past and current Buckeyes teammates fool you; Egbuka's tape looks the part of a future NFL starting wide receiver.'
Round 3, Pick No. 90: South Carolina LB Demetrius Knight Jr.
Insider linebacker is an obvious need for the Rams after the departure of Christian Rozeboom and the expected departure of Troy Reeder. Omar Speights and new acquisition Nate Landman are expected to start, but drafting one makes too much sense.
Knight Jr. played mostly in the box during his college career but has experience on the defensive line an in coverage. He racked up 229 combined tackles, 4.5 sacks, seven defended passes and three forced fumbles during 61 games.
'From a physical perspective, Demetrius Knight Jr. is big enough, strong enough, and fast enough to translate to the NFL level,' Infante wrote. 'He's a high-motored player who flies to the ball in pursuit, as well. Don't be surprised if you hear his name a lot more as the pre-draft process heats up.'
Round 3, Pick No. 101: Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson
Similarly to receiver, tight end isn't a need so much as a position the Rams should add to at some point in the future. Tyler Higbee is 32 and his backups have been pretty bad during his injury spells.
Enter Ferguson, who is 6-foot-6, 230 pounds and is coming off a 43-catch, 591-yard season. He also caught 16 touchdowns at Oregon in 53 games. While he may not start immediately for the Rams, Ferguson could be Higbee's understudy in 2025.