Latest news with #post-AaronDonald
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
AI predicts Rams take 300-pound DT in new mock draft
AI predicts Rams take 300-pound DT in new mock draft Artificial intelligence is the rage these days — both as a means for answering questions as well as ideating. So, why not use it for mock drafts? That's exactly what USA Today Sports' Jacob Camenker did for his newest mock draft. He used the Microsoft Copilot AI chatbot to made all 32 first-round selections with a month to go before the actual 2025 NFL Draft. While there were a couple of surprises, it saddled the Rams with an out-of-the-box but not totally bonkers pick: Michigan DT Kenneth Grant. The 6-foot-3, 339-pound defensive lineman has 6.5 sacks over the past two seasons with 12 tackles for a loss. "The Rams struggled against the run last season and signed Poona Ford to help them on the line of scrimmage," Camenker wrote about this pick. "Selecting the 'powerful and disruptive' Grant would double down on addressing that weakness and continue to bolster Los Angeles' defense in the post-Aaron Donald era." This pick isn't terrible, but it wouldn't necessarily impact the Rams in 2025. Grant would sit behind both Ford and Kobie Turner in the lineup, too, so he wouldn't see much action in his rookie season. If the Rams wanted to focus on one of the weaker parts of their 2024 roster and turn it into a strength in 2025, then this pick would make sense. Otherwise, the Rams would be better suited to take a cornerback or receiver instead.
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rams earn high marks through first few days of free agency
Rams earn high marks through first few days of free agency The Los Angeles Rams' offseason has gone relatively well so far. Matthew Stafford, Alaric Jackson and Tutu Atwell all returned on new deals, while the team also added run-stopper Poona Ford and receiver Davante Adams in free agency. The team lost a few minor role players like Demarcus Robinson, Michael Hoecht, Bobby Brown III and are expected to move on from receiver Cooper Kupp, but those departures weren't shocking considering the state of the roster heading into the offseason. All of these moves earned the Rams a solid "A-" from Pro Football Network through the first few days of the free agency period, which include the legal tampering period before the league year officially begins. "The Los Angeles Rams elected to bring back Matthew Stafford, thus sending a win-now message to their roster and to the rest of the league. They backed up that messaging by bringing in Davante Adams to replace Cooper Kupp, a move that gives this offense more upside than it showed a season ago. "Poona Ford coming over from the Chargers may not be a highlight move, but he's entering his age-29 season and gives this defense a chance to perform better against the run in this post-Aaron Donald world. The Rams allowed the ninth-most yards per carry to opposing running backs last season, a flaw that should be rectified with the addition of Ford and the potential for this offense to put more pressure on opponents to score." There will likely be more moves made when all is said and done, but the initial wave of signings is a good signal that Sean McVay and Les Snead are putting a lot of chips into the 2025 season. The next phase will be shoring up the rest of the roster ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
