The L.A. Rams need to account for the surprising news of Aaron Donald’s retirement as they prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft and as they explore additional moves in free agency.
As reported in the Los Angeles Daily News:
“The defensive great’s departure will have a ripple effect for the Rams, from the salary cap to his unparalleled play and the loss of his leadership[.]” …
“[T]he Rams’ free-agent options across the defensive line and at edge rusher are limited. Most of the top names have already signed. Others, like Jadeveon Clowney, have already scheduled multiple visits with other teams.
“So Donald’s departure likely means the Rams will have to use pick No. 19 in next month’s draft on a pass rusher.
“Given the high volume of elite offensive talent in this year’s draft, some intriguing prospects could fall to the Rams at their current draft position, from Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II to edge rushers Jared Verse of Florida State, Laiatu Latu of UCLA and Chop Robinson of Penn State. If the Rams don’t want to take any chances, they have the draft capital to move up and get their man.”
In order to assess what the Rams might do to address the gaping hole left by Donald’s departure, it is necessary to consider the following:
- The current members of the Rams defensive line and the status of each of those players.
- Defensive linemen available in free agency.
- Defensive line prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Current Members of the L.A. Rams Defensive Line
After Donald’s departure, there are five defensive linemen on the Rams’ roster, two of whom are free agents.
DT Kobie Turner (going into 2nd year of rookie contract)
Kobie Turner was born in Washington, D.C., in April 1999. His football career has been marked by a rapid and dramatic ascension:
As noted by Bleacher Report: “Turner was unranked in 247Sports’ recruiting database and walked on at Richmond, an FCS school.” He eventually became an FCS All-American, and then transferred to Wake Forest. At Wake Forest, he was named second-team All-ACC by the Associated Press.
The Rams selected Turner in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He had a remarkable rookie season.
As reported by ESPN:
Turner’s nine sacks tied the Rams franchise record for most by a rookie, tying the [record] Donald set in 2014. He also became the only rookie in franchise history to finish the regular season as the team’s sack leader. And although he credited playing with Donald for some of his success, he had 22 quarterback pressures when double-teamed, according to Next Gen Stats. Only New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams had more.
Turner was one of four finalists for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
DT Bobbie Brown III (under contract one more year)
Bobbie Brown III is 6’4″ and weighs 324 lbs. He played his college ball at Texas A&M from 2018 to 2020. He was first-team All-SEC in 2020. The Rams selected Brown in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The NFL suspended Brown from the first six games of the 2022 season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Brown started 13 games for the Rams in the 2023 season.
Brown is under contract through the 2024 season, with a base salary of $1,055,000 and a prorated signing bonus of $189,133. Unless extended, he will become an unrestricted free agent following the season.
DE Desjuan Johnson — (going into 2nd year of rookie contract)
24-year-old Desjuan Johnson was a three-star recruit coming out of high school. He played four years of college football at Toledo, where he was twice named second-team All-MAC, and then first-team All-MAC in his senior year.
Johnson was “Mr. Irrelevant” in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Rams selected him with the 259th overall pick in the seventh round.
Johnson had limited playing time in his rookie season. Going into the regular-season finale against the San Francisco 49ers, Johnson had seven tackles on 72 defensive snaps.
DT Larrell Murchison (unrestricted free agent)
Larrell Murchison is 26 years old. He is 6’3″ and weighs 297 lbs.
Murchison attended a junior college before enrolling at North Carolina State. In his senior year with the Wolfpack, he was second-team All-ACC.
The Tennessee Titan drafted Murchison in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Titans waived Murchison in December 2022, and the Rams claimed him off waivers two days later. Several days later, Murchison made two sacks — the first of his career — in a game against the Denver Broncos.
Murchison played in 15 games for the Rams in 2023; he started three of those games.
DE Jonah Williams (restricted free agent)
28-year-old Jonah Williams was signed by the Rams as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2020.
From 2016 through 2019, Williams played for Weber State University. He was a four-year starter there. and, in his final year, he “earned All-America honors while being named the Big Sky Defensive MVP.”
Williams started six games during the 2022 season and 16 games during the 2023 season.
Dwindling Opportunities for the L.A. Rams in Free Agency
As reported by Yahoo Sports, “[d]efensive line (including edge rushers) [was] the strongest position in free agency” this year. However, most of the top defensive linemen signed or re-signed in the first few days of free agency. Here’s a list of the top free-agent defensive linemen who have signed (or-resigned):
- DT Christian Wilkins signed with the Las Vegas Raiders
- DE Danielle Hunter signed with the Houston Texans
- DL Leonard Williams re-signed with the Seattle Seahawks
- DE Bryce Huff signed with the Philadelphia Eagles
- DE Jonathan Greenard signed with the Minnesota Vikings
- DT Chris Jones re-signed with the Kansas City Chiefs
Remaining available defensive linemen in free agency include:
- DE Chase Young
- DE Jadeveon Clowney
- DT Teair Tart
Chase Young
24-year-old Chase Young was the second overall pick by the Washington Commanders in the 2020 NFL Draft, after being a consensus first-team All-American in 2019 at Ohio State.
In the 2020 season, he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year and was selected to the Pro Bowl. Things went down for Young after that. In the 2021 season, he tore his right ACL and patellar tendon. Due to the injury, he missed the latter half of the 2021 season and all but three games of the 2022 season.
In 2023, the Commanders traded Young to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a third-round draft pick. Young played in nine games for the 49ers, but did not start in those games.
Last Word on Sports offers a mixed review concerning the prospect of acquiring Young in free agency:
“Former second-overall pick Chase Young is one of the best players remaining on the free agent market. Once considered to be a generational prospect on the same level as Myles Bryant, the Ohio State product has not managed to play up to his pre-draft billing….
“After missing most of the 2021 and 2022 seasons with injuries, Chase Young stayed healthy before becoming a free agent. Starting the year with the Washington Commanders, the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year recorded five sacks in seven games before the team traded him to the San Francisco 49ers. He wasn’t nearly as effective there, recording just 2.5 sacks in nine games and noticeably taking plays off in the postseason. However, he finished on a high note, playing like one of the 49ers best defenders in the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Chase Young offers plenty of upside, but his injuries and inconsistent effort make him a long-term risk. However, you can never have too many players capable of getting after the quarterback….”
Jadeveon Clowney
Three-time Pro Bowler and the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Jadeveon Clowney is now 31 years old.
Coming out of high school, Clowney had been not only a five-star recruit, but also the unanimous No. 1 overall recruiting prospect in the country. He played three years at the University of South Carolina, where he was twice a first-team All-American.
Clowney played five seasons for the Houston Texans (2014-2018), one season for the Seattle Seahawks (2019), one season for the Tennessee Titans (2020), two seasons for the Cleveland Browns (2021-2022), and one season for the Baltimore Ravens (2023). Cleveland released him before he signed with the Ravens.
Issues arose about Clowney being a disruptive force in the locker room while he was with Cleveland, and he only had two sacks in his second season with the team. However, he had a bounce-back season with the Ravens in 2023, recording 9½ sacks.
Teair Tart
Teair Tart is 6’2″ and weighs 304 lbs. He is 27 years old.
After playing college ball for Florida International University, Tart was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2020.
Tart started 16 games for the Titans in 2022. Although he started nine games for the Titans in 2023, the team released him toward the end of the season. The Houston Texans claimed him off waivers, and Tart assumed a reserve role for the Texans.
The base salary on Tart’s contract in 2023 was $4.3 million.
The Draft
In light of the circumstance that potentially significant questions/issues exist with respect to the defensive linemen who are available as free agents, the draft may be the best option for the Rams to look to in order to address the void left by Aaron Donald’s departure.
The Rams have the No. 19 overall pick in the draft.
A number of highly regarded defensive linemen are available in the draft, including:
- DE Dallas Turner (Alabama)
- DE Jared Verse (Florida State)
- DT Byron Murphy II (Texas)
DE Dallas Turner (Alabama)
Dallas Turner is big and fast. He is 6’3″ and weighs 247 lbs. He ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. rates Turner as the ninth best overall prospect in the draft.
However, while NFL.com and 247Sports list Turner’s position as defensive end, Mel Kiper lists Turner’s position as linebacker. And, according to Kiper, Turner is the best available linebacker in the draft.
Turner is 21 years old. In his junior year at Alabama (the 2023 season), Turner was a consensus All-American.
DE – Jared Verse (Florida State)
23-year-old Jared Verse played the 2022 and 2023 college football seasons at Florida State, and both years he was a first-team All-American. He had nine sacks in both seasons.
Verse is 6’4″ and weighs 260 lbs.
Mel Kiper rates Verse as the 23rd best overall prospect in the draft and the best defensive end.
Bleacher Report gives the following assessment of Verse:
“Part of what makes Verse such a coveted prospect is his blend of strength and athleticism. He can put offensive tackles on their heels with his ability to turn speed to power as a pass-rusher, and he has good use of hands paired with the bend to win around the edge using finesse moves like a cross chop or arm over.
“The Seminole is also a plus run defender with his physicality at the point of attack and ability to get off blocks. He has pop in his hands to stand up offensive linemen at the line of scrimmage and gain a leverage advantage, making him hard to move one-on-one and [difficult to] block with tight ends.”
DT Byron Murphy II (Texas)
Assuming the Rams don’t use their No. 19 overall pick in the draft to move up or down, Byron Murphy II might be the perfect selection for the Rams at that spot in the first round.
Longhorns Country FN | Sports Illustrated observes: “[W]ith [Aaron] Donald now gone, it is conceivable that the Rams could see Murphy as a long-term answer to replace him.” Of course, “Murphy is not Donald. No one is. But he could provide the kind of traits that the Rams would be looking for as a replacement.”
Of Murphy, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said:
“He’s built like a pit bull…. He’s strong. He’s got really strong shoulders. He’s extremely quick and powerful. He’s got a very high football IQ, and he plays hard. Those are all really cool prerequisites that you want to have as a defensive lineman, especially with his stature.”
According to Mel Kiper, Murphy “has highest pass-rush upside of any of the interior defensive linemen in this class.” Kiper rates him as the 24th best overall prospect in the draft and the best defensive tackle.
In a mock draft conducted by Draft Wire after Aaron Donald’s retirement, Murphy is selected by the Rams with the No. 19 pick. And, in the words of Draft Wire, “The retirement of future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald makes this decision an easy one. Byron Murphy II is the top interior defender in this draft.”
Murphy is 6’½” and weighs 297 lbs. NFL.com describes him as a “[m]uscular ball of explosiveness….”
Murphy is 21 years old. He was named Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year for the 2023 season (his junior year).
The Draft Looks Like the Best Option for the Rams in the Impossible Effort to Replace Aaron Donald
As discussed, the number of remaining defensive linemen available in free agency is limited, and there are outstanding questions/issues concerning each of those free-agent linemen. Thus, unless the Rams work out a trade, it looks like the draft presents the best opportunity to begin filling the enormous void created by Donald’s departure.
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