On Friday, the Los Angeles Rams became just one of four teams to earn a compensatory draft pick slotted for the third round. According to NFL insider Ari Meirov, the NFL awarded Los Angeles the 98th overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft after the Atlanta Falcons hired away their defensive coordinator, Raheem Morris, to become their next head coach.
Under the current rules established by the NFL, franchises are compensated whenever another team poaches a minority coach. In this instance, the Rams will earn a pick towards the end of the third round after Morris darted to fill the head coaching vacancy in Atlanta. Meanwhile, their top rival, the San Francisco 49ers, also received a compensatory third-round draft pick for the losses of current Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans and Tennessee Titans general manager Ron Carthon, both minority hires.
Los Angeles Rams: Earn Five Compensatory Draft Picks
The NFL awarded the Los Angeles Rams five compensatory picks on Friday. Their top pick, the 98th overall selection, comes after the Atlanta Falcons hired Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. The 47-year-old spent the past three seasons calling defensive plays for Los Angeles, including helping lead the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2021. The Rams held opponents to just 4.0 yards per rush attempt that season while collecting 19 interceptions, both top-five in the NFL.
How the 3rd-round compensatory picks were determined:
Jaguars: Jawaan Taylor
Eagles: Javon Hargrave
Rams: Raheem Morris
49ers: DeMeco Ryans/Ran Carthon https://t.co/IF3MJ6rPq0— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 8, 2024
Los Angeles also gained three sixth-round draft picks and a seventh-round pick for their losses in free agency last year. The Rams lost Greg Gaines, Matt Gay, Baker Mayfield, A’Shawn Robinson, and Nick Scott in free agency during the 2023 offseason. Robinson collected 62 tackles for the New York Giants last season, while Mayfield posted Pro Bowl numbers with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Los Angeles Rams: Loaded With late-round Draft Picks
Los Angeles will have the 19th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft after going 10-7 last year. They will also have an additional third-round selection thanks to Raheem Morris’s departure. The Rams do not have a fourth-round selection because of the Kevin Dotson trade, but they will select twice in the fifth round and four times in the sixth.
General manager Les Snead has a solid track record of finding talent late in the NFL draft. LA selected superstar wide receiver Puka Nacua late in the fifth round last season. The BYU product caught 105 passes for 1,486 yards and six scores as a rookie. Meanwhile, Snead also selected running back Kyren Williams in the fifth round during the 2022 NFL draft. Williams had 1,350 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 games last season.
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