Snead’s Snacks Senior Bowl Edition: Potential Rams targets on defense in Mobile

Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa would be a great fit for the Rams and is a Senior Bowl player to watch

The NFL offseason does not wait and the Los Angeles Rams will certainly be busy over the next few months. Over the weekend, the Shrine Bowl will take place with the Senior Bowl kicking off next week. These are two places where the Rams have targeted players in the past. In fact, six of the Rams draftees last year participated in the Senior Bowl and were in Mobile.

While there is still a long draft process left with athletic testing and player meetings, it makes sense to find which players the Rams may be keeping a close eye on at the Senior Bowl. I will be in Mobile next week for the Senior Bowl representing TurfShow Times. Be sure to check in on that coverage. However, in the meantime, let’s take a look at players the Rams might be interested in next week.

Since the 2020 NFL Draft, I’ve done a series called Snead’s Snacks. In other words, we try to find and look at common themes and traits of previous Les Snead draft picks and see which players in the upcoming NFL Draft fit the mold for the Rams. A lot of that does depend on testing and I’ll have those official fits following the Combine. With that said, the Rams do tend to prioritize player traits.

Looking simply at traits, I’ve put together a list of players on offense and defense that fit the typical Rams prototype. Below we wrap up on defense.

• Rams Senior Bowl Targets: Offense

Linebacker

• Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon
• Jack Kiser, Notre Dame
• Demetrius Knight Jr., South Carolina
• Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
• Tyreem Powell, Rutgers

The Rams typically haven’t valued the linebacker position and that likely won’t change this year. That doesn’t mean they won’t draft one, but it may not be until day two or even day three of the draft. They’ve had success getting production out of undrafted free agents such as Omar Speights and Christian Rozeboom.

Still, if the Rams do draft a linebacker, it would not be a surprise if it ended up being Jeffrey Bassa from Oregon. Bassa is exactly what the Rams have typically looked for in linebackers. He’s a former safety and that shows in coverage where he has proven to be able to cover tight ends down the seam. Bassa is a great lateral mover sideline to sideline and has good arm length. Additionally, he has special teams experience. These are all traits that the Rams have targeted in the past.

Prior to the 2024 season, the Rams traded away a former South Carolina linebacker. It would make sense to draft another one from the same school. Knight Jr. has natural instincts, has length, and displays lateral agility. He’s an older prospect at 25, but that also means there won’t be as much physical development needed much like Byron Young. Jack Kiser is another player to keep an eye on in Mobile.

Cornerback

• Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan
• Nohl Williams, California
• Upton Stout, Western Kentucky

It’s going to be interesting to see what the Rams do at cornerback. They could take a cornerback in the first round and build that way. There’s no guarantee Ahkello Witherspoon and Darious Williams are back. Emmanuel Forbes has upside but is a huge question mark. Cobie Durant will also be in the final year of his rookie deal.

At the very least, the Rams will need to draft a cornerback for depth. One that may rise up draft boards next week is Bilhal Kone from Western Michigan. Kone is a great fit for the Rams from a trait perspective. He has good speed and plays with a hot motor. He also has quick processing with a good Football IQ. The Rams also value ball skills and Kone has 17 passes defended over the last two years.

Safety

• Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma
• Malachi Moore, Alabama
• Sebastian Castro, Iowa
• Maxen Hook, Toledo
• Andrew Mukuba, Texas

The Rams probably don’t need a safety. They like Quentin Lake and then signed/drafted Kam Curl and Kam Kinchens just last year. Still, as seen with Shula, the Rams like to use their safeties on defense. One worth keeping an eye on is Andrew Mukuba from Texas. He plays with good vision and shows up in run support. Mukuba displayed good versatility and instincts last year as he had five interceptions and six pass breakups in his first season as a full-time safety.

Defensive Line

• Ty Robinson, Nebraska
• Cam Jackson, Florida
• Barryn Sorrell, Texas
• Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech
• Omarr Norman-Loft, Tennessee

The Rams had one of the better defensive fronts over the back half of the NFL season. Still, they need to continue adding to that group. Bobby Brown III will be a free agent and would be a pretty big loss. Robinson is 6’6, 310 pounds and is a versatile player. The Rams like to mix up their defensive fronts and Robinson has lined up anywhere from the 0-technique to a true edge defender. He has a good initial step off the snap and his motor runs hot. This is a player that the Rams could have some interest in next week.

A player that many will be interested to see is Tennessee’s Omarr Norman-Lott. Norman-Lott has the first step that the Rams really value in their defensive linemen and he has good hand usage. He may have been Tennessee’s best defensive lineman but played in 20 or more snaps in only five games. If he has a good week in Mobile, he will shoot up draft boards.

EDGE

• David Walker, Central Arkansas
• Jordan Burch, Oregon
• Mike Green, Marshall
• Kyle Kennard, South Carolina

The Rams have a solid edge pairing in Jared Verse and Byron Young. However, behind them is where it gets dicey. Michael Hoecht is a free agent and there is a lot of unknown with Brennan Jackson who could take that role. Nick Hampton simply hasn’t been on the field enough. It makes sense to draft an edge player on day three.

David Walker from Central Arkansas will have a lot to prove in Mobile. Among FBS and FCS edge defenders, Walker was the highest-graded edge defender via PFF and had the highest pass rush grade. He had 55 pressures which ranked 14th. He’ll need to show that he can do it against good competition, but his explosive first step combined with his hot motor and power make him a fit for the Rams.