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

Who are players on offense that the Rams could target from the Senior Bowl?

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. Let’s start on the offensive side of the ball.

Offensive Tackle

• Jalen Travis, Iowa State
• Josh Connerly, Oregon
• Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona
• Marcus Mbow, Purdue
• Jack Nelson, Wisconsin

It will be interesting to see what the Rams do at tackle this offseason. At just 27-years old and as one of the better free agent tackles, Alaric Jackson could command a hefty price tag. The question becomes if the Rams want to pay $23.5-million for an above-average, but steady player. If the Rams keep Jackson, it likely takes out players like Josh Connerly and Aireontae Ersery who will be late-first, early-second round selections.

Even if the Rams do bring back Jackson, drafting a tackle could still be in consideration considering Rob Havenstein’s age. They are also losing some depth in Joe Noteboom. A player that would be a great fit and a potential mid-round selection is Jalen Travis from Iowa State.

Travis transferred to Iowa State last summer after spending the previous four years at Princeton. The Rams like experience and versatility. Travis has 1,400 snaps at left tackle and 500 more on the right side as the primary starter. He has quick feet and is a fluid mover at 6’7, 340 pounds. He has a good combination of experience in zone and gap run schemes and is a quick processor in pass protection when it comes to recognizing stunts.

Another player to keep an eye on is Jack Nelson from Wisconsin. The Rams have a history of showing interest in Wisconsin offensive linemen and Nelson is another good one. Nelson has 50 starts between left tackle and right guard. He shows good foot quickness and blocked in a zone-based offense with gap principles. When it comes to Wisconsin offensive linemen, you at least have to circle them for the Rams.

Interior Offensive Line

• Tate Ratledge, Georgia
• Jonah Monheim, USC

This isn’t a great interior offensive line class and the best thing may be to take a tackle and try to move them inside to guard. The center class isn’t much better. Two players to watch though are Tate Ratledge and Jonah Monheim. Ratledge is a three-year starter at right guard with good quickness. He excels in inside zone and gap concepts in the run game. His downside is that he has only played right guard so may not have a ton of versatility. Meanwhile, Monheim has starting experience at left tackle, right tackle, center, and right guard. He’s a fluid run blocker and has experience in a multiple run scheme.

Running Back

• Cameron Skattebo, Arizona State
• RJ Harvey, UCF
• Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
• LeQuint Allen, Syracuse
• Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech

Despite drafting Blake Corum in the third round last year, the Rams could look to address the running back position once again. It’s a room that needs explosiveness. This is a very good and deep running back draft class. The Rams should be able to find some options on day three.

While Ashton Jeanty may not be an option, they can go for the discounted version in RJ Harvey. The Rams like running backs who can be a factor in the passing game and Harvey has shown ability as a receiver. He has hyperactive feet and, despite his smaller size, he finishes his runs with physicality. This could be a good third option to add to the Rams backfield.

Ollie Gordon II is another player that would be a really nice fit. He had a down year in 2024, but ranked second in college football in runs of 10+ yards in 2023. Gordon shows good ability in the passing game, especially on screens where he displays the burst to get upfield. He’s a physical runner who isn’t afraid of contact and should thrive in a gap-based run scheme.

The last player worth mentioning here is Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten has extremely good speed and elusiveness. He had 60 or more missed tackles forced each of the last three years and has experience in a gap scheme at North Carolina A&T. Tuten has quick feet to make the first guy miss and has shown upside as a receiver. All of these players can be had on Day 3.

Tight End

• Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green
• Jake Briningstool, Clemson
• Elijah Arroyo, Miami
• Mason Taylor, LSU

Over the back half of the season, it became pretty clear how much the Rams needed another pass catcher to step up, specifically at tight end. It became even more clear how much that helped once Tyler Higbee returned to the lineup.

A serious case could be made that Harold Fannin Jr. is the best tight end in the class, but isn’t getting that recognition given that he played at Bowling Green. He’ll get a chance next week to show that he can compete against good competition. The Rams like an athletic tight end and Fannin Jr. has great athleticism. He’s alignment versatile and has great speed running up the seam. On top of all that, he’s a talented pass catcher. Fannin Jr. will need to refine his routes a little bit and improve as a blocker, but this is a good player.

Wide Receiver

• Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
• Tai Felton, Maryland
• Jack Bech, TCU
• Xavier Restrepo, Miami
• Elic Ayomanor, Stanford

A player that I would expect to rise a little bit next week will be Tai Felton from Maryland. Felton is a good route-runner which the Rams value and he is creative after the catch. That’s something that they desperately need from the wide receiver position. Felton still has a small frame, but at 6’0 he is much taller than Tutu Atwell who the Rams lose this offseason. Felton still has the speed and ability to win deep down the field while being able to do some of the jet sweep stuff that the Rams didn’t use Atwell for very often.

There is a receiver at the Senior Bowl who screams “Rams” and that is TCU’s Jack Bech. Bech is a hyper-physical blocker and detailed route-runner. He may not be the fastest player on the field, but he battles for yards after the catch. Bech has inside/outside versatility and could slot right in the Rams wide receiver room as a solid depth piece.