Rams 7-Round Mock Draft: Post-bowl season edition

Which Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl prospects could the Rams target

The Los Angeles Rams have shown a history of drafting players who participated in both the Shine Bowl and Senior Bowl. Last season, much of their draft class performed in either games, including Braden Fiske and Kam Kinchens. In my first mock draft of the season, each selection will feature a player who performed in the Senior Bowl or East-West Shrine Bowl.

*This is a BOWL SEASON mock draft. All players included in this mock draft will have participated in the Senior Bowl or Shrine Bowl.

26th Overall – OT Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona

Even if the Rams bring back Alaric Jackson, it’s difficult to rule out selecting an offensive lineman early. Rob Havenstein will be on the final year of his contract in 2025. The Rams are also unlikely to bring back Joe Noteboom. Savaiinaea could come in and immediately be that sixth man on the offensive line and give them a future at right tackle post-Havenstein. Havenstein has also struggled to stay healthy in recent years as he gets older. Savaiinaea fits the Rams’ profile of offensive lineman and gives them immediate quality depth with starting upside.

A case could be made for cornerback Azareye’h Thomas from Florida State in this spot. That’s the direction that ESPN’s Matt Miller went for the Rams at 26. The 26th overall selection feels high for both Savaiinaea and Thomas. Josh Conerly Jr. is better value which is what Lance Zierlein from NFL Media did. However, I have questions about the fit. The best case scenario at 26 would be a trade down. There’s not a huge difference between picks 20-60 in the 2025 NFL Draft. If the Rams can find a trade partner, moving back and getting more day two or early day three selections makes sense. However, the Rams haven’t moved back from their first selection since 2019.

90th Overall – WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa State

There are several wide receivers from the Senior Bowl who would be great fits for the Rams. Jack Bech, Tez Johnson, Xavier Restrepo are just a few that fit their typical profile. However, Jayden Higgins is not only a good fit, but is exactly what the Rams offense needs. During the three practices, Higgins had the fourth-most explosive efforts which are the number of “high” accelerations and “high” decelerations a player achieves via Zebra Sports. At 6’4, he’s a crisp route-runner and takes pride in his ability to box-out defenders and win the contested catch.

Higgins is alignment versatile and can line up at any of the three wide receiver positions. He’s not the run-blocker that Bech is, but he can still make a positive impact in that area and is willing. Higgins also has a connection to Nate Scheelhaase who is on the Rams offensive coaching staff. If the Rams can swap Demarcus Robinson for Higgins, it would put the offense in a good spot.

100th Overall – CB Jacob Parrish, Kansas State

The Rams like their smaller cornerbacks and Jacob Parrish fits that. With that said, don’t confuse ‘shorter’ with ‘small’. He’s 196-pounds with 31-inch arms and a 75-inch wingspan. Parrish has good ball skills and as a former track athlete, he brings speed to the position. Despite being shorter in height, he brings a lot of physicality to the position as well. He’s not afraid to come down and make a tackle.

Parrish was one of the more impressive cornerbacks in Mobile last week. He seemed to always be making plays on the ball. Thursday’s practice may have been his most impressive day as he had a handful of pass breakups. At the very least, Parrish gives the Rams depth at a position where they need it.

126th Overall – LB Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon

If you followed any of my Senior Bowl coverage last week, you’ll know that Jeffrey Bassa from Oregon was one of my favorite players in Mobile. It wasn’t just his play on the field that was impressive, but the way he took over the defense from a leadership perspective. On day one, he was on the field giving signals and telling guys where they needed to be lined up or where the play was going.

The Rams need a linebacker that can hold their own in coverage and not get decimated in the run game. Bassa is a former safety and that is seen in how well he moves. His goal last week was to show that he can be a four-down player and he did just that. Bassa would be a great fit for what the Rams need at the linebacker position and would be a much-needed leader in the back seven.

192nd Overall – iDL CJ West, Indiana

My first non-Senior Bowl player debuts here at 192nd overall and it’s CJ West from Indiana. West had a dominant week on the defensive line at the Shrine Bowl. While West brings upside as a pass-rusher, this is also the space-eating nose tackle that the Rams need in their rotation. He was the 10th-highest graded run defender along the defensive line in college football last year and also ranked top-20 in stops. His stop percentage ranked sixth.

The Rams could lose Neville Gallimore and Larrell Murchison in free agency. They are going to need some depth in the run game along the defensive line. Again, West brings some pass-rush upside, but at 6’2, 317 pounds, the Indiana defensive lineman does provide some size.

203rd Overall – iOL Jonah Monheim, USC

Jonah Jackson’s contract was structured in a way that it makes it really easy to move off of him after last season. While they would have liked to keep him for two, it simply doesn’t make sense to pay him his current contract as a backup. It’s a misuse of resources which the Rams have done with Joe Noteboom since 2022.

Beaux Limmer had a solid rookie season and for a sixth-round pick, you can do a lot worse. Still, the Rams need some center depth. Monheim from USC has experience at guard, center, and tackle, making him a versatile depth piece.

204th Overall – RB Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech

Someone like Raheim Sanders from South Carolina would also make sense at running back. With that said, Tuten had a great week in Mobile. Tuten might be one of the better pass pro running backs in the class, which is something that Sean McVay will value. If the Rams are going to use multiple running backs, they need to be able to pass protect.

It’s no secret that the Rams running back room needs some speed. Tuten might be one of the more electric players in college football as he ranked top-20 in runs of 10+ yards and missed tackles forced. The Rams need a running back that can hit the home run and add a different dynamic to that room. Tuten isn’t perfect, but he adds a speed element that the Rams lack.