Should the Rams be looking at safety in the NFL Draft?

Should the Rams be looking at the safety position and Malaki Starks in the NFL Draft?

When it comes to the NFL Draft, a position that not many are looking at for the Los Angeles Rams is safety. It can be argued that out of all of the positions on the roster, safety is one of the few where there isn’t a need. Quentin Lake, Kam Curl, Kam Kinchens, and Jaylen McCollough led a young, impressive group last season.

While it should be expected for Kam Curl and Kam Kinchens to take a step forward in year two playing in the defense, this is a Rams secondary that needs changes somewhere. That doesn’t mention that Lake is on the final year of his rookie contract and the Rams have drafted a safety in four of the last five drafts. Whether it’s early or late, the Rams tend to draft at least one safety in each draft class.

It would not be a surprise if the Rams did take a safety, even at 26. Depending on the safety, that player could be slotted into the STAR role, becoming an extension of the linebackers. That would allow Lake to play more two-high where he’s been better imo with Curl. Kinchens could then come in for Curl on passing downs. The Rams and defensive coordinator Chris Shula also used three and four safety looks among the most in the NFL last season.

Heading into the draft process, one of my goals was to try to match my evaluation process relatively close with how the Rams operate. Obviously, it will never be exact without actually being in the room. At the same time, based on the information that is public and matching player traits with what they’ve drafted in the past, it is possible to get a picture of the type of player the Rams draft and what that process looks like.

One of the big changes that I’ve made this year is placing players into “buckets”. The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue called “Finding Rams” which outlined this bucketing process. Said Rodrigue,

“On his screen, which the scouts cannot see, Snead manipulates what he calls “the call sheet” as they discuss prospects. The sheet looks like a series of rectangles that split players by position into different buckets. There are no round-by-round grades, only four overall tiers into which players are then “bucketed.” By mid-April, all draft-eligible players are split into nine buckets based on the Rams’ finished evaluations, which include the medical and character checks completed in March and, for some, notes from Sugarman’s visits. The buckets aren’t always “rankings” — some are lateral to others.”

Those buckets are broken up into nine different categories which are:

• Bucket 1: Math Changer, Total Package
• Bucket 2: Reliable Starter
• Bucket 3: Math Changing Starter, Range of Caution Flags
• Bucket 4: Impactful Contributor, Clean Profile
• Bucket 5: Talented Enough to Contribute, Less Predictable
• Bucket 6: Trustworthy, but Less Talented
• Bucket 7: Late IQ or PQ
• Bucket 8: Major Concerns, Off Board, or Reconsider After Draft
• Bucket 9: Likely Drafted, Not a Rams Fit

These buckets aren’t rankings or necessarily even tiers. It’s simply a way for scouts to easily visualize the role that they see for a player at the next level and a way to define their fit on the roster. Players can be placed into multiple buckets as no single prospect is just one thing. As Rodrigue noted, in Puka Nacua’s case, he would have been a three, five, and seven.

Eventually, I’ll have fit grades and a full Rams big board

I’ll be doing this with every position group outside of quarterback. Today, we’re looking at safeties

Previous Position Groups

• Which Linebackers Should the Rams target in the NFL Draft?
• How Early Should the Rams Draft a Tight End?
• Which Running Back Should Rams Pair With Kyren Williams?

Bucket 1: Math Changer, Total Package

• Malaki Starks, Georgia
• Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

If the Rams take a safety early, do not be surprised if it’s Malaki Starks from Georgia. His versatility, football IQ, and physicality in run support make him an excellent fit for the Rams. He can play in deep coverage and in the box. Starks also thrives in the slot as the STAR. It’s possible that he doesn’t last until the 26th overall pick, but this is a player that the Rams will have a lot of interest in if he’s available. He’s someone that can change the outlook of their secondary.

Bucket 2: Reliable Starter

• Malaki Starks, Georgia
• Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
• Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
• Jonas Sanker, Virginia
• RJ Mickens, Clemson
• Maxen Hook, Toledo

Watts may be more in the range of where the Rams draft. The Notre Dame safety has exceptional ball skills and he has the versatility to play multiple positions in a secondary. He has the tools to be highly effective in the Rams defense. A common theme with both Starks and Watts is that they are both extremely smart. The Rams have given the green dot to a player in the secondary in the past. Either of those players could take on that role given how smart they are on the backend.

Jonas Sanker is one of my favorite Rams fits at safety in the draft. He displays physicality in run support and the versatility to play multiple spots in the secondary. Sanker takes pride in his ability to tackle and may be one of the best open-field tackling safeties in the draft. He also adds good special teams value. He does have some limitations when it comes to his speed and range in coverage, but Sanker can be a starter in the Rams defense.

Bucket 3: Math Changing Starter, Range of Caution Flags

• Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

There is a lot to like about Nick Emmanwori from South Carolina. He is arguably the most athletic player in the draft class. Because of that, he may not last to the 26th overall pick. While it’s easy to fall in love with the athleticism, he is also a somewhat limited player. Emmanwori isn’t someone that’s going to play deep on the backend. He is a box safety and thrives in zone coverage in the box with the ability to take away tight windows in that area. Think of Emmanwori as a better version of Taylor Rapp. He is a safety that is better suited in the box and an extension of the linebackers.

Bucket 4: Impactful Contributor, Clean Profile

• Jonas Sanker, Toledo
• RJ Mickens, Clemson
• Maxen Hook, Toledo
• Lathan Ransom, Ohio State
• Kitan Crawford, Nevada
• Dante Trader, Jr., Maryland
• Jaylen Reed, Penn State
• Rayuan Lane III, Navy
• Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin

Hook is similar to Sanker in the same way that he is exceptional when tackling in the open field. Hook’s ability to contribute in the run game and play with a high motor as well as being a core special teams player make him a great fit as a mid-round option. He does have limited range in coverage, but he’s someone that could start on special teams as he works towards being a contributor on defense.

When you think of Rams safeties, Kitan Crawford fits the bills. He has excellent explosiveness and is a twitchy athlete. He displays good physicality as a tackler and brings an aggressive and violent approach to that aspect of his game. The Nevada safety has over 1,000 special teams snaps in his career and if he develops, he has the ability to play multiple roles.

Bucket 5: Talented Enough to Contribute, Less Predictable

• Andrew Mukuba, Texas
• Lathan Ransom, Ohio State
• Kitan Crawford, Nevada
• Malachi Moore, Alabama
• Billy Bowman, Oklahoma
• Rayuan Lane III, Navy
• Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State
• Marques Sigle, Kansas State

When it comes to players from Texas, the Rams are a team to watch given Les Snead’s connection to the school. Mukuba has good athleticism and range to thrive in the Rams defense and he is an aggressive tackler that takes good angles on the backend. He should also be able to have an impact on special teams. Mukuba’s may not have the same versatility as others and be more role-specific which makes him less predictable as a prospect.

It may be a surprise to see Billy Bowman this low on the list as one of the top safety prospects in the class. However, he’s inconsistent as a tackler with a missed tackle rate over 25 percent. He lacks the physicality that the Rams demand from their safeties. He’s certainly talented enough in coverage, but his ceiling is less predictable in the Rams defense.

Bucket 6: Trustworthy, But Less Talented

• Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin
• Sebastian Castro, Iowa

There are a lot of intangibles to like when it comes to Sebastian Castro, but he has limited physical tools that cap his upside. He’s likely a depth safety and special teams contributor at the next level. Castro had just under 350 special teams snaps in college and his aggressive tackling mindset will thrive on that unit.

Bucket 7: Late IQ or PQ

• Billy Bowman, Oklahoma
• Marques Sigle, Kansas State
• Sebastian Castro, Iowa
• Alijah Clark, Syracuse
• Malik Verdon, Iowa State

Clark brings versatility that the Rams like in their safeties, but his limited physicality and smaller frame at just 188 pounds leave some question marks. He also lacks top-end speed. He could be a solid depth player and special teams contributor.

Bucket 8: Major Concerns, Off Board, or Reconsider After Draft

• Alijah Clark, Syracuse
• Malik Verdon, Iowa State

There are some things to like with Verdon, but there are also way too many red flags. He tends to take sloppy angles which hurt him when it comes to tackling in the open field. He’s also struggled with injuries over the past two years. It’s possible that the Rams could take a look at Verdon as an undrafted free agent given his intriguing physical traits, but it’s unlikely that they would draft him.

Bucket 9: Likely Drafted, Not a Rams Fit

While some players are likely better fits than others, there isn’t a player here who is outright a bad fit for the Rams. All of these players fit in some capacity. Players like Emmanwori and Starks may get drafted inside the top-20, but either player could also fall. They aren’t guaranteed to be drafted before 26 like other players at other positions.