Cornerback remains a top need for Rams heading into the draft

Rams should still be open to selecting a cornerback in 2025 NFL Draft

One of the bigger needs for the Los Angeles Rams heading into the 2025 NFL Draft remains the cornerback position. While they brought back Ahkello Witherspoon and still have Darious Williams, this is a group that needs young talent. Thankfully, this is a deeper group of cornerbacks, with several intriguing options in the middle rounds. The Rams also shouldn’t be swayed to not take one with their first selection.

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 the offensive line.

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?
• Should the Rams be Looking at Safeties in the NFL Draft?
• When Should Rams Consider Drafting Offensive Tackle?

Bucket 1: Math Changer, Total Package

• Travis Hunter, Colorado

The Rams won’t be in position to draft Travis Hunter, but he is the top cornerback fit here for a reason. He has the ball skills in coverage and rare athletic movement at the position. Had the Rams been drafting near the top of the draft, this is the player they likely target. Hunter is the complete package and a generational type prospect.

Bucket 2: Reliable Starter

• Will Johnson, Michigan
• Trey Amos, Ole Miss
• Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
• Jahdae Barron, Texas
• Jacob Parrish, Kansas State
• Jermari Harris, Iowa
• Zah Frazier UTSA
• Darian Porter, Iowa State
• Mello Dotson Kansas
• Nohl Williams, Cal
• Justin Walley, Minnesota
• Quincy Riley, Louisville
• Caleb Ransaw, Tulane
• Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State
• Mac McWilliams, UCF

Trey Amos is a near perfect fit for the Rams at cornerback. He’s physical at the line, instinctive in zone, and disruptive at the catch point. He fits perfectly in Cover 3 or match-zone roles, and his ball skills and demeanor scream Rams cornerback. He has a few things to clean up, but this is a player with an “alpha dog” mentality that the Rams are missing in the secondary.

With the Rams bringing back Ahkello Witherspoon and Darious Williams, they may be looking to add depth more than an immediate starter. If that’s the case, a player like Nohl Williams who can be drafted on day three makes a lot of sense. Nohl Williams is an excellent fit for the Rams’ cornerback profile with elite ball skills and he plays with a competitive nature.

Bucket 3: Math Changing Starter, Range of Caution Flags

• Travis Hunter, Colorado
• Will Johnson, Michigan
• Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
• Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina
• Nohl Williams, Cal
• Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
• Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State

A player that the Rams will most certainly have their eye on in Maxwell Hairston out of Kentucky. He brings game-changing speed and is the ideal Rams-style zone corner. Hairston is extremely twitchy, instinctive, and disruptive at the catch point. The instincts and ball production are too good to ignore if he’s available at the end of the first round.

The big question when it comes to Shavon Revel Jr. is how he recovers from the torn ACL. An ACL injury isn’t something that can be completely discounted. Revel also has a tendency to be grabby in coverage. With that said, in the case that everything clears, the East Carolina cornerback is an elite fit with the Rams’ cornerback profile. His physicality, tackling, and competitiveness are top-tier.

Bucket 4: Impactful Contributor, Clean Profile

• Trey Amos, Ole Miss
• Jahdae Barron, Texas
• Jacob Parrish, Kansas State
• Jermari Harris, Iowa
• Zah Frazier, UTSA
• Mello Dotson, Kansas
• Cobee Bryant, Kansas
• Quincy Riley, Louisville
• Robert Longerbeam, Nebraska
• Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan
• Jabba Muhammad, Oregon
• Mac McWilliams, UCF
• Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech
• Upton Stout, Western Kentucky
• Jordan Hancock, Ohio State
• Denzel Burke, Ohio State
• Isas Waxter, Villanova

Jahdae Barron would be a complete game-changer for the Rams defense. While he has shorter arms, his ability to play in the STAR role and bring a physical demeanor, especially in the run game is something that the Rams have lacked. In coverage, he’s one of the most instinctive zone cornerbacks in the draft class. While he could survive on the outside, Barron is likely a nickel-only player, but does have the ability to play safety if needed.

After retaining stability at the cornerback position in Witherspoon, the Rams may simply look to add someone in the middle rounds that can develop into a starter. Parrish fits that bill and matches the Rams priorities on speed and competitiveness. The Kansas State cornerback fits the Rams’ mold for scrappy, athletic cornerbacks.

Bucket 5: Talented Enough to Contribute, Less Predictable

• Cobee Bryant, Kansas
• Justin Walley, Minnesota
• Quincy Riley, Louisville
• Robert Longerbeam, Nebraska
• Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan
• Jabba Muhammad, Oregon
• Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech
• Upton Stout, Western Kentucky
• Zy Alexander, LSU
• Alijah Huzzie, UNC
• Isas Waxter, Villanova
• Tommi Hill, Nebraska
• Jaylin Smith, USC
• Jason Marshall Jr., Florida
• BJ Adams, UCF

An underrated fit for the Rams at cornerback is Minnesota’s Justin Walley. He’s an inconsistent tackler, but his elite speed and ball skills align closely with the developmental yet competitive players they’ve drafted in the past. Walley is a sticky defender who tracks the ball well and doesn’t panic with the ball in the air. He also brings some inside-out versatility.

Dorian Strong’s tape speaks for itself. His physicality and ball skills are strong fits for a zone-heavy system, and his ability to read the quarterback’s eyes could make him a valuable asset in the secondary. He’ll need time to refine his coverage skills, but he’s an instinctive cornerback who’s also competitive as a run defender.

Bucket 6: Trustworthy, But Less Talented

• Jordan Hancock, Ohio State
• Denzel Burke, Ohio State
• Alijah Huzzie, UNC
• Jaylin Smith, USC
• Jason Marshall Jr., Florida

While not the best Rams fit, there are some intriguing things to like about Denzel Burke. He’s a very experienced player who brings good physicality which will help him see the field early, especially on special teams. At the same time, his lack of ball skills and limited developmental ceiling cap his upside.

Bucket 7: Late IQ or PQ

• Darien Porter, Iowa State
• Zy Alexander, LSU
• Tommi Hill, Nebraska
• O’Donnell Fortune, South Carolina
• BJ Adams, UCF

Porter only converted to cornerback in 2022 and is still learning the nuances of the positions. However, the athleticism and upside are there. He brings length that the Rams are lacking with arm length in the 93rd percentile. His speed and zone coverage instincts make him an intriguing fit for the Rams’ defense along with his potential as a special teams contributor. He projects as a developmental outside cornerback with starter upside.

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

• O’Donnell Fortune, South Carolina

There are a lot of cornerbacks with good depth upside in this class. There’s nobody with true major concerns where it’s worth taking them completely off the board.

Bucket 9: Likely Drafted, Not a Rams Fit

• Travis Hunter, Colorado
• Will Johnson, Michigan
• O’Donnell Fortune, South Carolina
• BJ Adams, UCF

Players like Travis Hunter and Will Johnson unfortunately won’t make it to the Rams at 26. If they did, the Rams would sprint to the table with a draft card that has their name on it.