Snead’s Snacks: Will the Rams address the linebacker position in 2025 NFL Draft?

Arguably the biggest need for the Los Angeles Rams is at the linebacker position. While they signed Nate Landman in free agency and brought back Troy Reeder, that shouldn’t have an effect on whether or not the team drafts a linebacker. That player may not be in the first round, but linebacker should certainly be an option on days two and three of the draft.

Since the 2020 NFL Draft, I’ve done a series called Snead’s Snacks. In other words, we’re going 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.

The focus for today’s edition of “Snead’s Snacks” will be in the secondary at linebacker. In past years, I’ve correctly predicted Ernest Jones as a potential draft pick.

2025 Snead’s Snacks

• Who are the best fits for the Rams at cornerback?

Notable Past Rams Drafted Players

Ernest Jones, LB, South Carolina – 3rd Round

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’1″	55th percentile
Weight	230 lbs	8th percentile
Arm Length	33.375 inches	88th percentile
Shuttle	4.28 seconds	32nd percentile
Broad Jump	126 inches	97th percentile
Vertical Jump	38.5 inches	93rd percentile
3-Cone	7.49 seconds	3rd percentile
40-Yard Dash	4.72 seconds	59th percentile
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Poor
Speed Grade	Good
Explosion Grade	Elite
RAS	6.39 – Okay
Player Traits
Plays Longer than Measureables
Long Arms/Good in Coverage
Disciplined Tackler/High Football IQ

Overview of Pick

Ernest Jones was one of the first hits of the Snead’s Snacks series. His arm length and explosiveness made him the ideal fit. He was good in coverage and was a disciplined tacker with a good football IQ. Throughout his Rams career, Ernest Jones was the heart and soul of the defense. There was a point in which it was thought that the Rams may extend Jones past his rookie contract. However, Jones was traded last offseason.

Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia – 5th Round

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’0″	14th percentile
Weight	238 lbs	33rd percentile
Arm Length	33.5 inches	48th percentile
Shuttle	4.24 seconds	71st percentile
Broad Jump	121 inches	87th percentile
Vertical Jump	35.5 inches	77th percentile
3-Cone	7.05 seconds	66th percentile
40-Yard Dash	4.66 seconds	74th percentile
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Poor
Speed Grade	Good
Explosion Grade	Great
RAS	8.43 – Good
Player Traits
Good College Production
Disciplined Tackler/Instinctive
Relentless Motor/Tenacity

Overview of Pick

Micah Kiser has tended to be the blueprint for what the Rams like at the linebacker position. He tested great in the explosiveness drills during pre-draft testing and then had the traits and intangibles that the Rams value in the position. Kiser had good college production, was a disciplined, instinctive tackler, and played with a relentless motor. Kiser spent four years on the Rams as a special teams contributor and defensive starter.

Travin Howard, LB, TCU – 7th Round

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	5’10”	N/A
Weight	211 lbs	N/A
Arm Length	31.5 inches	N/A
Shuttle	4.2 seconds	N/A
Broad Jump	124 inches	N/A
Vertical Jump	35.5 inches	N/A
3-Cone	7.06 seconds	N/A
40-Yard Dash	4.56 seconds	N/A
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Very Poor
Speed Grade	Elite
Explosion Grade	Great
RAS	8.03 – Good
Player Traits
Solid College Production
Linebacker/Safety Hybrid
Good Speed

Overview of Pick

While Travin Howard was never a full-time starting linebacker for the Rams, he made one of the biggest plays in team history as he sealed their spot in the Super Bowl back in 2021. Howard had great explosiveness testing to go with solid college production. He’s also one of a few players on this list with a safety background.

Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia – 1st Round

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’2″	66th percentile
Weight	242 lbs	54th percentile
Arm Length	33.5 inches	92nd percentile
Shuttle	4.39 seconds	27th percentile
Broad Jump	122 inches	91st percentile
Vertical Jump	33.5 inches	55th percentile
3-Cone	7.16 seconds	47th percentile
40-Yard Dash	4.7 seconds	64th percentile
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Good
Speed Grade	Good
Explosion Grade	Good
RAS	7.24 – Good
Player Traits
Elite Athlete/Good College Production
S Converted LB/Good in Coverage
Attacks the Football/Blockers

Overview of Pick

The only first round pick and the player that gives fans hope that the Rams might actually prioritize the position in the draft is Alec Ogletree. While he only played one year in the McVay era, he was still drafted by Snead and carries some traits. Ogletree tested in the 91st percentile in the broad jump, displaying explosiveness, had good college production, and was a safety converted linebacker which showed in coverage.

Notable Past Rams Undrafted Players/Free Agents

Omar Speights, LB, LSU – 2024 UDFA

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’0″	N/A
Weight	225 lbs	N/A
Arm Length	31.25 inches	N/A
Shuttle	4.34 seconds	N/A
Broad Jump	120 inches	N/A
Vertical Jump	31.5 inches	N/A
3-Cone	7.07 seconds	N/A
40-Yard Dash	4.85 seconds	N/A
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Poor
Speed Grade	Great
Explosion Grade	Okay
RAS	7.96 – Good
Player Traits
Hustle Player with Solid Speed
Eye Discipline/Good Tackler
Good Instincts in Run Game

Jake Hummel, LB, Iowa State – 2022 UDFA

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’1″	N/A
Weight	225 lbs	N/A
Arm Length	32.375 inches	N/A
Shuttle	4.3 seconds	N/A
Broad Jump	126 inches	N/A
Vertical Jump	37 inches	N/A
3-Cone	6.83 seconds	N/A
40-Yard Dash	4.51 seconds	N/A
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Poor
Speed Grade	Elite
Explosion Grade	Elite
RAS	9.49 – Great
Player Traits
Comfortable in Zone Coverage
Explosive Tester at Pro Day
Core STs talent

Troy Reeder, LB, Delaware – 2019 UDFA, 2024 FA

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’1″	N/A
Weight	235 lbs	N/A
Arm Length	29.875 inches	N/A
Shuttle	4.14 seconds	N/A
Broad Jump	122 inches	N/A
Vertical Jump	37.5 inches	N/A
3-Cone	7.0 seconds	N/A
40-Yard Dash	4.63 seconds	N/A
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Okay
Speed Grade	Good
Explosion Grade	Great
RAS	9.36 – Great
Player Traits
Solid College Production
Good Lateral Movement
Excellent Tackler

Cory Littleton, LB, Washington – 2016 UDFA

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’3″	80th percentile
Weight	238 lbs	45th percentile
Arm Length	33.375 inches	84th percentile
Shuttle	4.32 seconds	46th percentile
Broad Jump	114 inches	32nd percentile
Vertical Jump	29.5 inches	7th percentile
3-Cone	7.11 seconds	51st percentile
40-Yard Dash	4.73 seconds	42nd percentile
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Good
Speed Grade	Okay
Explosion Grade	Poor
RAS	5.04 – Okay
Player Traits
Moderate College Production
Lengthy Athlete
Good Closing Speed

Common Traits The Rams Look For in Cornerbacks

Draft Capital Avoidance

This is something said almost every year about this team, but the Rams do not value the linebacker position. While they certainly have a need, it would be very surprising if they took a linebacker, regardless of talent, in the first round. Linebacker is simply not a premium position for this front office and defensive scheme. Outside of Ogletree and Jones, the Rams haven’t taken a single linebacker prior to day three of the NFL Draft. Even then, Jones was taken outside the top-100 picks. Therefore, we’re going to be looking at players late on day two and day three of the draft.

College Production and Disciplined Tacklers

College production seems to be important for the Rams at the linebacker position. The Rams want disciplined tacklers at the second level. Players like Micah Kiser were tackling machines in college. Jones was a disciplined tackler.

A testing measurable that coincides with this trait is arm length. The Rams seem to like lengthy linebackers. Six linebackers acquired under Snead had an arm length greater than 32 inches. All but Troy Reeder had arm lengths over 30 inches. The implications here is that the Rams value reach and tackle radius.

Agility and Comfort in Coverage

Having some level of comfort in coverage is something that the Rams seem to value at the linebacker position. It makes sense that they’ve targeted players like Ogletree and Howard who had some safety experience. Ogletree was a former safety and Howard was a hybrid linebacker/safety at TCU. Several linebackers that the Rams have acquired were descirbed as good in coverage or comfortable in space.

The 3-cone is a drill to pay attention to here. Seven linebackers were said to have great or elite agility during testing. The Rams prioritize fluid hips and lateral mobility in zone-heavy schemes.

Explosiveness and Short-Area Quickness

The Rams seem to like their linebackers to be explosive. All but four earned good or great explosive grades and seven linebackers had broad jumps of at least 10-feet. Additionally, 35-inches seems to be the threshold for the vertical. They seek quick-twitch explosiveness.

While the Rams don’t necessarily value the 40-time, they seem to pay attention to initial quickness and short-area speed. Among players with recorded times, many had really good 10 and 20-yard splits. This implicates an emphasis on initial quickness and short-area speed.

2025 Players Who Fit The Rams

1. Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma

It’s easy to like Danny Stutsman as a player. While he just missed the vertical threshold at 34-inches, he displayed great speed in the 10 and 20-yard splits and also has 32-inch arms. Stutsman plays with intensity and has good instincts, leading to tackle production as he had over 100 tackles in each of the last three seasons. As shown in the 10-yard split, he also had good short-area quickness. He does struggle a bit in coverage, but among the linebackers in the third round, he’s probably the best fit.

Courtesy Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS Football

Draft Projection: 3rd Round

2. Smael Mondon Jr., Georgia

If the Rams end up taking a linebacker in the draft, it really wouldn’t be a surprise if that player is Smael Mondon Jr. from Georgia. There may not be a more perfect fit for the Rams at linebacker. Mondon brings everything to the table that the Rams like. He’s explosive and as shown in his 1.56 second 10-yard split, he has good read-react quickness. Mondon is a rangy player who’s comfortable in coverage. While he had some injuries at Georgia, he showed to be a productive disciplined tackler. To add to all that, Mondon has special teams upside and comes with a background at safety.

Courtesy Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS Football

Draft Projection: 4th Round

3. Jack Kiser, Notre Dame

Kiser is a player that I’ve tabbed as a fit since my trip to the Senior Bowl. Everything about Kiser screamed “Rams”. When Kiser finally got onto the field at Notre Dame, he had good production and his vast experience has given him good instincts with a strong football IQ. Kiser is a disciplined tackler with special teams upside. While the arm length is on the shorter end and the explosiveness scores are slightly lower, Kiser had a strong 10-yard split and 3-cone, showing his short-area quickness and he had the most explosive efforts among linebackers at the Senior Bowl

Courtesy Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS Football

Draft Projection: 4th-5th Round

4. Cody Lindenberg, Minnesota

There’s a lot to like about Cody Lindenberg, but also some aspects of his game and testing that make him an imperfect fit. He meets the arm length and vertical thresholds, but just misses out on the broad jump. The Minnesota linebacker scored poorly in the 10-yard split, but had a strong three-cone. From a traits perspective, he’s rangy and is a solid tackler with good production and special teams upside. However, he lacks the twitch that the Rams seem to value. While not a perfect fit, he may be the type of player that the Rams target late in the draft.

Courtesy Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS Football

Draft Projection: 6th Round

5. Teddye Buchanan, Cal

• Teddye Buchanan is a player that caught my eye at the Shrine Bowl and has impressed through every step of the draft process. Buchanan meets both explosiveness testing thresholds and his 1.61 10-yard split is also within the range of past Rams linebackers as well. While the 3-cone is a little on the slower side, he fits almost perfectly when it comes to his traits. Buchanan brings a competitive edge and is a disciplined tackler with reliable technique. He’s instinctive and reads action quickly. Buchanan has good burst/twitch and brings special teams upside. Additionally, he has shown to be comfortable working in coverage.

Courtesy Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS Football

Draft Projection: 6th-7th Round

Honorable Mentions

Demetrius Knight Jr., South Carolina

• Instincts vs. the run
• Special teams upside
• Not a twitchy mover and lacks lateral agility

Draft Projection: 3rd Round

Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Kentucky

• Meets size/testing threshold
• Physical tackler
• Good production and solid instincts vs. run

Draft Projection: 5th-6th Round

Carson Bruener

• Good instincts
• Solid production
• Special teams upside
• Has connection to Jimmy Lake

Draft Projection: 7th Round