Los Angeles Rams Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades

The 2016 NFL draft will kick off Thursday night in Chicago at 8 p.m. ET. The opening night will feature the first round only. Day 2 will air the second and third rounds, and Day 3 will finish it off with Rounds 4-7.

It’s an exciting year for the Los Angeles Rams. The team is currently on the clock with the No. 1 overall draft choice, and the official decision will be announced just moments after the draft begins.

Obviously, the plan is to take a quarterback with the top pick—a franchise player who will not only be expected to carry the offense for the next decade, but someone who can also be the face of a new era in Los Angeles.

If the Rams nail the pick, the team will be a potent contender for years to come. If the team chokes and picks the wrong guy, the franchise risks being derailed—which could take years to recover from.

It’s an exciting night with a lot at stake.

The event will air live on ESPN and the NFL Network. As you watch the draft, be sure to follow along right here. As the Rams make their picks, this article will be updated to include analysis and insight for each selection.

Los Angeles Rams Picks

The Los Angeles Rams are lacking picks in this draft but still have just enough ammunition to make a difference. 

The Rams own two selections in the fourth round (No. 110 and No. 113 overall) and two picks in the sixth round (No. 177 and No. 190). General manager Les Snead has been good at finding late-round gems, so these picks could be valuable.

Los Angeles doesn’t have any Day 2 picks at the moment, so the action will be slow until Saturday.

As the team makes the picks, this slide will be updated to keep track of the selections. Click to the later slides for in-depth analysis of each pick.

Round 1, Pick 1: Jared Goff, Quarterback, California

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The debate between California’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz has raged on for weeks.

The Rams dropped a bombshell when it was announced that they traded up with the Tennessee Titans from No. 15 overall to No. 1 overall, per ESPN.com. After the news broke, there was no doubt about the team’s intentions—the Rams wanted a franchise quarterback.

Goff and Wentz were the undisputed top two options. Neither prospect carries Andrew Luck-level hype, but both are capable prospects with a bright future. Apparently, Los Angeles feels that Goff has a better shot at leading the team to long-term success.

The Rams announced Goff as the pick. According to the live ESPN broadcast, Goff was pleased with the outcome.

“It was well worth the wait, obviously.  It was an unbelievable moment,” said Goff. “I felt very comfortable with [the Rams’] whole staff. I had an immediate connection from the combine.”

Now, the pressure is on.

The Rams gave up a plethora of picks to obtain the No. 1 selection. Los Angeles is placing the future success of the franchise squarely on Goff’s shoulders. If he’s a success, the Rams will be a dangerous competitor for the next decade. If he fails to reach his potential, the Rams will struggle for years to overcome it.

Luckily, Los Angeles is getting an excellent player.

Goff lit up the field in his final year at California. He ended the year with a 64.5 percent completion rate, 4,714 yards and 43 touchdown passes. He did so despite not having a top-notch supporting cast—he managed to have enormous success on a mediocre team.

He has excellent touch on his deep ball and knows how to connect downfield—a perk that will keep the pressure off running back Todd Gurley. His accuracy is tremendous. Also, he doesn’t lock on to his first receiver, which is common for young passers. He progresses through his reads and finds the open man, which is a veteran trait.

And despite rushing for minus-114 yards during his collegiate career, he possesses incredible mobility in the pocket. He can escape pass-rushers and extend plays with his feet. In fact, he's probably mobile enough to be utilized on designed quarterback runs. 

Still, there are some issues for Goff to overcome.

According to his combine profile, he weighs in at just 215 pounds. He most likely attempted to put on weight before the combine, so his actual game-day weight is probably lower. He needs to add a more bulk to his frame.

Also, he played in a gimmick offense at California. He took a lot of his snaps from the shotgun. Lining up under center and perfecting five- and seven-step drops will be essential.

However, even with the negatives, he’s a great selection for the Rams. Poor quarterback play has kept the team out of the playoffs the last several years, and Goff has the potential to fix that.

Grade: A

Round 4, Pick 110: Tyler Higbee, Tight End, Western Kentucky

Michael Noble Jr./Associated Press

The Rams lost Jared Cook to the Green Bay Packers during the offseason. Cook was frustrating to watch and inconsistent, but he was still the team's No. 2 receiver last season with 481 yards. That production has to be replaced.

Following Cook's departure, Lance Kendricks and Cory Harkey were the only tight ends left on the roster. We knew the Rams would grab a tight end at some point in the draft, so Los Angeles decided to jump on Western Kentucky's Tyler Higbee with the No. 110 pick in the fourth round—the Rams' second pick of the draft.

Higbee is an excellent selection capable of immediately upgrading the offense.

According to his combine profile, Higbee measures in at 6'6" and 249 pounds. He's an imposing presence on the field and a mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses.

Higbee is a former wide receiver and is a pass-catching tight end. That's exactly what the Rams were looking for with the departure of Cook. Kendricks is a good blocking tight end and can catch some passes, too, but the Rams needed a monster target capable of running down the seam and overpowering small cornerbacks.

Higbee is a small-school standout. After modest production his first three seasons, he broke out in 2015. He hauled in 38 passes for 563 yards and eight touchdowns. He ended his college career with 1,054 yards and 14 touchdowns.

On the downside, the Rams are a run-first offense, and Higbee struggles at times as a blocker. The Rams can forget about lining him up against edge-rushers as a pass protector. Even so, with his size and strength, it's possible the Rams can coach him up and turn him into a competent blocker the way they did with Kendricks, who was seen more as a pass-catcher when he entered the league in 2011.

Higbee was arguably a top-five tight end prospect in this draft, so Los Angeles is lucky he fell this far. His drop may be partially due to his arrest for assault in early April. It's a concerning red flag, but according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Higbee claimed the incident was self-defense—Higbee was defending his girlfriend.

Apparently, the Rams felt comfortable enough with the situation to pull the trigger.

The Rams used a No. 1 overall pick on Jared Goff, so it's clear the team wants to surround him with weapons. Higbee will be Goff's best friend in red-zone and short-yardage situations.

This is exactly what Los Angeles needed to upgrade the offense. 

Grade: A-

Round 4, Pick 117: Pharoh Cooper, Wide Receiver, South Carolina

Rainier Ehrhardt/Associated Press

Los Angeles needs to give Goff weapons on offense. The Rams passing attack was putrid last season, and Goff can't succeed under similar circumstances. Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt were the only worthwhile pass-catchers on the roster entering the draft, but neither is a No. 1 target.

The Rams used their first fourth-round selection to grab Higbee, a pick that'll give the red-zone offense a major boost due to his 6'6" size.

It was a good start, but the Rams could not afford to stop there.

With the team's second fourth-round selection, it grabbed South Carolina wide receiver Pharoh Cooper.

Chris Givens is in Philadelphia, and Stedman Bailey is unavailable, so the Rams were in desperate need of a receiver capable of being a reliable No. 3 or No. 4 guy. Finding a No. 1 receiver this late in the draft is unrealistic, so the Rams did the next best thing and settled on a competent receiver in Cooper.

Cooper is an ideal fit because he's versatile. The Rams can line him up in the slot, but he's also fast and physical enough to line up outside and run down the field. He's a solid route-runner and is very quick making cuts and coming out of his breaks.

Cooper has been a top playmaker at South Carolina the last two seasons. He broke out in 2014 with 1,136 yards and nine touchdowns. He followed that up in 2015 with 66 grabs for 973 yards and eight scores. He has experience against tough SEC defenses and is ready to contribute immediately at the next level.

He doesn't have the speed of a true burner, but he has enough to keep defenses honest. The Rams can send him deep, which will help take pressure off Todd Gurley and the run game. And due to Cooper's quickness and ability to make good cuts, he may develop into an excellent route-runner someday.

The Rams needed a boost at wide receiver, and Cooper provides just that. 

Grade: A

Round 6, Pick 177: Temarrick Hemingway, Tight End, South Carolina State

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Rams are scrambling to find playmakers for Goff. The team grabbed a tight end and wide receiver in Round 4. Apparently, the Rams aren’t done strengthening their aerial attack.

With the Rams’ first pick in the sixth round, they selected tight end Temarrick Hemingway out of South Carolina State.

The Rams had just two tight ends on the roster entering the draft—Kendricks and Harkey—so the team was desperate to add several tight ends to the roster before camp. Hemingway is a nice addition and will increase the level of competition.

Hemingway is coming off a solid campaign for the South Carolina State Bulldogs. In 2015, he caught 38 passes for 418 yards and a touchdown. Overall, he finished with 1,056 yards and seven scores in his four college seasons.

Kendricks is the main blocking tight end, so the Rams were in need of pure pass-catching tight ends. Like Higbee, Hemingway fits that description.

Hemingway is 6’5” and 244 pounds, according to his combine profile. His monstrous size will give opposing cornerbacks headaches. Coaches also like his quickness and ability to run effective short routes.

On the downside, Hemingway is sloppy as a blocker. He’ll provide no use for the Rams as a run-blocker and will strictly be used in the passing game. Also, he went to a small school, so he’ll have to adjust to the NFL level. He’ll have to learn a more complex playbook and increase the number of routes he can run.

If the Rams can properly develop Hemingway, he’ll be an excellent weapon.

Grade: B

Round 6, Pick 190: Josh Forrest, Linebacker, Kentucky

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Veteran linebacker James Laurinaitis is no longer with the Rams. Alec Ogletree is going to bump over to play middle linebacker, but Los Angeles was still in need of a backup behind Ogletree.

To remedy this situation, the Rams used their second sixth-round selection to grab Kentucky linebacker Josh Forrest.

This late in the draft, the goal is to find players who can make the team, contribute on special teams and provide depth. Forrest can do all three.

Forrest was a two-year starter at Kentucky in the SEC. He faced top-notch competition in college. He came on as a starter in 2014 and finished with 110 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss. He continued to produce in 2015 with 93 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two picks and a touchdown.

According to his combine profile, he has the ideal size for an inside linebacker at 6’3” and 249 pounds. He’s excellent at getting into the backfield to make plays and putting pressure on the quarterback—two things the Rams absolutely love in a front-seven defender.

Unfortunately, Forrest’s strength is lacking, and he may be overwhelmed in run support. He’s not the violent force teams look for in a middle linebacker. Also, he’s a raw player who’ll need a few years to develop.

Even so, Forrest will be a nice backup behind Ogletree. He’ll contribute on special teams immediately and should make the squad. 

Grade: B

Round 6, Pick 206: Mike Thomas, Wide Receiver, Southern Mississippi

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

The Rams are not messing around when it comes to Goff’s success. Almost every draft pick outside of Goff was used on a weapon for the aerial game. Higbee and Cooper were added in the fourth round, and Hemingway was added in the sixth.

With the 206th pick in the draft—the Rams’ final selection—Los Angeles drafted Southern Mississippi wide receiver Mike Thomas—not to be confused with Ohio State’s Michael Thomas, who was selected in Round 2 by New Orleans.

Thomas is a small-school standout with big-time production that can’t be ignored.

In his first season with Southern Mississippi, Thomas produced 592 yards and five touchdowns. In 2015, he had a monster breakout year. He caught 71 passes for 1,391 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final season. He was unstoppable, and opposing defenses didn't have an answer for him.

Thomas has decent size for a possession receiver. According to the combine profile, he stands in at 6’1” and 200 pounds. It’d be ideal if he had a few more inches of height, but he still plays very physical. He fights for the football and is willing to take a hit. He’ll not only expected to be a physical, nasty receiver on the field, but he’ll also be developed into a good run-blocker, as he doesn’t shy away from contact.

He’s very raw and needs to be developed. His athleticism leaves something to be desired, but he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, so he has plenty of speed to get downfield.

Thomas is certainly a project and needs some development, but the potential is very intriguing.

Grade: B+