Many expected Fashanu to be the first offensive tackle off the board in 2023 before he announced he was returning to Penn State. While Notre Dame's Joe Alt is in the mix to be the OT1, Fashanu has an impressive combination of size, length, power and athleticism to become a franchise left tackle.
The Rams? In Round 1? They haven't been here since they took Jared Goff in 2016! It's a team with a lot of needs, and I'm sure we will be talking about the quarterbacks in the class for Los Angeles over the next 12 months, too. Matthew Stafford has a big contract, but he's 35 years old and only played nine games last season. What about his protection, though? Only two teams allowed more sacks than the Rams' 59 last season, and while Steve Avila (a 2022 second-round guard/center) will help, bringing in someone like Alt to team up with Joe Noteboom and Rob Havenstein would be smart. Alt is massive at 6-foot-7 and 317 pounds, and he "blew" just six total blocks (pass protecting and run blocking combined) across 866 snaps last season.
A tall, long corner who can run, McKinstry not only has a fun first name, but he also put strong play on his 2022 tape. He tied with Emmanuel Forbes — just selected No. 16 by Washington — for the SEC lead in passes defended (16) last season.
Trading away Jalen Ramsey may have alleviated some of the Rams' salary-cap concerns, but now the club lacks a difference-maker in the secondary. Williams offers a combination of size, agility and playmaking skills to help fill that role.
Matthew Stafford is getting older and has had some injuries. The Los Angeles Rams need to find their quarterback of the future, and they do so in North Carolina's Drake Maye. Maye has good size at 6-foot-5 and good arm strength, allowing him to make every throw on the field. He completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He also rushed for 698 yards and seven touchdowns.
As of now, this would be the first first-round pick the Rams have had since selecting Jared Goff No. 1 in 2016.
After trading away Jalen Ramsey, the Rams need to find their next No. 1 corner. McKinstry can fill that role. He was a first-team All-American for PFF this past season, and his 18 forced incompletions tied for second among all corners in the country. He also led all Power Five players with 332 punt return yards.
Los Angeles has been in need of an upper crust blindside protector since Andrew Whitworth retired with a Super Bowl ring on his finger. Alt has the chops to be a worthy replacement. He's 6-foot-7 with room to grow and allowed just three quarterback pressures — no sacks — through Notre Dame's entire 2022 season.
If Les Snead and Co. hang onto this pick, it will mark the first time since 2016 that the Rams use a first-round selection. Going with its current collection of cornerbacks after the Jalen Ramsey trade could have Los Angeles clamoring for McKinstry, the 6-1, 195-pound All-SEC performer whose playmaking instincts were evident in his 15 pass breakups last year.
