If you’ve paid attention to the Rams’ movements and read between the lines, you might have picked up that the Rams are interested in continuing to improve their offense in the NFL Draft. It’s no secret they’ve looked at the quarterback class and have been poking around at the wide receiver class as well. No one should be outright shocked if they eschew defense in favor of adding an offensive difference-maker in round one.
Peter Schrager of NFL.com reaches the same conclusion for the Rams, albeit in a slightly different way. In his new first-round mock draft, he has the Rams selecting Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton.
Interestingly enough, he just about guaranteed the Rams will take an offensive player at No. 19 barring a trade down.
I’ll go on record with something of a guarantee here: If the Rams do not trade back, you better believe Sean McVay’s first-ever first-round selection will be an offensive player. Los Angeles shored up its interior O-line in free agency. Guyton — a bit of a project, but someone who can play either tackle spot — gives Matthew Stafford another promising young guy to protect him in his 16th NFL season.
I’m a bit higher on Guyton than the consensus is and I’m intrigued by his upside. I’m a little bit leery about moving Guyton, a young and still-developing OT, over to left tackle-a position he’s never played before. Right tackle Rob Havenstein’s under contract for the next two years and likely isn’t going anywhere anytime soon with his deal.
Guyton is a better pass protector than run blocker, but his technique still needs plenty of polish before he can really maximize his tools and be a reliable starter at tackle. Guyton has very good athletic ability, a very good anchor, and is well-coordinated in his movements. He still needs plenty of polish with his passing sets, use of hands, and overall refinement in the run game, as he has yet to figure out how to truly maximize his athletic gifts.
I’m not sold on his scheme fit with the Rams in their new gap-heavy run scheme, and he might have been a better fit under McVay’s old outside zone-based run scheme, where his quickness in space can truly shine. Nevertheless, Guyton possesses tremendous upside with fantastic tools and can be one of the top tackles in the league by the end of his rookie contract if he stays healthy. There are risks, however, and the staff is still relatively unproven in developing offensive linemen.
