2022 was an underwhelming season for the defending Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams, one they tried to bounce back from with their picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. Los Angeles has spurned the draft in recent years, but in the fallout of their worthwhile Super Bowl gambit, they needed to turn back to the board for help.
Want to see how the Rams graded out during the 2023 NFL Draft? Then come check out our full Los Angeles Rams draft grades. You can also see the entire 2023 NFL Draft results.
Los Angeles Rams Draft Picks Tracker by Round in 2023
- Round 2 | Pick 36
Steve Avila, G, TCU - Round 3 | Pick 77 (from MIA)
Byron Young, EDGE, Tennessee - Round 3 | Pick 89
Kobie Turner, DT, Wake Forest - Round 4, Pick 128
Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia
- Round 5, Pick 161 (from HOU)
Nick Hampton, EDGE, Appalachian State - Round 5, Pick 174 (from LV via HOU)*
Warren McClendon, OT, Georgia - Round 5, Pick 175 (from TB)*
Davis Allen, TE, Clemson - Round 5, Pick 177*
Puka Nacua, WR, BYU - Round 6, Pick 182
Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB, TCU
- Round 6, Pick 189 (from GB)
Ochaun Mathis, EDGE, Nebraska - Round 7, Pick 215* (from WAS via BUF)
Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss - Round 7, Pick 223
Ethan Evans, P, Wingate - Round 7, Pick 234 (from PIT)
Jason Taylor II, S, Oklahoma State - Round 7, Pick 259* (from HOU)
Desjuan Johnson, EDGE, Toledo
*Compensatory selection
How Many Draft Picks Did the Rams Have Entering the 2023 NFL Draft?
The Rams had an impressive 14 draft picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. Three of those selections — a second-rounder and two third-rounders — resided on Day 2. The rest were Day 3 picks, with only one inside the top 150.
True to form, the Rams didn’t have a first-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. It was the seventh straight NFL Draft in which LA didn’t have a Round 1 pick.
The Rams traded away their 2022 and 2023 first-rounders to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford in the 2021 offseason. The Lions also took on former Rams QB Jared Goff in the deal — an acquisition that was, at the time, deemed as more of a cap handcuff, given Goff’s regression late in his Rams career.
The trade paid off for the Rams, as they earned a Super Bowl ring in Stafford’s first year as the starter. But now, the hangover is hitting hard. The first-round pick that the Lions acquired turned into the sixth overall pick — a selection that would’ve been very valuable to LA as the roster ages.
Ironically, the Rams’ first selection at 36th overall was their earliest NFL Draft pick since taking Goff No. 1 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. It’s the closest the Rams have been to Round 1 since that time.
Along with their second-rounder, Los Angeles had their original third-rounder. They also received the 77th overall pick and TE Hunter Long from the Miami Dolphins in return for All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey this past March.
MORE: History of Los Angeles Rams First-Round NFL Draft Picks
Los Angeles did add two additional sixth-round picks via trade, dealing WR Robert Woods and punter Corey Bojorquez in the process.
The Rams’ massive void through the middle of the 2023 NFL Draft was the result of two trades. Los Angeles dealt its 2023 fourth-rounder for Patriots RB Sony Michel way back in the summer of 2021. Michel only played one season for the Rams.
Los Angeles also dealt its fifth-round pick, sending that selection to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for defensive back Troy Hill last April.
In another move to unload some of their bloated contracts, the Rams traded veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They also sent their compensatory pick (251) in return for pick 234 in the seventh round.
Despite not having a first-round selection, the Rams were able to add talent with their 2023 NFL Draft capital. Steve Avila, selected in Round 2, should shore up a shoddy interior line with his heavy hands and technical refinement, and in Round 3, Byron Young and Kobie Turner both add potent energy to the defensive front.
MORE: Los Angeles Rams 2023 Schedule
It’s never a bad thing to have more dart throws on Day 3, and the Rams dominated the later rounds with 11 picks in that stretch. Their Day 3 slate was led off by the selection of Georgia QB Stetson Bennett. Round 4 may have been a bit rich for the soon-to-be 26-year-old, but the Rams made up for it with some of their picks later on.
Los Angeles brought in a stellar rotation of traits-rich Day 3 defensive line prospects in Nick Hampton, Ochaun Mathis, and Desjuan Johnson, and they also added a number of intriguing offensive weapons, led by the versatile Puka Nacua and former five-star RB recruit Zach Evans.
Elsewhere, the Rams added Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson and Jason Taylor II in the secondary. Hodges-Tomlinson fell to Round 6 mainly due to his size, but he has the athleticism and football IQ to prove doubters wrong. And Taylor is an exceedingly talented safety with some flexibility between the field and the box.
