NFL Draft: Mel Kiper Jr. Gives Rams' Class 'B' Grade

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. gives the Los Angeles Rams a solid grade for their 2023 NFL Draft class

The Los Angeles Rams were quite busy during the 2023 NFL Draft. They made 14 picks across all three days, the most of any team. But how did they do on those picks?

Early reactions to L.A.'s draft class seem to be generally positive, with most analysts grading the class a B or higher. That includes ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., arguably the top draft analyst in the industry, who also gave the Rams a B grade.

Right away, Kiper acknowledges the Rams' tough situation in this draft. They're entering a rebuild after losing several key players this offseason, and with their first-round pick belonging to the Detroit Lions, they're starting that rebuild at a disadvantage.

The Rams made two picks that Kiper really likes. The first is offensive lineman Steve Avila at No. 36, who Kiper believes is "a plug-and-play starter at guard." The other is edge rusher Byron Young at No. 77, who Kiper had as the No. 51 player on his board. 

However, the Rams' other picks don't earn as much praise from the draft guru. The first pick to garner criticism was defensive tackle Kobie Turner at No. 89, a player Kiper didn't have in his top 200.

"That's extremely high for a player I don't think has starter-level tools," Kiper said.

Kiper goes on to say that Stetson Bennett, who the Rams picked at No. 128, went a round or two earlier than he was expecting. L.A.'s selection of tight end Davis Allen at No. 175, receiver Puka Nacua at No. 177 and edge rusher Ochaun Mathis at No. 189 were all "reaches."

Despite a subpar Day 3 in Kiper's eyes, the Rams did well enough early on to still earn a passing grade.

"This is a bit of a mixed bag overall, but the top two picks were excellent value."

Draft grades are fun and all, but it's important to remember that we'll only know how good these rookies are when they actually take the field.

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You can follow Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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