Rams Future Draft: OT Joe Alt, QB Caleb Williams Top Rams Candidates
The Los Angeles Rams offensive line allowed 59 sacks in 2022, the third-most in the NFL. In 2021, the Super Bowl champions only allowed 31.
Current starting offensive tackles Joe Noteboom and Rob Havenstein are contracted through at least the 2024 season, but both of them played subpar last year. Noteboom allowed five sacks on just 325 snaps, while Havenstein allowed six on 1,019. If next year doesn't go well for either of these two, the Rams may target an offensive tackle in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell was considered one of the best lineman in the country when he was a sophomore in 2020 and was the first of the position group taken off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft. Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt is expected to be the next Penei Sewell.
The AP First Team All-American allowed just eight pressures and zero sacks on 887 snaps in 2022. PFF labeled him as the best returning offensive tackle in the nation as his football grades were top-tier.
"The sophomore’s 91.0 run-blocking grade led all FBS tackles while his 99.0 pass-blocking efficiency score was fifth. Alt looks like a potential top-five pick in 2024 and the best offensive tackle prospect since Penei Sewell".
The Rams haven't made many improvements to their clubhouse since their 5-12 season in 2022, so they are expected to finish with a relatively similar record in the bottom half of the league.
Alt is expected to be one of the first 15 draft picks in 2024, the range the Rams will likely pick in. PFF believes the Rams should do everything in their power to get him. If Rams' 2023 second-round offensive guard Steve Avila pans out his rookie year, he and Alt could really turn the front five around.
As the grades say, Alt's run-blocking is the best of the best. As of now, Los Angeles has four running backs capable of seeing the gridiron on Sundays and Alt could be the catalyst to make them thrive, starting in 2024.
But what about another option at the most important position on the field?
Even when healthy, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford showed his age last season and the 35-year-old's years in the league are likely numbered. There's a possibility Stafford and the Rams play poorly enough to earn the first overall pick.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to be the first player taken off the board in 2024. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner would be an even better option for the Rams.
Williams threw for 4,537 yards (third-most in FBS) and 42 touchdowns (most in FBS) in 2022. The 21-year-old got it done with his legs as well, rushing for 382 yards and 10 touchdowns. This dual threat would be a goldmine for a team trying to return to Super Bowl glory.
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