Check out photos of Rams 7th Round selection Justin Lawler, DL, SMU.
Credit: AP Photos and SMU
With the close of the 2018 NFL Draft, 11 college prospects can now call themselves Los Angeles Rams.
After a draft haul that saw the franchise make moves to acquire 10 selections in Day 3 alone, the Rams were able to replenish depth at multiple positions — bringing in several new, dynamic playmakers.
And now that the big event has come and past, therams.com will be taking a look at each member of the club's 2018 Draft Class.
With the 244th overall pick, the Rams rounded out their 2018 NFL Draft Class by selecting SMU defensive end Justin Lawler.
The first-team All-AAC player was a significant contributor for the Mustangs on both defense and special teams — tying a national-lead with three blocked kicks throughout his career. Lawler also made a name for himself as a strong tackler who plays with relentless effort, racking up 74 tackles, 15.5 for loss, and 9.5 sacks in the last season alone.
Moving forward, the defensive end believes he will be a perfect fit for the Rams D-Line room and is eager to begin carving out his role as quickly as possible.
Here is Justin Lawler in his own words:
On how it feels to join the Rams:
"It's incredible. I knew they had interest in me. I loved L.A. when I was down there, I had a visit down there and I'm just ready. I'm excited to get to work and excited to get going."
On what he thinks he brings to the defense:
"Immediately, I'm just going to do my job, I'm going to play my role. Come out, if I've got to be a backup, I'll be a backup. But, I'm just going to help this team win, that's what I've always done and that's what I'm going to continue to do no matter where I go."
On what type of role he had while at SMU:
"It was really similar to what the Rams do, I think that's why we're such a good fit for each other. I was a hand in the ground, four-down guy, rushing the quarterback and just making plays. They let me run free, run loose, similar to what the Rams do with their ends and we look forward to having the same success in L.A."
On how much special teams work he did while in college:
"I didn't do any for Coach Morris, but the year before that, I did a bunch. I also did some at my all-star game, the East-West (Shrine) Game. I'm more than capable of doing all of that, so I'm ready to roll."
