The Rams are scheduled to make their second selection in the 2023 NFL Draft with the No. 69 overall pick – a spot where they and other teams have managed to unearth dynamic playmakers, as well as reliable starters and contributors.
Here's a look at some of those standouts.
2017: WR Cooper Kupp (Rams, pictured above)
Since landing in Los Angeles, Kupp has posted 508 career receptions for 6,329 yards and 46 touchdowns across 80 career games (66 starts). The most prominent came in 2021, when he became the NFL's fourth triple crown winner since 1970 after leading the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16) and later earned Super Bowl MVP for his performance in Los Angeles' Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
2022: OT Nicholas Petit-Frere (Titans)
Tennessee grabbed this Ohio State standout in the third round and saw him start all 16 games he played in at right tackle.
2021: DE Joseph Ossai (Bengals)
After missing his rookie year with a knee injury, Ossai bounced back with 3.5 sacks in 16 games in 2022 – good for third-most on Cincinnati's defense last season.
2020: OG Damien Lewis (Seahawks)
Starting all 16 regular season games plus Seattle's wild card playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams at right guard, Lewis was named to the Pro Football Writers Association's All-Rookie Team in 2020. All told, he's started in all 45 regular games and both playoff games he's played in and has been a reliable starter along the interior of the Seahawks' offensive line.
2018: DT B.J. Hill (Giants)
Hill was traded from the Giants to the Bengals for center Billy Price ahead of the 2021 season and parlayed 5.5 sacks and 50 total tackles into a lucrative 3-year deal with Cincinnati in March 2022.
2016: DE Yannick Ngakoue (Jaguars)
Ngakoue has been a reliable pass rusher over the last eight seasons, recording at least 8 sacks every year since he's been in the league thus far.
2015: WR Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)
A familiar NFC West name for Rams fans, Lockett made an immediate impact on special teams as a rookie and earned First-Team All-Pro plus Pro Bowl recognition for his kick returning. His breakout season came in 2018 with 57 catches for 965 yards and 10 touchdowns, and in 2019, he began a streak of what is now four-consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.
2013: S Tyrann Mathieu (Cardinals)
A three-time First-Team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl choice, Mathieu has been a consistent and reliable playmaker on the back end of every defense he's been a part of between his time with the Cardinals, Texans, Chiefs and Saints.
