Arizona Cardinals: 4-round NFC West mock draft 1.0

Los Angeles Rams

Let’s give Aaron Donald, Aqib Talib, and Eric Weddle the inside linebacker they deserve because frankly, none of the current options on the Rams’ roster look too appealing. Talented but undersized (5-11, 234-pounds) Michigan inside linebacker Devin Bush should do the trick.

Bush is the definition of a field-general at inside linebacker. He’s fast (4.43 second 40-yard-dash), explosive (40.5 inch vertical), aware of his surroundings, blitzes well, and excels against both the run and pass. The Michigan product is an ideal WILL linebacker in the modern NFL and would be a natural replacement to recently cut Mark Barron. If Bush falls to the end of the first, don’t be surprised if the Rams ignore his size to get a starter on an already talented defense.

With the first of their two third-round compensatory picks, we give Jared Goff and Todd Gurley some help with Oklahoma offensive lineman Dru Samia — a key cog of the Sooners’ award-winning line.

The 6-5, 305-pound guard is useful as a leader blocker due to light feet and functional athleticism. However, he’s somewhat raw in pass-protection and could benefit from his lowering pad level. But, Samia grew every year during college which helps him project as a solid developmental piece for a team that will get expensive soon.

At the end of the third round, we give the Rams the edge rusher that their defense so desperately needs. While Winovich is more of a high-floor, low-ceiling option, he could be a really nice piece on a defense where he would rarely see double-team blocks.

Winovich isn’t the most explosive player off the snap, but he makes up for that lack of burst in pass-rushing technique and smart counter moves. Against the run, he possesses good gap-control and is rather quick to the ball. Again, Winovich won’t be the leader of an NFL defense during year one or two, but he would be a nice complementary piece opposite of Dante Fowler.

Look, Todd Gurley is fantastic, but with recent reports that he has arthritis you can bet that his workload will decrease in the 2019 season. Currently, Malcolm Brown is his backup. While Brown has some nice traits, his NFL production is marginal. Playoff hero C.J. Anderson also remains unsigned; therefore I’m giving the Rams a nice backup in FAU star Devin Singletary.

Singletary was once shooting up draft boards due to his vision, footwork, patience, and elusive playstyle. He’s a hard-runner and knows how to take advantage of his blocks. However, his stock took a massive hit at the combine. Not only did the FAU product run a poor 4.66 second 40-yard-dash, but he also measured in at 5-7, 203-pounds, which were unexpected measurements and not in a good way. With that being said, the Rams are still getting a standout backup in Singeltary that can handle a large workload if need be.

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