One of the bigger needs for the Los Angeles Rams heading into the 2025 NFL Draft remains the cornerback position. While they brought back Ahkello Witherspoon and still have Darious Williams, this is a group that needs young talent. Thankfully, this is a deeper group of cornerbacks, with several intriguing options in the middle rounds. The Rams also shouldn’t be swayed to not take one with their first selection.
Heading into the draft process, one of my goals was to try to match my evaluation process relatively close with how the Rams operate. Obviously, it will never be exact without actually being in the room. At the same time, based on the information that is public and matching player traits with what they’ve drafted in the past, it is possible to get a picture of the type of player the Rams draft and what that process looks like.
One of the big changes that I’ve made this year is placing players into “buckets”. The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue called “Finding Rams” which outlined this bucketing process. Said Rodrigue,
“On his screen, which the scouts cannot see, Snead manipulates what he calls “the call sheet” as they discuss prospects. The sheet looks like a series of rectangles that split players by position into different buckets. There are no round-by-round grades, only four overall tiers into which players are then “bucketed.” By mid-April, all draft-eligible players are split into nine buckets based on the Rams’ finished evaluations, which include the medical and character checks completed in March and, for some, notes from Sugarman’s visits. The buckets aren’t always “rankings” — some are lateral to others.”
Those buckets are broken up into nine different categories which are:
Bucket 1: Math Changer, Total Package
Bucket 2: Reliable Starter
Bucket 3: Math Changing Starter, Range of Caution Flags
Bucket 4: Impactful Contributor, Clean Profile
Bucket 5: Talented Enough to Contribute, Less Predictable
Bucket 6: Trustworthy, but Less Talented
Bucket 7: Late IQ or PQ
Bucket 8: Major Concerns, Off Board, or Reconsider After Draft
Bucket 9: Likely Drafted, Not a Rams Fit
These buckets aren’t rankings or necessarily even tiers. It’s simply a way for scouts to easily visualize the role that they see for a player at the next level and a way to define their fit on the roster. Players can be placed into multiple buckets as no single prospect is just one thing. As Rodrigue noted, in Puka Nacua’s case, he would have been a three, five, and seven.
Eventually, I’ll have fit grades and a full Rams big board
I’ll be doing this with every position group outside of quarterback. Today, we’re looking at the offensive line.
Previous Position Groups
Bucket 1: Math Changer, Total Package
Travis Hunter, Colorado
The Rams won’t be in position to draft Travis Hunter, but he is the top cornerback fit here for a reason. He has the ball skills in coverage and rare athletic movement at the position. Had the Rams been drafting near the top of the draft, this is the player they likely target. Hunter is the complete package and a generational type prospect.
Bucket 2: Reliable Starter
Will Johnson, Michigan
Trey Amos,Ole Miss
Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
Jahdae Barron, Texas
Jacob Parrish, Kansas State
Jermari Harris, Iowa
Zah Frazier UTSA
Darian Porter, Iowa State
Mello Dotson Kansas
Nohl Williams, Cal
Justin Walley, Minnesota
Quincy Riley, Louisville
Caleb Ransaw, Tulane
Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State
Mac McWilliams, UCF
Trey Amos is a near perfect fit for the Rams at cornerback. He’s physical at the line, instinctive in zone, and disruptive at the catch point. He fits perfectly in Cover 3 or match-zone roles, and his ball skills and demeanor scream Rams cornerback. He has a few things to clean up, but this is a player with an “alpha dog” mentality that the Rams are missing in the secondary.
With the Rams bringing back Ahkello Witherspoon and Darious Williams, they may be looking to add depth more than an immediate starter. If that’s the case, a player like Nohl Williams who can be drafted on day three makes a lot of sense. Nohl Williams is an excellent fit for the Rams’ cornerback profile with elite ball skills and he plays with a competitive nature.
Bucket 3: Math Changing Starter, Range of Caution Flags
Travis Hunter, Colorado
Will Johnson, Michigan
Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina
Nohl Williams, Cal
Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State
A player that the Rams will most certainly have their eye on in Maxwell Hairston out of Kentucky. He brings game-changing speed and is the ideal Rams-style zone corner. Hairston is extremely twitchy, instinctive, and disruptive at the catch point. The instincts and ball production are too good to ignore if he’s available at the end of the first round.
The big question when it comes to Shavon Revel Jr. is how he recovers from the torn ACL. An ACL injury isn’t something that can be completely discounted. Revel also has a tendency to be grabby in coverage. With that said, in the case that everything clears, the East Carolina cornerback is an elite fit with the Rams’ cornerback profile. His physicality, tackling, and competitiveness are top-tier.
Bucket 4: Impactful Contributor, Clean Profile
Trey Amos, Ole Miss
Jahdae Barron, Texas
Jacob Parrish, Kansas State
Jermari Harris, Iowa
Zah Frazier, UTSA
Mello Dotson, Kansas
Cobee Bryant, Kansas
Quincy Riley, Louisville
Robert Longerbeam, Nebraska
Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan
Jabba Muhammad, Oregon
Mac McWilliams, UCF
Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech
Upton Stout, Western Kentucky
Jordan Hancock, Ohio State
Denzel Burke, Ohio State
Isas Waxter, Villanova
Jahdae Barron would be a complete game-changer for the Rams defense. While he has shorter arms, his ability to play in the STAR role and bring a physical demeanor, especially in the run game is something that the Rams have lacked. In coverage, he’s one of the most instinctive zone cornerbacks in the draft class. While he could survive on the outside, Barron is likely a nickel-only player, but does have the ability to play safety if needed.
After retaining stability at the cornerback position in Witherspoon, the Rams may simply look to add someone in the middle rounds that can develop into a starter. Parrish fits that bill and matches the Rams priorities on speed and competitiveness. The Kansas State cornerback fits the Rams’ mold for scrappy, athletic cornerbacks.
Bucket 5: Talented Enough to Contribute, Less Predictable
Cobee Bryant, Kansas
Justin Walley, Minnesota
Quincy Riley, Louisville
Robert Longerbeam, Nebraska
Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan
Jabba Muhammad, Oregon
Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech
Upton Stout, Western Kentucky
Zy Alexander, LSU
Alijah Huzzie, UNC
Isas Waxter, Villanova
Tommi Hill, Nebraska
Jaylin Smith, USC
Jason Marshall Jr., Florida
BJ Adams, UCF
An underrated fit for the Rams at cornerback is Minnesota’s Justin Walley. He’s an inconsistent tackler, but his elite speed and ball skills align closely with the developmental yet competitive players they’ve drafted in the past. Walley is a sticky defender who tracks the ball well and doesn’t panic with the ball in the air. He also brings some inside-out versatility.
Great job by the Minnesota CB Justin Walley (5) staying on top of the Dig by the USC WR.
Any vertical stem should be met with Catch technique, tacking slack & sitting on top of the route.
In this D&D, holding your position on the sticks is critical for cutting the route off.
-- pic.twitter.com/ht7PuakNF9
— Cody Alexander (@The_Coach_A) March 19, 2025
Dorian Strong’s tape speaks for itself. His physicality and ball skills are strong fits for a zone-heavy system, and his ability to read the quarterback’s eyes could make him a valuable asset in the secondary. He’ll need time to refine his coverage skills, but he’s an instinctive cornerback who’s also competitive as a run defender.
Bucket 6: Trustworthy, But Less Talented
Jordan Hancock, Ohio State
Denzel Burke, Ohio State
Alijah Huzzie, UNC
Jaylin Smith, USC
Jason Marshall Jr., Florida
While not the best Rams fit, there are some intriguing things to like about Denzel Burke. He’s a very experienced player who brings good physicality which will help him see the field early, especially on special teams. At the same time, his lack of ball skills and limited developmental ceiling cap his upside.
Bucket 7: Late IQ or PQ
Darien Porter, Iowa State
Zy Alexander, LSU
Tommi Hill, Nebraska
O’Donnell Fortune, South Carolina
BJ Adams, UCF
Porter only converted to cornerback in 2022 and is still learning the nuances of the positions. However, the athleticism and upside are there. He brings length that the Rams are lacking with arm length in the 93rd percentile. His speed and zone coverage instincts make him an intriguing fit for the Rams’ defense along with his potential as a special teams contributor. He projects as a developmental outside cornerback with starter upside.
#IowaState CB Darien Porter
6-foot-3, 195/4.30 40
10’11” Broad/6.71 3-Cone
33 1/8” arm
Physical profile + length to challenge/run in press. Can track the ball at the 3rd level. Zone eyes/COD to play in Cover 2/3. ST production on coverage/rush units. 3 INTs in ‘24. pic.twitter.com/wtv01jPvbC
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) March 25, 2025
Bucket 8: Major Concerns, Off Board, or Reconsider After Draft
O’Donnell Fortune, South Carolina
There are a lot of cornerbacks with good depth upside in this class. There’s nobody with true major concerns where it’s worth taking them completely off the board.
Bucket 9: Likely Drafted, Not a Rams Fit
Travis Hunter, Colorado
Will Johnson, Michigan
O’Donnell Fortune, South Carolina
BJ Adams, UCF
Players like Travis Hunter and Will Johnson unfortunately won’t make it to the Rams at 26. If they did, the Rams would sprint to the table with a draft card that has their name on it.