The Los Angeles Rams failed to get consistent production out of their edge rushers in 2022 and they have uncertainty surrounding the position at this point in the offseason. Leonard Floyd was released earlier this offseason, giving the Rams a total of 4.5 career sacks from their current edge rushers on the roster.
Michael Hoecht, who transitioned from being an interior defender to an edge rusher last season, has all 4.5 of those career sacks. Taking that into account, the Rams are likely going to address the edge rusher positon at some point in the 2023 NFL draft.
If the Rams want to bolster their pass-rushing unit in the middle rounds of this year’s draft, Dylan Horton out of TCU is a solid choice.
Background
Horton attended Frisco High School in Texas and elected to commit to New Mexico as a safety. After playing linebacker in his first two years at New Mexico, Horton would transfer to TCU for his final three collegiate seasons to play defensive end.
While helping the Horned Frogs advance to the National Championship in 2022, Horton logged 51 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. After attending the Senior Bowl, Horton chose not to run at the NFL scouting combine or at TCU’s pro day.
How he fits the Rams
Horton bulked up since he entered college and is still somewhat raw as an edge rusher. The TCU product displays fantastic bend off of the edge and he has a quick first step that allows him to win matchups quickly.
The Rams would benefit from adding a well-rounded edge rusher, and while Horton could improve in certain areas, he’s proven himself to be an intriguing prospect despite the limited time at his position. Horton played defensive end at TCU, but he can fit as a 3-4 edge rusher with his traits.
Draft projection
With Horton not running at the NFL scouting combine or TCU’s pro day, it’s tough to gauge what his draft stock looks like ahead of the draft. That being said, the majority of mock drafts have Horton going on Day 3, primarily in the fourth or fifth round.
The Rams don’t currently own a fourth-round pick, so they’ll likely need to either spend one of their two third-round picks on Horton or hope he falls to the fifth round. Los Angeles has 11 total picks in this year’s draft, so the Rams will have options on what they want to do at the edge rusher spot.
More prospect profiles
Here are the previous edge rusher prospect profiles that have been completed already:
