The Los Angeles Rams have done an excellent job finding undrafted gems, from Kurt Warner and London Fletcher to Johnny Hekker and Rodney McLeod. Most recently, Alaric Jackson has turned into a fantastic find post-draft, becoming the team’s starting left tackle in 2023.
This year, the Rams signed 16 undrafted rookies and hope to find at least one future contributor in that group. It’s hard to gauge which ones might make the 53-man roster this season, but UDFAs typically take a year or two on the practice squad before getting the chance to start anyway.
Among the undrafted free agents signed by Los Angeles this year are Drake Stoops, Josh Wallace, Kenny Logan Jr. and Anthony Goodlow. As a whole, though, one analyst isn’t very high on the Rams’ undrafted free agent class.
Thor Nystrom of FantasyPros ranked every team’s UDFA class in 2024 and the Rams came in at No. 24. Nystrom notes that the Rams don’t pay much attention to athletic testing and 40-yard dash times, which is a big reason they managed to land Cooper Kupp in Round 3 and Puka Nacua in the fifth.
They believe in their eye when watching film. They are said to love it when a player they like tests poorly – as it juices the odds he’ll fall to them at a discount. The seven UDFA that Los Angeles signed from my pre-draft 500 board are about as good a representation of this as you’re going to find.
In short: Good college players whose measurables neutered their odds of getting picked. The Rams have gotten quite good at finding value with these types – the ones the rest of the NFL’s analytical departments eschews.
Seven of the Rams’ 16 undrafted rookies were ranked on Nystrom’s top-500 big board. They were all ranked between 321 and 442, with Michigan corner Josh Wallace being the highest-ranked at No. 321. Goodlow, Omar Speights, Logan, Tuli Letuligasenoa and Stoops all ranked in the top 400, with Sam Wiglusz coming in at No. 442.
At least one UDFA typically makes the Rams’ 53-man roster each year so it’s a good bet one of their 16 in 2024 will make the team come September.
