The Los Angeles Rams added an edge rusher in Stephen F. Austin’s John Franklin-Myers. He was selected 135th overall of the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Rams opted to draft Franklin over some of the bigger names available. General manager Les Snead and the rest of the front office aren’t too concerned about “value picks.” Franklin might be an under-the-radar pick due to his size and athleticism. He stands at 6’4”, weighs about 285 pounds and has a ridiculous wingspan of 82 inches. Pair that with his daunting upper body strength and speed off the edge and you have a quality prospect.
Franklin will need to work on his hand placement to shed blockers quicker. He doesn’t change direction easily or recover gracefully. He needs to improve on adjusting with double teams, but on a star-studded defensive front, that might not be an issue.
Drafting an edge rusher was an absolute must and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips might have himself a gem to work with this offseason. Expect Franklin to compete for a starting role this season.
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