2023 NFL Draft: Top 3 needs for the Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams were Super Bowl champs in 2022, but their current team looks very different from the team that won it just one season ago. The Rams have lost key players like Jalen Ramsey and Leonard Floyd, plus the likes of Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford are aging faster than Sean McVay might have hoped.

As such, the Rams need a revival, and the first step to this revival would be to ace the 2023 NFL Draft. Here's what they need.

What do the Los Angeles Rams need in the 2023 NFL Draft?

The Los Angeles Rams are far removed from their elite, aggressive, and dominant team of the past half-decade. Their team needs a new identity, and they have decided to give Sean McVay at least one more season to undertake the task.

The Los Angeles Rams need improvements in many positions, with three being different pressing needs.

Top 3 needs for the Los Angeles Rams

The three positions are the following:

1. Edge rusher
2. Cornerback
3. Defensive line

1. Edge rusher

The Rams have four edge rushers on the roster right now. Together, they own a grand total of 4.5 sacks between them. All of those were by Michael Hoecht, too. Los Angeles needs edge rushers worse than just about every other team in the NFL because the current group on the roster simply won’t get it done.

The Rams need to invest in the 2023 NFL Draft; luckily, some solid edge rushers could be available in the later rounds. Will McDonald V and Felix Anudike-Uzomah should still be available early in the second round. The Rams should focus on beefing up their edge rush before improving other positions.

2. Cornerback

No one expected the Los Angeles Rams to trade away future Hall of Famer Jalen Ramsey for pennies on the dollar, but they, in fact, did. Now that they've traded him, cornerback is one of the Rams' most extensive positional needs.

The Rams need to strengthen the cornerback position ahead of the 2023 NFL season, and the Draft is the best place to start. They can select Joey Porter Jr., Deonte Banks, or Devon Witherspoon if he's still available. Witherspoon is the closest CB to Jalen Ramsey in this year's draft, and he's known to have that dawg in him.

3. Defensive Line

Aaron Donald is the only remaining starter from last year's LA Rams' defensive line. Isn't that interesting? The Rams could use a stud nose tackle to line up next to Donald and a pass-rushing defensive end to bookend the D-line. They got so little from A’Shawn Robinson from a pass-rush perspective, so they could look to add someone with a bit more juice off the edge.

Northwestern University's Adetomiwa Adebawore should do the trick, as the elite athlete played all over the defensive front at Northwestern. At the NFL Combine, Adebawore logged a 4.49 40-yard dash with a 1.55 10-yard split. Other athletic numbers on file, among them a 37″ vertical, a 10'5″ broad jump, and a 7.13 three-cone, adequately convey Adebawore’s freakish athleticism. He did all this at 6’2″, 282 pounds, with near-34″ arms. His ceiling is nearly unmatched in this group. He should slot in seamlessly on an Aaron Donald-led defense next season.

What Picks do the Los Angeles Rams have in 2023?

The Los Angeles Rams have the following picks heading into this month's NFL Draft:

• Round 2, Pick 36
• Round 3, Pick 69
• Round 3, Pick 77 (from the Miami Dolphins)
• Round 5, Pick 167*
• Round 5, Pick 171*
• Round 5, Pick 177*
• Round 6, Pick 182
• Round 6, Pick 189 (from the Green Bay Packers)
• Round 6, Pick 191 (from the Tennessee Titans)
• Round 7, Pick 223
• Round 7, Pick 234

*Compensatory selection

If the Los Angeles Rams want to be competitive soon, they must nail this year's draft. Also, the mentality of "f*ck them picks" will have to stop, as you can never quantify the value of a first-round drsft pick in the NFL. Sean McVay has a lot of work to do, and the journey starts in just under two weeks.