Waking up to some late round sleepers

As usual, the Los Angeles Rams draft picks are leaning towards the latter rounds. In 2026, it’s four of seven picks, one in Round 6 and three in Round 7 (two of those in the final 10 selections). In L.A.’s case, late round picks are more than just a dart throw. Of the Rams 64 players currently under contract, 44 percent came from Rounds 6 & 7 and the undrafted ranks. That percentage includes 12 starters and another half-dozen regular contributors.

Maybe Rams fans should be debating Round 7 prospects. To kick start things, here are some candidates on the defensive side of the ball. I’ll follow up with the offense this weekend.

Cornerback Andre Fuller – Toledo 6’1” 200 lb.

Originally signed with Arkansas-Pine Bluff and played two seasons at safety. Fuller transferred to Toledo, moved to corner and got lost in a deep depth chart, not becoming a full-time starter until his final season. Missed all of 2024 with core surgery. Spanning 52 games, Fuller made 106 tackles, 6.5 for loss, four interceptions, and broke up 37 passes.

Late bloomer that handled a lot of 1on1 reps and his coverage numbers compared with many of the top prospects. Outside corner build, lean and athletic. Decent length and good, not elite, athleticism. Physical in press and is patient with his punch. Decent striker but if he’s late or misses, he appears to be a little stiff when turning to run or mirroring across the field. He does a good job of squeezing receivers to the sideline. Not an experienced ball tracker, doesn’t do a good job of getting his head turned around, and instead plays the receivers eyes and hands. He does a good job of getting his hands in there, but with that method, there’s little chance of getting interceptions and NFL receivers will be much tougher to read. Willing and able in run defense, often crashes into runners and needs to work on setting a base, driving through, and wrapping up.

Shows the tools and physicality to be a pro, but is lacking on-field reps. Brings versatility to play outside, slot and/or safety. Although he needs polish and repetition, his senior year showed improvement. Most pundits put him into the press/man category, but I think his traits would fit into the Rams Cover3. History of special teams work on coverage, return, and block units. Round 6 grade.

Safety VJ Payne – Kansas State. 6’3” 206 lb.

Three-star recruit as a high school linebacker. Recently turned 22 years-old. Started 42 of 52 games for the Wildcats, including 41 straight to close out his career. In all, Payne recorded 196 tackles, 10.5 for loss, four interceptions, and 13 passes defended. Named to the Senior Bowl and impressed with his coverage ability.

Versatile prospect that can range deep or get physical near the line of scrimmage. Payne sports a long (33 3/4” arms) and lanky build. Stellar speed and athleticism. Strong pass coverage skills, man or zone. Possesses the recognition and speed to play single high zone safety and the nifty feet, loose hips to mirror breaks, and long reach to be sticky in man. Good react/react skills and the burst to break on the ball. Physical at the catch point without getting grabby. Fast enough to cover receivers and backs, while big enough to ride tight ends. While his highlight cut up’s tend to play up his run defense, the game film shows more work to be done. He is certainly willing, but does not play with an enforcer’s attitude. He needs to use that arm length to better stack/shed and keep blockers off him. At times, he drives through and wraps up well, but is inconsistent. In space, he pursues well and is more of a chase/drag tackler. His burst hints that blitzing off the edge could a real plus.

Year-to-year film shows how he’s gotten bigger, stronger and better as a player, but still needs some play strength work. Payne is the type of prospect, with his instincts, football IQ, athleticism, and versatility that could push for play time as a mid-round rookie. With some polish, he would be a nice fit into the Quentin Lake role, as the Rams “STAR” hybrid. I grade Payne mid/late Round 4.

Off-ball linebacker Keyshaun Elliott – Arizona State. 6’2” 231 lb.

Played quarterback and linebacker in high school, but was lightly recruited. Originally signed with New Mexico State and played two seasons. Stepped up to ASU for his final two years and wore the green dot as captain in both. Over 53 starts, Elliott started 35 games and logged 301 tackles, 28.5 for loss, 11.5 sacks and broke up 21 passes.

Old school, two-down thumper. Well put together frame, a bit under-sized, but he shows good stopping power when he hits runners. Speed is only average, but he moves well between the hashes. Combines quick processing and downhill burst to quickly fill his gaps. Has a strong punch to jar blockers and stack/shed, Navigates through heavy traffic and scopes laterally down the line. Good tackler, but can slip off quick moves. Hustles on every play and pursues relentlessly. Plated edge at times and showed good first step and ability to get after the quarterback, even without a lot of moves. Not nearly as confident in pass coverage. Can be passable when positioned to react downhill. Works hard to backpedal into zone and mirror out to the flat, but is heavy-footed and stiff in space. Arizona State often subbed him out on passing downs.

Turns 23 in December. Elliott is an assignment-based prospect with high football IQ and a strong work ethic. Showed solid BIG12 production after stepping up from a smaller league level. Wore the green dot as defensive captain. May have a formational versatility upside, as an edge or on blitz packages. I grade him into the late Round 5/early Round 6 area.

Edge George Gumbs – Florida 6’4” 245 lb.

Walked on at Northern Illinois as a wide receiver and settled in the tight end unit. After two seasons (one redshirt), the Salukis moved him out to edge. After the 2023 season, Gumbs transferred to Florida for final two years. Overall, he started 20 of 47 games with 98 tackles, 21 for loss, and 11 sacks.

Toolsy, developmental prospect with potential. Gumbs has a powerful, athletic frame with long arms. Overall, he’s still quite raw and learning the position three years in after switching across from the offensive side of the ball. Twitchy get-off, always plays with effort and is relentless in pursuit, making many back-side hustle plays. Rushing the passer, he shows an explosive first step, and pretty good dip to bend around corners. Has a toolbox full of individual moves, but they’re applied inconsistently, Gumbs too often relying on his stellar motor and athleticism. Could not find film of man coverage, but he appears to be able to drop back in zone coverage, using more of a bail technique than backpedal and has the length, vertical, and reaction to fill up space. Against the run, although a tenacious fighter, he needs to learn to use his length and work on striking to stack/shed better. Bigger blockers can move him when they latch on. Generally sets a good edge for his size, but his aggressive play style can make him over-eager in pursuit and be set up on reverses.

After a solid showing at the Combine, Gumbs might have awaken pundits to his game. Although I have him with an early Round 6 grade, he has the requisite NFL tools to go earlier and just lacks the consistency of on-field reps. He has shown growth/improvement on film, navigating the position change and jump up in competition from MAC to SEC all in one process. Turns 24 in October.

Defensive interior Tyler Onyedim – Texas A&M 6’ 4” 292 lb.

Three-star recruit, spent four seasons (one redshirt) at Iowa State and his final season at Texas A&M. Onyedim played in 53 games between the two and made 34 starts. Charted 139 tackles, 21.5 for loss, and had 6.5 sacks. Named to the East-West Shrine Game, where he was lauded for ability to penetrate in workouts.

Gap penetrating interior player. Compact frame with good upper body strength, but needs to add mass and strength in lower half. Onyedim has been largely known as a run defender, but his traits hint at a pass rushing upside. In college, his splash plays were mostly tackles for loss versus the run. Defending the run, he plays low with good leverage, has an explosive first step, and knows how to leverage his arm length (34 1/8”) and big, strong hands (10 1/8”) to put blockers off balance. Has nifty feet feet and good short area agility to get around blockers, as well as the strength to stack/shed or torque them out of the way. While Onyedim shows good contact balance inside, he might have early career problems setting an anchor against bigger, stronger pro linemen and double teams. He’s better at creating pressure through penetration, rather than locking down a gap. When rushing the passer, Onyedim’s upside may be more of a disruptor rather than sack accumulator. He’s got some moves, but none are in the plus category and doesn’t show a plan with counters if stymied

Not a lot of potential star power in this prospect, but his game sets up and makes others better. A&M used him up and down the defensive front line, so he has shown versatility. A guy willing to do the dirty work inside, with enough juice to command the offensive line’s attention. Onyedim is a high-floor prospect, a rotational guy in the mold of Larrell Murcison. I grade him into Round 6.

Do these prospect fit the Rams?

Although the Rams safety unit appears full with seven spots occupied, I like VJ Payne’s coverage ability and versatility. He would offer range in mid/deep areas and I think, handle the “STAR” role. Andre Fuller has the tools and athleticism to play the Derion Kendrick role in L.A.’s Cover3 schemes and would also fit into the “STAR”. George Gumbs is a project, but has a strong base to build on, he’s a late round steal, if he lasts that long. Tyler Onyedim fits the Rams mold of under-sized defensive linemen that are more disruptive than powerful and their whole is better than the individual parts. Keyshawn Elliott fits the Rams past of linebackers, a college tackle machine that is effort-based with athletic limitations.

Tell us about your favorite sleepers?

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