The Los Angeles Rams selected Alabama outside linebacker Terrell Lewis and Utah defensive back Terrell Burgess in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Rams put an emphasis on addressing their roster needs on the offensive side of the ball by using both of their second-round picks to take Florida State running back Cam Akers and Florida wide receiver Van Jefferson. This should help them fill the voids left by running back Todd Gurley and wide receiver Brandin Cooks after parting ways with them in an effort to shore up some much-needed cap space.
With the second round in the books, Los Angeles finally opted to fill an empty spot in the linebacker corps that was left by the departures of Cory Littleton, Clay Matthews and Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency to start the third round. They found themselves in position to take another highly-touted prospect out of Alabama in Lewis.
Lewis had established himself as one of the more intriguing linebacker prospects in his class after finishing the 2019 campaign with 31 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery en route to second-team All-SEC honors. He boasts prototypical size and explosiveness for an edge rusher at 6-foot-5 and 262 pounds while recording a 37-inch vertical jump and a 124-inch broad jump at the Scouting Combine.
Unfortunately, the biggest knock on Lewis has been his durability after dealing with his fair share of injuries in college. He was limited to just four games as a sophomore after suffering a torn ligament in his elbow. He then suffered a torn ACL during training camp going into his junior year and was forced to redshirt.
Although Lewis was able to bounce back with a strong outing, his health will certainly be something to monitor entering his rookie year. With Fowler gone, he will have an opportunity to etch out a key role for himself with his skill set as a situational pass rusher.
The Rams followed it up by using their compensatory pick to take Utah defensive back Terrell Burgess at No. 104 overall. He was part of an impressive secondary that has now had their main starters over the top go off the board.
Burgess enjoyed a breakout senior year as the starter after registering 81 tackles (7.5 for loss) and two fumble recoveries before being named an All-Pac-12 honorable mention. His versatile skill set made him a bit of a swiss army knife for the Utes after splitting time between the safety and nickel spots.
The Rams are all too familiar with the importance of shoring up quality depth in the secondary. Burgess could be slated to take over for cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman following his departure this offseason.
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