Rams nab Taylor Rapp with their 1st pick of draft
The Los Angeles Rams selected safety Taylor Rapp out of Washington with the 61st overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Rapp is the Rams' first draft pick in the 2019 class. The team traded down in the first round (No. 31 overall) and twice in the second round (No. 45, 56).
The former Washington defensive back could slot in behind Eric Weddle and John Johnson as Los Angeles' third safety.
Prospect profile
School: Washington
Height: 6-0
Weight: 208 lbs
Strengths
- Physical and highly efficient tackler
- Consistently comes to balance and gets himself in best position to make tackle
- Great closing speed and angles in pursuit
- Good ball skills
Weaknesses
- Lacks speed and range to play as single-high coverage safety
- Short-area quicks don't translate to stickiness in man coverage
- Box-exclusive role as short-zone safety minimizes value
Bottom line
One of the best tacklers in this class, Rapp shows phenomenal pursuit and an ability to finish, and he should be an impact run defender from the moment he steps onto an NFL field. Athleticism limits his upside in coverage, though, as he won't offer much in terms of deep coverage or man-to-man responsibilities against tight ends. If he has an every-down role, Rapp's contributions in the passing game will likely have to come as a short-zone defender who brings added value as a blitzer.