With Todd Gurley now an Atlanta Falcon, the Rams chose Florida State running back Cam Akers in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday to help fill the void. Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson are currently the other top backs on the roster.
Five picks later, the Rams took Van Jefferson, a 6-1 wide receiver out of Florida. The Rams traded starter Brandin Cooks to Houston in the offseason.
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Cam Akers, running back
5 feet 10, 217 pounds, Florida State, Round 2, Pick 52
— Notable: Akers played quarterback in high school in Mississippi. He joined Dalvin Cook and Warrick Dunn as only Florida State players to have multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
— Last season: Akers rushed for 1,144 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also caught 30 passes, four for touchdowns.
— Why Rams drafted him: After cutting star running back Gurley, Rams coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead said they had confidence in Henderson and Brown to fill the void. But they obviously believed they needed another weapon. Akers is another affordable option for a team that will try to do running back by committee.
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Van Jefferson, receiver
6 feet 1, 197 pounds, Florida, Round 2, Pick 57
— Notable: Jefferson’s father, Shawn, played receiver for 13 seasons in the NFL. He is now the receivers coach for the New York Jets. Van Jefferson caught 175 passes for 2,159 yards and 16 touchdowns in his college career.
— Last season: Jefferson caught 49 passes for 657 yards and six touchdowns.
— Why Rams drafted him: The Rams needed a receiver after trading deep-threat Cooks to the Houston Texans for the No. 57 pick in the draft. They used it to select Jefferson, who joins a receiver corps that includes Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds. Kupp and Reynolds are in the final years of their rookie contracts.
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