The Los Angeles Rams battled back from a rocky start to the season to win the NFC West, setting up a date with the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. The Rams' turnaround was surprising not only because of the early-season hole they dug for themselves but also because of how they did so.
The Rams dealt with numerous injuries over the first six, leading to a 1-4 start, but used a three-game winning streak and a five-game winning streak to propel them a division title and a playoff berth.
Los Angeles also relied heavily on one of the youngest defenses in the National Football League throughout the season. Until the most recent NFL Draft, the Rams had not drafted in the first round since selecting quarterback Jared Goff with the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
For years, the Rams traded their first-round pick for veteran players or additional picks. Then, last season, Rams general manager Les Snead made two crucial decisions on draft night, selecting edge rusher Jared Verse in the first round and Braden Fiske in the second.
The two were teammates at Florida State and have immediately impacted the Rams' defense. Verse has a legitimate argument for the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, and Fiske has proven to be a steal.
Snead and the Rams would make multiple other selections in the same draft that paid off during the season, including defensive back Kamren Kinchens and kicker Joshua Karty. The rookie kicker scored all 12 of the Rams' points in a must-win game against the San Francisco 49ers late in the season.
The Rams will undoubtedly aim for a second consecutive successful draft this offseason. Josh Edwards of CBS Sports believes the Rams will try to add to an already young and talented defense by drafting edge rusher Jalon Walker from Georgia.
"Los Angeles has struck gold with its defensive additions in recent years from Byron Young to Kobie Turner to Jared Verse to Kamren Kinchens to Omar Speights and more," Edwards said. "Jalon Walker is a more productive pass rusher at this stage of his development, but that skill set is complementary to what they are already getting from Speights.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as REPORT: Rams to Bolster Young, Talented Defense in Draft.