After the NFL Combine, certain players rose their draft stock as the projected first round picture of the NFL Draft became a bit clearer. As teams start to assemble their draft boards, who they pick in the first will dictate who they may take in the remaining rounds of the draft.
Jay Toia plays a position and operates in a role that isn't considered "desirable" to warrant a day one selection despite their play often being the difference between winning and losing. That's okay, as Toia, like every defensive lineman, doesn't live for the fame; they live for the win, and the Rams could see a lot of wins if they draft Toia.
Toia doesn't need to play every snap to be effective, but imagine this scenario. NFC Championship Game. Fourth and one. The Philadelphia Eagles have the ball. If the Rams stop them, they're going to the Super Bowl.
Who do you want on that wall? Man versus man. Brotherly shove, the most unstoppable play in the NFL. The Rams line up with Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, Tyler Davis, and now potentially Jay Toia. Wild man Nate Landman flying in from the back. That's a force to be reckoned with.
Toia's best play comes in those critical situations. He just takes so much space yet has the ability to shed blockers and make critical tackles. He provides tremendous force on the field goal block team and once again, who do you want on that wall?
Turn on Toia's tape versus Iowa. Iowa, the best rushing team in the Big Ten, did so without a quarterback. Toia ate the Hawkeyes beloved offensive line up for lunch as the Bruins defenders used the space Toia created to bring down Kaleb Johnson in the backfield.
The best part is that it likely won't cost the Rams more than a seventh-round selection to acquire his services. He'll probably be a UDFA if the team wants to gain him going that route. Toia's skillset is small, but it's not the man who practices a thousand kicks that you fear; it's the man who practices one kick a thousand times, and Toia throws one heck of a kick at opposing offensive lines.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as The Rams Are a Perfect Fit for UCLA Defender.