Getty Cooper Kupp on the field for a 2022 game with Los Angeles.
Much has been made about the Detroit Lions potentially hurting their draft stock this season with some late wins, but more likely than not, the team is still in good shape.
That could be due in part to the fact that the team has the Los Angeles Rams’ pick in their back pocket. The Rams are 3-6, and fading fast from the playoff picture. Now, they learned that star wideout Cooper Kupp would be out with ankle surgery.
Rams’ WR Cooper Kupp is scheduled to undergo ankle surgery Wednesday and the team is placing him on IR, per HC Sean McVay. Kupp is out a minimum of four weeks and with the way the Rams season is going, could be longer.
“Rams’ WR Cooper Kupp is scheduled to undergo ankle surgery Wednesday and the team is placing him on IR, per HC Sean McVay. Kupp is out a minimum of four weeks and with the way the Rams season is going, could be longer,” Schefter tweeted.
It’s not only Kupp who is struggling with injury. The Rams are also dealing with problems from their offensive line, losing a couple of key players there as well.
Rams LT Alaric Jackson is done for the season with blood clots.
Rams OL Chandler Brewer is having surgery today on his knee. He’ll be out 4-6 weeks, Sean McVay says.
“Rams LT Alaric Jackson is done for the season with blood clots. Rams OL Chandler Brewer is having surgery today on his knee. He’ll be out 4-6 weeks, Sean McVay says,” Greg Beacham tweeted.
Safe to say this is bad news for the Rams, but great news for the Lions. As a result, folks like Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com are starting to realize that the team might end up with a great pick after all.
the Rams’ first-round pick the Lions have will probably be higher than the Lions’ own pick
“The Rams’ first-round pick the Lions have will probably be higher than the Lions’ own pick,” Rosenthal tweeted.
The Lions might be in great shape to get a significant pick from Los Angeles, and it’s possible the injuries might be the biggest reason why that is the case.
Rams’ 2022 Season Has a Chance to Spiral
Typically, teams coming off a Super Bowl do tend to exhibit signs of a hangover. For the Rams, this is even more troubling considering the struggles they have shown on offense as well as their injuries.
Right now, the Rams are ranked 31st in total offense, and have only produced 297 yards per-game on average. Matthew Stafford is struggling with turnovers, and the team has not been able to protect Stafford up front like they did a year ago.
Defensively, the Rams have not been as bad, and they’re in command of a top-six unit on that side of the ball. Winning with defense only can be tough, though, and the average 3-6 record of Los Angeles shows that.
The Rams are playing in the tough NFC West and have games yet to come against the likes of Kansas City, Seattle, Green Bay and the Los Angeles Chargers. The Rams could soon see the bottom completely fall out.
Lions fans have to root hard against the Rams the rest of the way, because it sure looks like they will get a chance to have another high first round pick if they crash and burn.
Lions Could Get Major Boost From Rams Pick
Not only does Detroit have the top pick, but they could indeed finish with their own pick placing high as well as the Rams pick coming within the teens or better. That would be an amazing break for Detroit at this stage of their rebuild.
While news on the field has not been good for the Lions consistently this year, the struggles of Los Angeles represents a fantastic news for the team’s rebuild this year, and could quietly mean a lot for the franchise moving forward into the offseason.
It’s possible the Rams could end up with a higher pick than Detroit when all is said and done. Few folks would have predicted that coming into the season.