(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) Logan Bruss was the Rams' first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Los Angeles Rams finally made their first selection in the 2022 NFL draft late on Friday, April 30.
Wisconsin guard Logan Bruss received the call from the Rams when they made the 104th overall pick, the second-to-last selection of the third round. Heading into the draft, several analysts predicted that Los Angeles would select an interior offensive lineman with its first pick, especially after the team lost starting right guard Austin Corbett in free agency.
With a new guard in the mix, here is what scouts and experts are saying about Bruss.
Scouting Reports Believe Bruss Can Be A Flexible Lineman
While Bruss was selected as a guard, he actually started at right tackle for most of his games at Wisconsin.
That kind of flexibility, paired with his 6-foot-5, 309-pound frame, got Bruss mostly good remarks from Lance Zierlein in his NFL.com draft profile of him.
“Bruss is well-proportioned with athletic feet and good core strength,” Zierlein wrote. “He takes efficient angles to the block in Wisconsin’s zone-heavy running scheme but has the body control, leverage and play strength to operate in any running scheme. Leaning and oversetting are occasional problems, and he needs to improve his hand work in order to keep from getting behind in the early stages of pass protection. Bruss is well-rounded with an athletic profile and should become a good starter early in his career.”
Zierlein projected Bruss to be a fourth-round pick, so the late third-round selection wasn’t too far off.
Bleacher Report’s scouting report of Bruss shared why he might be best suited to start his career as a guard.
“As a pass protector, Bruss struggles to protect the corner against skilled rushers aligned at wide rushing angles due to marginal foot quickness and range,” Bleacher Report’s scouts wrote. “But he shows refined body control and dexterity to win the hand-fighting battle in tighter quarters, smoothly pass off stunts and the anchor to set a firm pocket.”
Experts Mostly Like the Rams’ Selection
With the interior offensive line being one of the very few needs for the defending champions, experts naturally liked that Los Angeles addressed that need with its first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Pro Football Focus simply labeled it a “Good” pick.
“Logan Bruss has over 1,400 career snaps played at right tackle and 352 career snaps played at right guard, but he projects best as a guard in the NFL,” Pro Football Focus wrote. “His PFF grade has improved every year of his career and earned an impressive 82.8 PFF run-blocking grade in 2021.”
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski gave the Rams a “B” for the pick.
“After general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay laughed off the New England Patriots’ decision to select Cole Strange in the first round, the Los Angeles Rams still found a quality blocker to fortify the trenches in Wisconsin’s Logan Bruss,” Sobleski wrote.
“The Rams are likely looking for more than a quality backup as their top pick in the 2022 NFL draft,” Sobleski added. “Granted, Los Angeles wasn’t on the board until the back end of Round 3, but the team has worked wonders with its mid- and late-round selections in recent years. Bruss could easily slot into right guard and give the Rams three former Badgers in the starting lineup.”
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso might have been the biggest fan of the pick, giving the Rams an “A-” for selecting Bruss.
“Love this pick. Bruss is an athletic battler with a technically sound game and mostly clean film,” Trapasso wrote. “He’ll fit in the Rams wide-zone scheme wonderfully.”