Getty Could there be more backfield help coming to Matthew Stafford, Cam Akers and the Rams?
After 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 29, we’ll finally know who the Los Angeles Rams will go with at the 104th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.
We’ve seen cornerbacks going at that spot, including in our first mock draft. Other pundits believe that a replacement for Andrew Whitworth is the move. Edge rusher is another strong possibility with Von Miller gone. Then there was James Cook of Georgia plugged as a draft option in the third round — which would give the franchise another past Georgia Bulldog running back great in the backfield.
But NFL Draft expert Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports on Monday, April 18 has the Rams pivoting in the Southeastern Conference but going in another direction: The Swamp, by nabbing this fast riser.
Florida RB With ‘Absurd Ratio’ Now Projected to the Rams
Dameon Pierce from the Florida Gators is the latest draft prospect to land as an option at No. 104.
Wilson isn’t the only one who is high on Pierce and views him as a draft climber. Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report on Sunday, April 10 wrote highly of the Gator back who was surprisingly under-utilized in Gainesville, but yet still made the most of his handoffs by becoming a touchdown threat.
“Dameon Pierce only got 100 carries for Florida in his senior season but scored 13 touchdowns. That’s an absurd ratio,” Ballentine wrote.
But there’s more. The 5-foot-10, 215-pound Pierce has been compared to one past college football star now with the Washington Commanders.
“He added three scores on 19 catches, giving him 16 touchdowns on 119 touches and making him an Antonio Gibson-like scorer in college,” Ballentine said.
Yet, even with that kind of production in arguably the nation’s toughest conference the SEC, Pierce was labeled an overlooked prospect. The 22-year-old from Bainbridge, Georgia faced something similar to the Bulldogs’ Cook: He had to share backfield duties and wait his turn.
Pierce spent his first two college seasons carrying the football below 70 times. But in 2020, his handled 106 handoffs. Then came his breakout final season that also saw 5.7 yards per carry.
“But when he had the ball, he looked like an NFL runner,” Ballentine wrote.
Ballentine has Pierce heading to the Atlanta Falcons and is No. 128 overall on B/R’s big board. Meanwhile, Lance Zierlein of nfl.com labeled him a “good backup with the potential to develop into a starter” in his evaluation. Also included: This compelling description of Pierce.
“It’s a fun afternoon of tape study watching Pierce play the game like a coiled spring ready to explode on each snap,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s an urgent runner with twitchy downfield burst, tackle-breaking leg drive and outstanding balance through contact.”
How Pierce Could Fit Inside the “Rams House”
Here’s a past example of that “twitchy downfield burst” as Zierlein pointed out:
DAMEON PIERCE TO THE HOUSE 💨
But one of his multiple touchdown performances came against the previous No. 1 ranked team in the country and the national title game runner-up Alabama:
DAMEON PIERCE SENDS THE SWAMP INTO A FRENZY
He’s also likely going to be revered by Gator fans by showing off this kind of grit and determination against fierce rival Florida State:
What could win over the Rams is this trait Pierce shows: Patience with his runs and letting the play develop, then taking advantage.
Gator’s RB Dameon Pierce displays patience & the ability to create yards. Attempting to press inside, Pierce runs into the back of his puller.
Did not panic! Strong lower-body, Pierce fights thru the initial tackle before giving the DB a nice dead leg. Play to the whistle RBs.
Much like how he was at Florida, Pierce wouldn’t be asked to be an every down back in a backfield that already has Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson plus possibly Sony Michel if he resigns. With the combination of his second gear explosion, patience and his ability to catch out of the backfield, he looks like a Sean McVay-type back. And now Pierce could be the first draft pick of the 2022 draft cycle for the Super Bowl 56 champions.