Why Rams target is one of a few prime candidates to slip in the first round of NFL Draft

PITTSBURGH — As the NFL draft gets closer, the smoke surrounding prospects that are either climbing up the draft board or taking a fall becomes more pronounced.

But always keep in mind one thing about the days leading up to the draft. There is always a reason why such talk exists. Bottom line: teams and agents serve all sorts of different motivations to beam certain information to the masses.

Or, as a general manager put it: “You can’t underestimate the human behavior part of all of this.”

With that, here are a handful of players who, based on conversions, could take a draft fall on the first day of the draft:

Jermod McCoy, Corneback, Tennessee

This has nothing to do with talent, as McCoy is regarded as the best overall cornerback prospect in the draft. The concern is the knee injury he suffered that cost him all of last season, and the recent report indicating he might require additional surgery to repair a cartilage defect

Despite missing all of 2025 and not playing in an actual football game since Tennessee’s playoff loss to Ohio State during the 2024 season, McCoy was still considered a lock to be one of the first cornerbacks off the board. Likely in the top half of the first round.

However, as the draft draws closer, more teams are taking the original knee injury and the latest report into consideration.

Maybe not out of the first round entirely, but certainly lower than originally expected.  

Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami

Bain was a pass-rushing monster at Miami, and based on on-field production, is a clear-cut top 10 pick. It’s impossible to overstate his 20.5 sacks, 33.5 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles across the 38 games he played.

But there are valid concerns about his less-than-ideal arm length, which came in at 30 and 7/8 inches at the NFL scouting combine. For an edge rusher, that is an historically low measurement, with only two edge players checking in with shorter arm length since 1999.

Not only has no player with that arm length or shorter been drafted in the first round over the last 20 years, but none have registered a season with double-digit sacks.

That is on top of the recent resurfacing of a tragic car accident he was involved in that took the life of a 22-year-old woman in Miami. Bain was identified as the driver in a wreck that took the life of Destiny Betts. Bain was originally cited for careless driving in the 2024 incident, but the citation was later dropped.

Do teams still view Bain as a top-10 pick? Or will he take a big fall on draft night?

Makai Lemon, Wide receiver, USC

Lemon has done nothing to diminish his draft standing whatsoever, but over the last couple of weeks the rise of another wide receiver prospect has created the perception of a fall for Lemon.

That other player is Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, a big, fast, esplosive playmaker whom teams are viewing as a big-time draft board climber. The primary concern about Tyson is an injury history that includes knee and collarbone set backs and hamstring issues. But as teams grow more comfortable with the medicals, Tyson is being viewed in higher esteem.

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That could cost Lemon, whose outstanding football skills are offset a bit by his less than ideal size. Standing just a shade over 5-foot-11, some teams near the top of the draft could be wary of investing a top-10 pick in him. The question now is, if Tyson gets selected before Lemon, and subsequent teams decide to fill other needs with their picks, could Lemon take a big slide?

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Safety, Toledo

McNeil-Warren took off during the draft evaluation process, beginning with his outstanding performance at the Senior Bowl. It forced everyone to double back to the game tape, and what they saw was an outstanding prospect who earned Third-team All-American honors last season while coming up with 77 tackles, including 5.5 behind the line of scrimmage, two interceptions and five pass breakups.

All of a sudden, the Toledo standout had seemingly pushed himself into the first round, if not as high as the teens, without question somewhere in the 20’s.

That could still be the case for the 6-foot-3 prospect, but the continued evaluation of Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman — now discussed as a top-15 pick — and safety being a non-premium position could push McNeil-Warren into the second round.

If so, someone is getting a great value pick on day two.