For all the wheeling and dealing the Rams did to build a Super Bowl champion -- their general manager did, after all, bellow "F--- them picks!" from a podium to cap their championship parade -- a significant portion of their title-winning roster was put together the old fashioned way.
The best defensive player in football is Aaron Donald. He had arguably the best defensive performance in recent Super Bowl history. The Rams drafted him in the first round back in 2014. The Super Bowl LVI MVP, Cooper Kupp, who just finished off the best receiver season in recent memory, was taken in the third round back in 2017.
Finding a Donald is a once-in-a-generation stroke of luck. And finding a Kupp outside the first round is like hitting the lottery. But the fact that no one saw Kupp coming when he ran a 40-yard dash in the 4.6-second range out of Eastern Washington means it's reasonable to wonder: Could it happen again?
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Whether it's the Patriots or any other team looking for a Day 2 or 3 diamond in the rough, Kupp's transcendent year will be in the back of decision-makers' minds come the spring. They'll know it'll take some divine inspiration to hit the way the Rams did. But that doesn't mean it ain't worth trying.
No one in this class is going to win Super Bowl MVP, in all likelihood, or win Offensive Player of the Year. But is there another Kupp-style story hiding in this year's draft class? Which wideout taken outside the first round looks like he could have a chance of making a monster impact?
Let's get to some names ...
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Skyy Moore, Western Michigan
Moore isn't quite as big as Kupp (6-foot-2, 208 pounds) at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds. But he looks like a dynamic slot at the next level.
Pro Football Focus' Mike Renner says Moore has, "Couldn't touch him in a phone booth kind of agility," and adds his movement skills are "special." His player comp in the PFF draft guide? Julian Edelman. Another non-Day-1 wideout who went on to win Super Bowl MVP and establish himself as one of the most productive receivers in football.
Veteran Dallas radio personality and host of the "Plug and Play" show Jeff Cavanaugh sees a more direct comparison to the Rams star, tweeting recently that Moore is "mini-Kupp."
Moore forced 26 missed tackles last season, more than any wideout in the country, per PFF. That speaks to his quickness, which helped him rack up 1,291 yards and 10 scores on 94 grabs last season.
Coming from a smaller program. All kinds of shiftiness. Competitive. If there's a Kupp in this draft on Day 2, it might be Moore.
Kyle Philips, UCLA
Chip Kelly's leading receiver each of the last three seasons spent the entirety of Shrine Bowl week torching defensive backs with his stop-start ability and savvy route-running.
At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, he's big enough to live in the slot, and his suddenness will certainly play there. He's proven to have good YAC ability and he has experience returning punts as well.
He may not be drafted until Day 3, but in the right system, he could be an immediate contributor.
Wan'Dale Robinson, Kentucky
"Robinson will be tabbed as a slot receiver, but that is underselling his potential," wrote NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein.
At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Robinson looks like a slot option, but his catch-and-run ability and toughness after the catch should allow him to be used in a variety of different alignments.
He could even spend some time in the backfield since he played there early in his college career at Nebraska before transferring to the Wildcats.
Christian Watson, North Dakota State
Watson won't be the next Kupp because of his playing style. He's a 6-foot-4, 211-pound, long-armed target who looks like he'll be a staple on the outside wherever he ends up next. But the Bison actually deployed him in the backfield every so often to get him touches and because his athleticism played inside.
One of the top wideouts at this year's Senior Bowl, Watson caught 43 passes for 801 yards (18.6 per catch) in 12 games for North Dakota State.
He's not the most polished player at his position. He won't be confused for Kupp as a route-runner. But if there's a non-Power 5 receiver taken outside the first round who has a chance to make a big-time impact quickly? It might be him.