Rams selected Baylor ILB Clay Johnston with the No. 234 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Johnston (6’1/227) was an inside linebacker at Baylor who missed multiple games in two of his three starting seasons with a torn ACL and foot injury. When healthy, he was a productive tackler and on-field leader. As a redshirt junior, he made 99 tackles and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors, undoubtedly on his way to another big season in 2019 before tearing his ACL (which sidelined him for the entire pre-draft process). Johnston is at his best coming downhill against the run, though his overaggressive nature can be a negative against shiftier and agile players. He’ll have to overcome a lengthy injury history to earn a backup linebacker and special teams role, even with the defensive-depleted Rams.
