Following the conclusion of the NFL Draft, there was a lot of excitement and optimism when it came to the Los Angeles Rams’ selections. Edge rusher Jared Verse became the first player selected in the first round by the Rams since 2016 when they took Jared Goff with the number one overall pick. Braden Fiske, Blake Corum, and others also garnered positive reactions.

However, when it comes to how and where teams draft players, it’s never truly known how other teams graded those same players. That changed earlier this week during the offseason version of Hard Knocks on HBO with the New York Giants.

During the latest episode, cameras caught a glimpse of the Giants live draft board. While it didn’t show where New York had these players ranked, some had color codes associated with them.

Based on conjecture and speculation, the colors seem to indicate the following:

• Blue: All-around good leader, teammate, person
• Red: Medical concerns
• Purple: Character concerns
• Pink: Undersized/measurement concern
• Grey: Versatile player, multiple positions

With that said, it seemed interesting to see what the Giants thought of the players that the Rams ended up selecting as there are some players who are associated with the color coding.

Blue – RB Blake Corum

The first player that comes up color-coded on the Giants board is running back Blake Corum who is listed as a ‘blue’ player. This would mean that Corum was seen as a good leader and good teammate. This matches how the Rams have described Corum. Said offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur,

“I think what’s most impressive about him, besides what he can do on the field and what he put on tape at Michigan and really even since he’s been here, is just what kind of a man this guy is.”

In Dane Brugler’s The Beast published on The Athletic, Corum was described as someone who, “wants to be great, and nothing will slow him down from doing that,” by former Michigan running back coach Mike Hart. It seems like the Rams and Giants were on the same page with Corum. It’s worth noting that the Giants took defensive back Andru Phillips at pick 70 and then didn’t take a running back until the fifth round.

Red – S Kam Kinchens

Teams can flag players for injuries for different reasons. While one team might flag a player for medical concerns, another may completely clear that player. For the most part, Kinchens has a clean bill of health. He had to be carted off the field after an in-game collision in 2023, but was released days later. That may have been something that the Giants flagged, but it’s possible they found something in their own assessments pre-draft as well.

Pink – DL Ty Davis, WR Jordan Whittington

Both Davis and Whittington ended up with a pink label which would presume that the Giants had size concerns. It’s well-known at this point that the Rams generally don’t look at size when it comes to draft prospects. Tyler davis had a 75-inch wing-span and 31.375-inch arms which were in the third and fifth percentiles. Arm length can be an important trait for defensive linemen.

Unless Whittington did separate testing with the Giants, he didn’t test at a Pro Day or the Combine. At 6’0, 205-pounds, Whittington has average size for a wide receiver unless New York uses a different threshold and the Texas wide receiver fell below that.

Grey – iOL Beaux Limmer

The Rams backup center showed up in grey which would mean that he was tabbed as someone who could play multiple positions. This is a good news for the Rams. Limmer played both center and right guard at Arkansas. That versatility is something that the Rams value, especially as they are dealing with injuries on the offensive line currently.

No Designation – EDGE Jared Verse, DL Braden Fiske, EDGE Brennan Jackson, K Josh Karty, OL KT Leveston

Just because a player didn’t show up in color code, it isn’t a bad thing. With the Giants drafting a sixth overall, they may not have been looking at Verse, especially after trading for Brian Burns. The Giants also didn’t have a second-round pick which would have put them out on Fiske. It could also mean that meeting between the Rams went better than they did with the Giants and therefore the players were seen a different way.

Other Notable Takeaways

It’s easy to see why the Rams may have wanted to trade up for Brock Bowers or Byron Murphy. Both players were color coded blue which would designate them as great teammates and leaders. Those the types of players that the Rams like. The San Francisco 49ers drafted two such players in Ricky Pearsall and Malik Mustapha. Cooper DeJean is a player that fans liked pre-draft, but was given a medical flag by the Giants.