The Rams used their fourth selection in the 2021 NFL Draft on Central Arkansas cornerback Robert Rochell , who was chosen in the fourth round, 130th overall.
Here's what you should know about him:
1) Need for speed
At the 2014 Louisiana High School Athletic Association 4A Outdoor Track state meet, Shreveport (La.) Fair Park High standout Rochell placed third in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.80 seconds.
It's second-fastest time time in the event in school history behind Morris Claiborne's 10.76 seconds in 2009. Claiborne would be chosen sixth overall out of LSU by the Cowboys in the NFL Draft three years later.
2) Freaky athleticism
Like fellow draft classmate Tutu Atwell (speed), Rochell landed in the 2020 edition of The Athletic's Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks List" – highlighting college football athletes with rare physical abilities – with his bounce, coming in at No. 12 (Atwell was No. 6).
Central Arkansas head coach Nathan Brown told Feldman Rochell had registered an 11-foot, 8-inch broad jump and a 41-inch vertical. Both drills are used at the combine to measure a player's explosiveness; the broad jump also measures lower body strength.
The rest of Rochell's measurements and qualifications for making the list can be read here (subscription required to read).
3) Mama knows best
Speaking of that speed, Rochell's mother Monique originally thought he would become an Olympic sprinter, according to an April 30 article published by The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. When he decided to pursue football, she still kept those high expectations.
"Once he got the (UCA offer), I told him, 'What did I tell you?'" Monique told the Democrat-Gazette. "'It doesn't matter whether you're at LSU or Alabama, in Miami, in Hawaii playing -- if it's meant for you to go to the NFL, they're coming to the University of Central Arkansas to get you.'"
4) One of the draft's "best kept secrets"
One week before the 2021 NFL Draft, Bleacher Report compiled a list of the best kept secrets (top under-the-radar prospects) in this year's class. Rochell was one of nine chosen.
"If Robert Rochell had gone to a Power Five school, it wouldn't be surprising for him to go in the first round," B/R's Alex Ballentine wrote.
5) Player comparison
NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared the 6-foot, 193-pound Rochell to cornerback James Bradberry. Originally a second-round pick by the Panthers in 2016, the 6-1, 212-pound Bradberry was named to his first Pro Bowl last season as a member of the Giants after producing 54 total tackles, three interceptions, 18 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery while starting in 15 games (missed their Week 15 game vs. Browns due to COVID-19 protocols after being determined a high-risk close contact of someone who tested positive for the virus).
