This is the final installment of our Inside the Draft Room series. If you missed them, catch up with Part I here and Part II here.
After a flurry of trades to pick four players on Friday night, there's not much time before the Rams get back at it in the draft room on Saturday morning.
There are positives to living in pacific time during the draft. The first two nights start at 5 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively — so you're not picking players late into the night. But the drawback is that Saturday's fourth-round proceedings begin at 9 a.m. It's an early morning.
Check out the guys who make up the 2019 Los Angeles Rams draft class!

Photo: Alika Jenner

Photo: Alika Jenner

Photo: Alika Jenner

Photo: Alika Jenner

The University of Washington takes on Stanford at Husky Stadium on Saturday, November 3, 2018 in Seattle.

Memphis running back Darrell Henderson runs for a touchdown against Central Florida during the first half of the American Athletic Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Memphis running back Darrell Henderson runs for a touchdown in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Navy, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Memphis running back Darrell Henderson (8) runs for a touchdown against Central Florida during the first half of the American Athletic Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Memphis running back Darrell Henderson (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Navy, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Memphis running back Darrell Henderson (8) scores a touchdown on a 14-yard run against East Carolina in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Michigan defensive back David Long, left, intercepts a pass attempt in the end zone in front of Maryland wide receiver Taivon Jacobs in the first half of an NCAA college football game in College Park, Md., Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

The University of Michigan men's football team defeats Western Michigan University, 49-3, at the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI on September 8, 2018

Michigan defensive back David Long (22) celebrates his interception against Penn State in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The University of Michigan football team defeats Northwestern University, 20-17, at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois on September 29, 2018.

Michigan Wolverines cornerback David Long (22) warms up before an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Oklahoma Sooners offensive tackle Bobby Evans (71) blocks Texas Longhorns safety B.J. Foster (25) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, in Dallas, Texas. (AP Photo/Roger Steinman)

10/06/2018 Oklahoma vs Texas football. Photo by Ty Russell

10/27/2018 Oklahoma v Kansas State football. Photo by Joshua R. Gateley

12/01/2018 Oklahoma vs Texas Big 12 Championship Football at AT&T Stadium. Photo by Ty Russell

Oklahoma Sooners offensive tackle Bobby Evans (71) waits for the snap against the Texas Longhonrs during the first half of the NCAA Big 12 Conference football championship, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. Oklahoma defeated Texas 39-27. (AP Photo/Roger Steinman)

Washington's Greg Gaines sacks UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

The University of Washington football team plays Utah on November 18, 2017.(Photography by Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures)

Photo: Alika Jenner

The University of Washington football team plays North Dakota on September 8, 2018. (Photography by Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures)

The University of Washington football team plays WSU in the Apple Cup in Seattle on November 25, 2017. (Photography by Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures)

FILE - In this Sept. 22, 2018 file photo Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards, center, blocks Iowa defensive end Chauncey Golston, left, from quarterback Alex Hornibrook, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Iowa City. A loss at the Big House left Hornibrook and his teammates reassessing their goals. The playoffs are now out of reach for the 23rd-ranked Badgers after getting blown out at Michigan, though they still control their destiny in the Big Ten West. Win their last six regular season games, starting on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018 against visiting Illinois, and the Badgers will go back to Indianapolis for the conference title game in December. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney, file)

Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards, left, blocks Iowa defensive end Chauncey Golston, right, during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Iowa City. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney)

Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman David Edwards (79) during an NCAA College Football game against the Brigham Young University Cougars Saturday, September 16, 2017, in Provo, Utah. The Badgers won 40-6. (Photo by David Stluka)

Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman David Edwards (79) during an NCAA College Football game against the Brigham Young University Cougars Saturday, September 16, 2017, in Provo, Utah. The Badgers won 40-6. (Photo by David Stluka)

Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman David Edwards (79) blocks during an NCAA College Big Ten Conference football game against the Michigan Wolverines Saturday, November 18, 2017, in Madison, Wis. The Badgers won 24-10. (Photo by David Stluka)

Penn State safety Nick Scott (4) gets an interception during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, in Bloomington, Ind. Penn State won 33-28. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

Penn State safety Nick Scott follows a play against Kentucky during the second half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Penn State's Nick Scott (4) picks up a fumbled punt return by Indiana's J-Shun Harris (5) and takes it in for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Chris Knight)



Texas Tech linebacker Dakota Allen (40) celebrates after a stop on fourth down during the Birmingham Bowl NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017 in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Albert Cesare)


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As the day begins, Los Angeles has four picks — No. 162, No. 167, No. 169, and No. 251. The first three are in the fifth round, and the final in the seventh.
Rams assistant director of college scouting Ted Monago enters the draft room at about 8:58, saying that this is the day where it's time to find gold.
"You can always find gold," he says.
In this case, that starts with the Rams finding a way to move up for defensive tackle Greg Gaines. General manager Les Snead would say later that afternoon at the post-draft press conference that acquiring Gaines was the team's "first priority" for Saturday. According to Snead, he and McVay had met that morning, and came to the conclusion that Gaines would be the right fit to compete for the nose tackle spot vacated by the departed Ndamukong Suh in Los Angeles' base 3-4 defense.
But because the Rams opened the day with selections toward the end of the fifth round, there was work to be done in order to make the priority reality.
Knowing this was the plan in retrospect fills in a few blanks as the fourth round plays out. Snead and McVay enter the draft room after ostensibly meeting about Gaines and stand in front of the defensive draft-board screen at the front of the room. After a while, it becomes clear that McVay has a player in mind who he believes can fill a specific role to help complete the makeup of Los Angeles' defense. It also becomes clear that McVay feels like L.A. will have to trade up in order to get him.
Executive vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff and vice president of football and business administration Tony Pastoors are working the phones, and they discuss with Snead and McVay the potential trade options. Much like it happened on Friday night, some teams are willing to deal if a player they want to select comes off the board. But for a while, none of those deals come to fruition. Those in the room also discuss which teams they know Gaines has met with, just to make sure they're ahead of any other club that might want him.
At one point, a team Snead had called about a potential swap calls the Rams' GM back when that team is on the clock. But it's a courtesy call, as that club's time to make a selection is winding down — not a call to trade.
"I appreciate the call. I was just expecting you to pick and not call us," Snead says — since that's the way most of these non-trades have gone. "I'll remember that."
With the group of Snead, McVay, Demoff, and Pastoors in and out of the room, all working together to find a suitable partner, one proposal emerges that will clearly work around pick No. 132. As it turns out, it's with the Patriots, who have back-to-back picks at No. 133 and 134. After both sides confirmed that New England didn't plan on picking the player Los Angeles wanted at No. 134, McVay, who's on the phone with the Pats, spells out the terms of the deal: L.A. gets No. 134 and No. 243 in exchange for No. 162 and No. 167.
Pastoors phones the league to officially execute the trade, and Los Angeles selects Gaines at No. 134.
The Rams have their nose tackle.
Following Snead, McVay, and defensive line coach Eric Henderson, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips gets on the phone with Gaines to welcome him to the team and says it outright — the Washington product has a chance to make an impact right away.
"It's going great now, we've got you on our team!" Phillips says. "We've got a place for you — you know, Ndamukong Suh left, so you've got a spot. We're looking for you to get after it, OK?"
"Big shoes to fill — I'm up for it," Gaines replies.
"Hey, you can do it," Phillips says. "That's why we got you now."
As the pick is announced on NFL Network, the room applauds. Then there are a few hoots and hollers when a graphic displays the Rams' defensive front: Clay Matthews, Michael Brockers, Greg Gaines, Aaron Donald, and Dante Fowler.
After selecting Gaines, the Rams now have a long time to wait for their next pick at No. 169. And, finally, it appears Los Angeles isn't going to make a trade.
As the selections turn to the 160s, the discussion on who the Rams should pick centers around building depth at certain spots versus picking players who can definitely make the gameday roster. Both are important, and the Rams come up with a plan to select players who can, hopefully, check off both boxes.
In addition to the usual personnel staff, there are a few coaches in the room as the Rams come on the clock at No. 169.
"Anybody feel different than that?" McVay asks, as the group comes to a consensus on who to pick. No one does, and L.A. turns in the card for Wisconsin offensive tackle David Edwards.
When the sixth round becomes the seventh, scouts and assistant coaches essentially have to become recruiters. At one point, assistant head coach/linebackers coach Joe Barry jokes that it's taking him back to his days as a coach for USC.
Coaches and the personnel staff go back and forth, in and out of the draft room throughout the final round of the draft. But in the lead up to No. 243, the Rams discuss a player special teams coordinator John "Bones" Fassel is particularly fond of. Penn State safety Nick Scott was apparently Fassel's favorite special teams player in this draft, so he's understandably quite happy when L.A. turns in the card for Scott at No. 243.
And to close out the Rams' selections, Barry advocates for taking Texas Tech linebacker at No. 251, touting his quick-twitch movement and football instincts. And yes, he's most known to the public as one of the stars of the Netflix show Last Chance U. But inside the draft room, the talk is more about his ability as a player and what he's overcome to put himself in position to play in the NFL.
"Love the way you handled adversity," McVay tells Allen when the Rams call him to tell him the good news.
That completes the Rams 2019 draft — six trades to net eight players. And while the selection process is done, each player's NFL story is only beginning.
This is the final installment of our Inside the Draft Room series. If you missed them, catch up with Part I here and Part II here.