HERMOSA BEACH — The Rams looked to address their long-term situation at kicker on Saturday, picking Stanford’s Joshua Karty with the 209th overall pick in the sixth round.
Karty missed only two field-goal attempts from inside 50 yards during his three-year collegiate career. He made 23 of 27 attempts as a junior while connecting on all 21 of his point-after attempts.
Karty said he identified the Rams early on in the draft process as a team he would like to join, preferring a West Coast team with a need at kicker. And he said the Rams showed clear interest in him, too, with special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn and assistant Chili Davis coming to his pro day at Stanford and going to breakfast with Karty.
He said he anticipated that if one kicker got selected Saturday, it could start a run at the position. Sure enough, the Rams scooped Karty up six picks after the Vikings took Alabama’s Will Reichard as the top kicker in the class.
“I was hoping that if another kicker went first, it wasn’t going to be the Rams, and boy I’m glad the Rams had the next pick,” Karty said. “I’m super excited.”
Karty was one of four sixth-round picks made by the Rams on Saturday. They continued to upgrade their defense, selecting Clemson defensive tackle Tyler Davis with pick No. 196, then added Texas receiver Jordan Whittington at No. 213 and Arkansas offensive lineman Beaux Limmer at No. 217.
Davis, 23, played five seasons at Clemson, earning three straight All-ACC first-team honors to close his career. The 6-foot-2, 300-pound tackle had two 5.5-sack seasons during his career, but as a senior made 34 tackles and half a sack while starting 13 games.
He became the fourth member of the Rams’ 2024 draft class along the defensive front, joining edge rushers Jared Verse and Brennan Jackson and fellow tackle Braden Fiske.
Whittington carved out a role for himself at Texas despite playing alongside first-round pick Xavier Worthy and second-rounder Adonai Mitchell. He caught 42 passes as a senior for 505 yards, and spoke Saturday about how he prides himself in run-blocking situations that will help him see the field for the Rams.
“I’m a student of the game and Cooper Kupp I feel like is a professor,” Whittington said. “So I want to get to that level.”
The 6-foot-5 Limmer played primarily center at Arkansas and projects to give the Rams some depth at the position after the team released Brian Allen and Coleman Shelton left via free agency.