The Los Angeles Rams waited until the sixth round to add a wide receiver in the draft, but they got a good one in CJ Daniels. He was one of Miami’s top weapons last season during its run to the national championship game, showing reliable hands and the ability to make tough catches in traffic.
He’s exactly the type of receiver the Rams like to have on offense, and he’ll get a chance to compete for starting snaps right away. Pre-draft scouting reports paint a good picture of Daniels’ game, explaining what he does well and where he can improve.
Here are two breakdowns from revered draft analysts.
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
Daniels has a tremendous feel for creating catch opportunities with varied route tempo, body control and late separation tactics. He will struggle against a quality press and might need to be schemed into releases against certain corners. Daniels excels in putting himself between the throw and the defender, winning contested catches at a high rate during his time at LSU (2024) and Miami (2025). He’s confident, crafty and focused, but he’s average after the catch and unlikely to help on special teams, so his road to a roster spot will be challenging.
Dane Brugler, The Athletic
Daniels doesn’t have a true difference-making trait, but his package of skills is easy to appreciate. He has quality size and foot quickness with gliding movements to attack coverage. Whether wide open or double covered, he frames the ball with the same focus and prides himself on doing whatever is asked of him within the offense. Overall, Daniels might lack explosive speed, but he creates separation with crafty instincts and finishes with dependable ball skills. He projects best inside as a “big slot” in the NFL, who can rely on his awareness and toughness to be productive.
Daniels isn’t going to wow anyone with explosiveness or speed, but he runs good routes and has strong, reliable hands. That’ll help him on throws over the middle and in the red zone, where it can be tight quarters and close coverage.
Even though he’s a sixth-round rookie, he’s someone to watch this summer.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: What draft experts said about new Rams WR CJ Daniels in scouting reports
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
