Beaux Limmer could be the most important depth piece on Rams offensive line (2024)

When the Los Angeles Rams entered the offseason, there was some uncertainty on who the team would play at center. With Coleman Shelton’s contract set to expire and Brian Allen released, the Rams didn’t have an active center on the roster. Following the Senior Bowl, it was thought that they could draft a center such as Jackson Powers-Johnson who dominated in drills in Mobile. Instead, the Rams confirmed what some were thinking by saying that Steve Avila would move to center, a position that he played at TCU.

Still, even with Avila moving to center, the Rams lacked depth at the position. They had Mike McAllister who spent the year on the practice squad, but he isn’t someone who could be trusted in a pinch if necessary. Instead, the Rams drafted Arkansas’ Beaux Limmer in the sixth-round.

When analysts had the Rams drafting Powers-Johnson following the week in Mobile, they had the position right, but not the player. Limmer was also at the Senior Bowl and performed well in individual drills and team practices. In the clip below, he actually does a nice job blocking his future teammate Braden Fiske.

Limmer continued his strong draft process into the Combine in Indianapolis where he tested really well. Limmer’s 36.5-inch vertical was tied for second among all offensive linemen. He also showcased his strength with 39 reps on the bench press. That was seven more reps that any other offensive lineman and the most for any participant at any position. As The Athletic’s Dane Brugler noted in “The Beast”, Limmer was considered the strongest player on the team by teammates. According to his strength coach, he squatted 700-pounds last July and could have done more had they let him.

Somehow, despite a 9.8 Relative Athletic Score that athletically compared him to an all-pro player in Joe Thuney, Limmer continued to slide under the radar. And he didn’t just slide under the radar, he slid until the sixth round.

Kent Lee Platte

This was one of the more experienced interior offensive linemen in the draft who made 36 consecutive starts in the SEC. Limmer finished his career with 41 starts that included 28 at right guard, 12 at center, and one at left guard. For the Rams to be able to get a player of Limmer’s caliber and experience in the sixth-round is a steal and great value.

While Limmer won’t start for the Rams, he will be a very important depth piece along the offensive line. Again, outside of McAllister, the Rams didn’t have an experienced backup center behind Avila. Acquiring a player with that experience at center and versatility along the inside was imperative for the Rams during the draft and they may have gotten the best player for that. In his draft profile of Limmer, Brandon Thorn of the Trench Warfare substack and Bleacher Report said,

“Overall, Limmer is a very athletic, lean, nimble blocker with wiry strength who can strain to finish blocks. His extensive guard experience should at least help him cross-train across the interior as a swing backup in the NFL right away.”

Having that versatility on the interior is important, especially as it is a position in which the Rams could be the most vulnerable when it comes to injury. The Rams signed Jonah Jackson to a large contract this offseason. However, Jackson has missed four or more games in each of the last two seasons.

In the case that Jackson is hurt, the Rams obviously have Joe Noteboom who has left guard experience. With that said, Noteboom has an injury history as well or could potentially simultaneously be filling in for Alaric Jackson at left tackle who has missed time the last two years. If the Rams moved Avila back to left guard, Limmer could step in at center or simply slide in at guard in a pinch. During a pre-draft interview with The Draft Network’s Justin Melo, Limmer said,

“I can see myself playing any of the three interior positions. I have more experience at guard and I think I’m a guard at heart, an elite guard at that. I had to play center this past season because that’s what Arkansas needed me to do...I have three years of elite guard tape though.”

When the Rams shifted to a new block scheme in the run game this past season, the idea was to be able to go at defenses rather than always going to side to side as they did in the wide zone. The start of that was drafting Avila at 333-pounds and then trading for Kevin Dotson at 322-pounds. That continued into this offseason when the Rams moved on from a lighter and not as strong player in Shelton while also adding Jackson at 311-pounds.

Rebuilding a position group can take some time and that’s what the Rams have been doing. The next phase of that was to incorporate that mentality into the depth. That’s exactly what they’ve done by adding Limmer. Said Limmer,

“I’ve shown teams how physical and strong I am throughout this pre-draft process. I’m not the heaviest dude in the draft by any means. I think I make up for that with terrific strength...If you watch my film, you’ll see me moving the biggest defensive linemen off the ball in the SEC. That was no joke. I bring physicality to the table.”

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler noted that while watching tape, “the term “MAN” (mean and nasty) showed up numerous times” in his scouting notes.

For now, Limmer will be an important depth piece for the Rams offensive line. He gives them much-needed center depth with the ability to step in at guard if Noteboom is unavailable. It’s also worth noting that the Rams do have an ‘out’ in Jackson’s contract in two years. That would put Limmer on the back-half of his rookie deal, potentially putting him in position to start.

Following a disastrous 2022 season that saw numerous injuries to the Rams offensive line, the front office has put a larger emphasis on being ready for that scenario if it happens again. A change to the blocking scheme only gave them a larger reason to re-build that position group. Limmer may only be a sixth-round pick, the importance of what he provides in depth and as a player that can slide in at multiple positions while holding his own can’t be understated.