ESPN REPORT: Oklahoma WR Announced To Play With Rams Before The…..

The Oklahoma football program didn’t have to wait long during the NFL’s annual first-year player draft to have a representative join the professional ranks. With the 29th overall pick in the first round, the Dallas Cowboys made a significant move by selecting Sooners star offensive lineman Tyler Guyton. The six-foot-eight Guyton, a standout from Oklahoma, will be a valuable addition to a Dallas offensive line that will protect franchise quarterback Dak Prescott. However, only two more former Oklahoma football players heard their names called after Guyton during this year’s NFL draft, lineman Jonah Laulu and Walter Rouse.

One notable absence, which was widely anticipated, was the Sooners’ leading receiver from last season, Drake Stoops, the son of legendary OU coach Bob Stoops. Despite a highly productive final season in Norman, Oklahoma, the younger Stoops went undrafted during the heavily offensive-oriented 2024 NFL draft. However, the anticipation turned into excitement as Stoops landed an undrafted free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams shortly after the draft.

Former Oklahoma Football WR Drake Stoops: College Career

Drake Stoops, a Norman, Oklahoma native and a three-star prospect in the class of 2018, picked Oklahoma football, following in the footsteps of his father, Bob. The older Stoops coached OU from 1999 to 2016, winning 238 games and the national championship in 2000. Drake Stoops played sparingly under newly cemented head coach Lincoln Riley from 2018 to 2021, registering 521 yards through his first four seasons. However, under the tutelage of Brent Venables, Stoops stepped into a more prominent role in 2022, his fifth with the program.

With quarterback Dillion Gabriel at the helm, Stoops collected 39 receptions for 393 yards and three touchdowns. Stoops returned in 2023, his sixth and final year with the program. He posted monster numbers last year, leading the ten-win Sooners with 84 receptions, 962 yards, and ten scores. The Norman native registered three 100-yard receiving games while finishing in the top ten in the Big 12 regarding receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

Stoops did not receive an invite to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine but starred during the Shire Bowl. He regularly made plays in individual and team drills while earning honors for best offensive practice player on his team. A projected undrafted free agent, Stoops ran a 4.73 40-yard dash and entered the 2024 NFL draft as one of the older wide receivers. At five-foot-nine, 185 pounds, he is also one of the smallest.

Los Angeles Rams: Depth Chart

Drake Stoops, formerly of Oklahoma football, will have his work cut out to break camp with the active roster. Stoops will join a Los Angles Rams receiver core featuring superstars Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Nacua set new NFL records as a rookie last season, tallying 105 receptions, 1,486 yards, and six touchdowns. Meanwhile, Kupp won the receiver triple crown in 2021 but has dealt with injuries over the past two seasons.

The Los Angeles Rams also house Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson, and Tutu Atwell. Skowronek, a three-year NFL veteran, has spent his entire pro career with Los Angeles. Robinson and Atwell also have played a significant role with the Rams over the past few seasons.