Rams Select Punt Blocking Ace in Mock Draft

Ricky White is a perfect player for the Rams. An explosive player dedicated to winning, while he needs to develop as a pass catcher, he holds a lot of potential that has been waiting to be developed. As a special teams ace, there is no one better in the country at blocking punts.

During Jim Wicken's Epic Mock 25, he brought together over 50 draft analysts, experts, and football writers to act as front office executives for all 32 NFL teams, giving a more human element to the 2025 NFL Draft.

As the Rams' general manager, I selected the UNLV superstar with the 202nd overall pick. I covered UNLV in 2024, therefore, I got to watch White play in person. When the Rebels' defense forced the opposing team to punt, there would be a feeling in the stadium that it was Ricky White time, and often it was.

White had four blocked punts last season, and he returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. The best example was against Syracuse. UNLV was down 31-24 towards the end of the third quarter. The offense wasn't consistent and Syracuse was cautiously cruising into the fourth. UNLV needed a block and White came through. His blocked rolled into the endzone and UNLV recovered for the game tying touchdown.

While UNLV eventually lost the game, despite having the game-winning interception in their hands for a brief moment until it was dropped, White's efforts were remembered, as despite not being a kicker, punter, or the main returner, White was named Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year.

I asked White last year about his blocking abilities and having an aggressive special teams coordinator.

White was all smiles stating, “Man, Coach C does a great job each and every week just emphasizing the small things. Like I said, it’s always the small things that allow us to be a better team and execute more so I took over the things that he taught me last year and you know, I applied it to my game. I feel like, you know, this is not gonna be the last punt I block, so I want to thank Coach C for that.”

White, as a receiver, recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. He has trouble making contested catches but knows how to find open space in coverage. He's great at hauling in throws on medium routes and he's dangerous on screen plays.

He's a WR1 who wanted to be on Special Teams. That's dedication, and that type of weapon will flourish under Sean McVay and Chase Blackburn.