Three of the Los Angeles Rams' first four selections in this year's draft represented new weapons for developing franchise quarterback Jared Goff. They all played in the Senior Bowl, they all got passed up by the major programs coming out of high school, and they all were taken a little bit higher than most projected.

That's pretty much where the comparisons end.

The Rams are hoping that rookie tight end Gerald Everett can develop into becoming a downfield threat. Glenn Andrews/USA TODAY Sports

South Alabama's Gerald Everett, taken 44th overall, is a big, athletic, somewhat raw "move" tight end who can be a major threat up the middle of the field. Eastern Washington's Cooper Kupp, drafted 69th overall, is a polished possession receiver with soft hands who operates best out of the slot. Texas A&M's Josh Reynolds, selected 117th overall, is a long-striding outside threat with great leaping ability but limited play strength.

When the Rams took Reynolds with the 10th pick in the fourth round, it marked the seventh wide receiver or tight end they had selected within a stretch of nine picks, following Goff going No. 1 overall in 2016. The new trio came one year after the Rams drafted Tyler Higbee, who brings a similar skill set to Everett, Pharoh Cooper, who, like Kupp, profiles best as a slot receiver, and Mike Thomas, another outside threat who, like Reynolds, is a good leaper. Temarrick Hemingway, yet another pass-catching tight end, also was nabbed in 2016.

"The theme," coach Sean McVay said, "is you want to find as many playmakers that can create with the ball in their hands."

This draft, more than anything else, was McVay putting his imprint on his first offense as an NFL head coach.

Now comes the toughest part -- making it all work.

At the top of the list of receivers sit a couple of veterans. One is Tavon Austin, who signed a four-year, $42 million extension last August. The other is Robert Woods, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract this March. Woods, listed at 6-foot, excels at creating separation at the top of his routes and will be the prime target in the Rams' intermediate passing game. Austin, 5-foot-8, has so far been used -- ineffectively, many would say -- as something of a gimmick receiver. Over the past three years, he has carried the ball 116 times (nearly three times more than any other receiver) and has caught 75 passes behind the line of scrimmage (tied for second among receivers).

The Rams want Austin to establish himself as more of a downfield threat, similar to what DeSean Jackson was in Washington. Woods, meanwhile, can be McVay's new Pierre Garcon. Everett, he hopes, can be Jordan Reed. And everybody else will fill in where they can.

The Rams' depth chart at receiver seemingly looks like this ...

1. Austin

2. Woods

3. Cooper, Kupp or Reynolds

At tight end, Everett and Higbee will probably spend a lot of time on the field together, a la Reed and Vernon Davis in 2016, a year when Washington led the NFL in yards at the position.

As for how they will be used together?

It remains open-ended.

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"Any time that you have some depth at that tight end position, it enables you to be a little bit more versatile in terms of some of the personnel groups that you want to present to a defense," McVay said, even bringing up the idea of going with "13" personnel in order to have Everett, Higbee and Hemingway all on the field together. "We feel very good about adding Gerald to that mix, and I think it will help us overall offensively in the way that we’ll be able to attack people.”

The Rams took chances with their most recent draft picks -- at least relative to what the draft experts projected.

They traded down from 37th -- gaining an additional third-round pick, while passing on the opportunity to draft receiver Zay Jones or guard Forrest Lamp -- in order to make Everett the fourth tight end selected. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had him eighth among his peers, behind Ashland's Adam Shaheen, Michigan's Jake Butt, Louisville's Cole Hikutini and Clemson's Jordan Leggett, all of whom were available.

Kiper had Penn State's Chris Godwin and Tennessee's Josh Malone ahead of Kupp at 69, and he had four available receivers ahead of Reynolds at 117.

Reynolds now fills the void of a natural vertical threat, a glaring need once Kenny Britt and Brian Quick were allowed to walk in free agency. When Britt had 1,002 receiving yards in 2016, it marked the first time in nine years that the Rams had produced a 1,000-yard receiver. From 2013-16, this is where they have ranked among the 32 NFL teams in receiving yards: 29th, 21st, 32nd, 30th.

They're hoping the past two drafts have finally yielded a foundation.

"All these guys have great ball skills," McVay said, speaking specifically about the 2017 class. "That’s what we’re looking for -- that consistency, that reliability that they can make plays. And I think you see all these guys do a nice job after the catch, as well. Different players, but they will add depth to that room."