Quentin Lake blames COVID for his 2022 NFL Draft slide

Nypost · Aug 08, 2026 · 458 words · By Thomas L Murray

Underdog Narrative Professional Sports Career Progression

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What to know about Underdog Narrative

You never know who you’re going to get in the NFL Draft.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center88%

Right12%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

You never know who you’re going to get in the NFL Draft.

Why it matters

Los Angeles Rams star safety Quentin Lake was taken by the team in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and was asked by “Inside Football” why he believes he fell in the draft, and didn’t hesitate to give an honest answer.

Common ground

“I think I got flagged because of some injuries,” Lake said.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Underdog Narrative story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that ultimately fell in the NFC championship to the eventual Super Bowl winning champions, the Seattle Seahawks?
How does this story connect Underdog Narrative with Professional Sports Career Progression over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/08/sports/quentin-lake-says-covid-is-why-he-slid-in-2…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

verified Verified By Reference 3

cancel Disputed 1

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “ultimately fell in the NFC championship to the eventual Super Bowl winning champions, the Seattle Seahawks.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources report the Rams lost the NFC Championship to the Seattle Seahawks, who then won the Super Bowl.

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web search NEUTRAL — The Los Angeles Rams lost in the NFC Championship to the Seattle Seahawks, who went on to dominantly beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/los-angeles-rams/news/ra…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Seattle Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an electrifying NFC championship game.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ap-fbn-rams-seahawks_n_6976da…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.Super Bowl 60 is scheduled for February 8 in Santa Clara, California, with the Seahawks taking on the New Englan…
https://www.marca.com/en/nfl/los-angeles-rams/2026/01/27/697…

verified

Claim 2: “was a 12-game starter during his sophomore year”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim includes irrelevant results about Quentin Tarantino and general team/player bios, but no specific mention of starting 12 games during his sophomore year.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2021 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Chip Kelly and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_UCLA_Bruins_football_team

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Carnell Augustino Lake (born July 15, 1967) is an American former professional football player and coach. He was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He is a member of the NFL 1990s All-Dec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnell_Lake

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Quentin James Lake (born January 29, 1999) is an American professional football safety for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Lake

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “In 2024, Quentin Lake started in 16 games for the Rams and finished second on the team in tackles by collecting 111.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Lake played the first 16 games of the 2024 season and finished second on the team with 111 tackles.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Quentin Marshall Grimes (born May 8, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the K…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Grimes

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Quentin_Rehabilitation_Cen…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 4: “Los Angeles Rams star safety Quentin Lake was taken by the team in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple web sources confirm Quentin Lake was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 season was the Los Angeles Rams' 88th in the National Football League (NFL), their 89th overall, 59th in the Greater Los Angeles Area, sixth playing their home games at SoFi Stadium and their…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Los_Angeles_Rams_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 season will be the Los Angeles Rams' 89th in the National Football League (NFL), their 90th overall, 60th in the Greater Los Angeles Area, seventh playing their home games at SoFi Stadium and…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Los_Angeles_Rams_season

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “On January 1, Lake and the Rams agreed to a three-year contract extension worth up to $38.25 million.”

DISPUTED

One source mentions a contract extension worth up to $38.25 million, while two other sources (including a YouTube video and a feature article) state the extension is for $42 million.

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web search NEUTRAL — Rams safety Quentin Lake signed a three-year extension with the Rams on Thursday.Rams News | Los Angeles Rams - therams.com. Feature: For Quentin Lake, the best part of his extension was his teammates…
https://www.therams.com/news/feature-the-best-part-of-quenti…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Los Angeles Rams have signed safety Quentin Lake to a three-year, $42M contract extension that will keep the team captain in Los Angeles through the 2028 season.
https://www.thesportingtribune.com/2026/01/02/rams-react-to-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Quentin Lake's NFL journey. Signing a $42M contract. The Myles Garrett–Jared Verse trade. Inside the Rams locker room.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cXvDhCaLrk

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Claim 6: “Lake played at UCLA from 2017-2021”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly state Lake played for UCLA from 2017-2021.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “the Rams are now viewed as Super Bowl favorites after trading for Myles Garrett in June.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple cross-references from Nypost and Flipboard confirm the Rams traded for Myles Garrett on June 1.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Ever since the Rams traded for Myles Garrett in June
https://nypost.com/2026/08/07/sports/aaron-donald-return-to-…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — the Rams traded for Myles Garrett on June 1
https://nypost.com/2026/08/07/sports/michael-brockers-says-a…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Verse joined the team on June 1 after the Rams traded him and three draft picks for Myles Garrett
https://nypost.com/2026/06/05/sports/browns-jared-verse-is-w…

+ 1 more evidence source

verified

Claim 8: “his father, Carnell Lake, who had a 13-year career, primarily playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and web sources confirm Carnell Lake had a long NFL career (13 years) primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1994 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 62nd season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League. This season marked as their third consecutive tr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Pittsburgh_Steelers_seaso…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 season will be the Pittsburgh Steelers' 94th season in the National Football League (NFL), it will be their 26th year playing their home games at Acrisure Stadium, their fifth under general m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Pittsburgh_Steelers_seaso…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “Last season, Quentin Lake appeared in 10 games for the Rams and missed six of them due to a dislocated left elbow.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only one web search result explicitly mentions the 10 games played and 6 missed due to a dislocated left elbow.

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web search NEUTRAL — Last season, Quentin Lake appeared in 10 games for the Rams and missed six of them due to a dislocated left elbow. On January 1, Lake and the Rams agreed to a three-year contract extension worth up to…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/08/sports/quentin-lake-says-covid…

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web search NEUTRAL — View the full current NFL schedule for the season. Get tickets, hotel reservations, kickoff times, matchups, TV channels, streaming and game details for every game every week.
https://www.nfl.com/schedules

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web search NEUTRAL — Your home for daily fantasy games, schedule predictions, and top 10 lists for the NFL, NBA, and MLB.2026 Weekly Pick 'Em. Pick every game, every week. Track your record, chase a perfect week, and clim…
https://nflperry.com/

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.