Welcome back to Arch City Sports’ Rams draft preview where myself, Nick Yahl, along with Chris Turner of SBNation take a round by round look of the draft possibilities for the St. Louis Rams.
As the Rams enter one of the final “building years” this draft sets up as one of the most important. Will Jeff Fisher and Les Snead solidify a banged up offensive line? Do they finally get a grade A number one wide receiver? Do they trade up or stay put and grab a quarterback? We’ll give you our thoughts into each round and each of the available players at each pick.
In the first round at pick ten we expect the Rams to address the offensive line or take a wide receiver. Those are the two positions of major need for St. Louis and in round two it’ll likely be a similar situation for whichever of the two positions they don’t take.
Though the quarterback position also becomes a little bit more interesting in round two as the Rams could address the position with an option such as Brett Hundley or Bryce Petty.
Nick: Jeff Fisher has made it clear that St. Louis remains very much interested in a quarterback despite trading for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, who is perceived to be the starter at this point with Case Keenum as a reserve option. Though were Foles to go down with an injury Keenum isn’t all that great a back up so by addressing this need in the draft, round two makes as good a place as any to snag a quarterback that isn’t named Winston or Mariota.
Chris: Quarterback could be the deepest position on this year’s draft, and the question remains the same: Is it one the Rams need to invest in? If Nick Foles doesn’t work out, or like other Rams quarterbacks we know, gets injured, it wouldn’t hurt to have another young quarterback waiting in the wings. So who would be the best option available when the 41st pick comes on the clock? Bryce Petty would be a great pick in this spot, he’s got great size as an NFL QB at 6’3”, 230-pounds, add in quality arm-strength at the level of an NFL starter and you have yourself a very attractive mid-round pick up. On top of that, he’s drawn comparisions to a former Rams starter in Austin Davis. Although it would be a reach in the second round, don’t be surprised if the Rams seriously consider UCLA’s Brett Hundley as a potential option.
Bryce Petty
Nick: Let’s move back to a position of major need in the offensive line. Even if the Rams were to take a guy such as Scherff in the first round it doesn’t hurt to add some more help to protect the quarterback. The offensive line has never been all that stable for St. Louis over the past decade and this draft offers a number of talents to add some help.
Chris: We’ll stop beating a dead horse eventually, but the Rams offensive line is pretty rough. Sure, Tim Barnes is back at center and Greg Robinson surely can’t be any worse than he was his rookie year. Still, I would expect St. Louis to take more than one offensive lineman in this year’s draft. The ideal first round grab would be Brandon Schreff from Iowa to add some size and depth on the line, after that, I would not be surprised if St. Louis went for another lineman in round two.
I really like Florida State’s Cameron Erving at the 41st pick. A converted defensive tackle to offensive lineman, Erving started over 30 games in his final three years at Florida State, switching between tackle and center in his final year. He’s very quick off the line with a good first step in run blocking, and has been improving as a pass blocker throughout his switch to offense.
Another option on the interior to look at would be South Carolina’s AJ Cann, a four-year starter at guard for the Gamecocks. Cann can make an immediate impact on the line and be a day one starter, with great recognition in pass protection, and a great drive in the run blocking.
A.J. Cann
Nick: If the Rams can’t grab a wide receiver they like in round one, they’re in luck because once again wideouts are one of the deeper positions in this draft. I discussed last week the current state of St. Louis’ wide receivers and it’s nothing spectacular. The fact that they don’t have a true number one like many teams hurts them. The Rams need an explosive playmaking wide out that can create confusion for defenses’. Both Chris Givens and Brian Quick are in contract years so unless they show up and can prove to be every down players don’t expect them in a Rams uniform next season.
Chris: Three letters for you all: D-G-B.
If he is still on the board, and the Rams still have yet to get a receiver in this draft, coach Fisher needs to pull the trigger on picking Dorial Green-Beckham. St. Louis needs a number one receiver for 2015, and Issac Bruce and Torry Holt aren’t walking out there anytime soon. Fans in the state of Missouri know very well what “DGB” is capable of. He’s a huge target with highlight-reel capabilities in catching the ball. He is a player that could walk in and start on day one for St. Louis. Yes, his off-the-field activities could throw up a red flag or two, but with the kind of athlete he is, Green-Beckham would be well worth the second round investment.
Dorial Green-Beckham
This might be the most important pick for the Rams and the most intriguing one. We can only guess as to what will happen on draft day. Stay tuned next week when we take a look at options for St. Louis in round three.
For more sports updates be sure to follow @NickYahl & @ChrisLTurner on Twitter.
