This is one year where it doesn’t pay to be sitting at pick No. 1 in the NFL Draft.
It’s like 2005.
First off, there’s really not a consensus No. 1.
DT Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska is considered the top talent, but it’s tough to grab a DT with the 1st pick because of the enormous amount of up front money which must be invested in that player.
And a defensive tackle doesn’t influence the game in the way that a QB does.
So most experts have the Rams taking Oklahoma’s QB Sam Bradford when the first name is called on Thursday.
This is a decision which will either catapult the Rams back to respectability or leave them buried at the bottom of the NFC West for years to come.
The upside for Bradford is he’s a big kid, with a good head on his shoulders, and can make all the throws an NFL QB needs to make.
The downside is he rarely faced top competition – the Big 12 is not known for its defenses – and has durability concerns, having missed the better part of ’09 with a damaged shoulder.
Defenders in the NFL are a lot bigger and faster than in college, so this must be weighing on the Rams’ minds.
St. Louis would probably love nothing better than to trade down, acquire additional picks, and grab one of the DTs at pick 2 or 3, but neither Detroit (Matt Stafford) nor Tampa Bay (Josh Freeman) need a QB, and others might not be willing to mortgage the future since Bradford’s not considered a “sure thing.”
The Skins could, as Donovan McNabb is not the long term answer, and by moving down to No. 4, the Rams would probably end up with one of the OTs (Russell Okung, Trent Williams or Bryan Baluga), who could team up with last year’s No. 2 pick, OT Jason Smith from Baylor.
They could then try and pick off Colt McCoy or another QB at the top of the 2nd round.
This would be the safer way to go, as it would solidify the offensive line – or defensive – if one of the tackles made it that far, but being “safe” doesn’t sell NFL tickets, and if Bradford does end up becoming a Franchise QB, a lot of guys will be out of jobs in the Rams front office.
Like it or not, St. Louis has no other choice (than Bradford), and they know it.
Pro Football 101 » Mock Draft – The Top 10
April 22nd, 2010 at 15:18
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[...] type picks. Regardless of whether DT Suh or McCoy will end up being better overall players, the Rams are not in a position to pass on a potential Franchise QB, even if this is not likely to [...]