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It’s hard to believe, but the 2015 NFL Draft is right around the corner. Before the drama unfolds in Chicago, let’s talk about dream scenarios for the St. Louis Rams. As of now, the Rams only have five draft picks, so they will need to make them count. The following is the best, realistic scenarios without any trades. Trades are nice and general manager Les Snead has made them work, but let’s see the possibilities with what the team has currently:
Round 1, Pick 10: OT Brandon Scherff, Iowa.
Really? Another offensive lineman? Since this is a dream case scenario, shouldn’t the Rams take the top wide receiver? The answer is a resounding no. There’s no doubt about it that both Kevin White and Amari Cooper are tempting prospects, but the Rams need to protect their investment in Nick Foles. The reality is that there are too many holes in the offensive line and not many opportunities to nab them, which is why Scherff would be the best pick.
Scherff is considered the top offensive line prospect, and there are no guarantees that he will be available at pick No. 10. Quite possibly the most desirable trait of Scherff is that he is versatile enough to be placed almost anywhere on the offensive line. The Rams have needs at right tackle and right guard so he can fill either need.
Of course this scenario could easily change if the Rams re-sign Joe Barksdale. If this does happen, there are plenty of other options. But it’s still hard to tell if the Rams will have a shot at keeping Barksdale since it was reported that both sides were too far apart. Don’t be surprised if the Rams pick Scherff if he’s available.
Alternate pick: CB Trae Waynes, Michigan State.
Round 2, Pick 41: CB Marcus Peters, Washington.
At some point during the draft, the Rams will need to focus on the secondary and probably sooner rather than later. Adding a guy like Peters is just the piece the Rams need to make their defense elite overall. Peters is a physical, shutdown corner that the Rams could really covet. Placing him in a great young group that consists of Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson and E.J. Gaines would make the Rams’ intimidating defense that much scarier.
Peters is considered the second best cornerback in the draft, but his off-the-field issues is a major concern. He was dismissed from Washington, and character issues can be detrimental to the success of any team. However, that’s not to say it hasn’t worked in the past; Jenkins is a perfect example of this. It’s difficult to predict where he will fall. There is still a possibility he will end up in the first round, but chances are he will fall into the second round.
A quarterback could also be selected, but there are far too many needs on the Rams for them to invest in a backup with a second round pick. I wouldn’t oppose it, but I believe the Rams should focus more on needs instead of luxury picks and a backup QB in the second round defines luxury at this point with the Rams.
Alternate pick: QB Brett Hundley, UCLA.
Round 3, Pick 72: OG Arie Kouandjio, Alabama.
As mentioned earlier, the Rams have several needs on the offensive line and right guard is one of them. Kouandjio has dropped significantly due to his injury history and some teams are a little nervous that his services to the Crimson Tide has his NFL career before it’s started. This is certainly possible, but it’s a new start for him, and he has the potential to truly make an impact.
Kouandjio is one of the more intelligent guards in the draft. He benefited from his knowledge of the game going up against some of the SEC’s top defensive talent and gained leverage by studying defenders. He is strong enough to latch on to defenders and drive them back several yards. Kouandjio is certainly a steal at pick No. 72.
Alternate pick: OG Tre Jackson, FSU.
Round 4, Pick 119: OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M.
If the Rams could somehow manage to draft Ogbuehi in the fourth round, they may have found a gem. Ogbuehi should really be considered a first round pick, but many believe he will drop to the later rounds because of the devastating ACL tear he sustained during the Liberty Bowl. ACL injuries are difficult to recover from, and he will likely miss the majority of the 2015 regular season. So why the interest? He has the potential to be great, and he shouldn’t be avoided this late in the draft. Surrendering a fourth round pick is a small price to pay if he comes back with a vengeance.
Alternate pick: QB Sean Mannion, Oregon State.
Round 6, Pick 215: DE/OLB Zack Wagenmann, Montana.
At this point in the draft, depth concerns should be addressed. The Rams did add Akeem Ayers in the offseason, but there isn’t sufficient depth at outside linebacker. It would be a good idea to look for a linebacker at pick No. 215 and Wagenmann could be a gem. He played both defensive end and linebacker while with Grizzlies, but he’s better suited to play linebacker in the NFL. He has tremendous upside, but needs to get stronger which something that can easily be fixed. He certainly would be an upgrade on the depth chart.
Alternate pick: DE/OLB Xzavier Dixon, Alabama.
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
2015, 2015 NFL Draft, Amari Cooper, Arie Kouandjio, Brandon Scherff, Brett Hundley, Cedric Ogbuehi, E.J. Gaines, featured, Janoris Jenkins, Joe Barksdale, Kevin White, Les Snead, Marcus Peters, NFL, Nick Foles, Sean Mannion, St. Louis Rams, Trae Waynes, Tre Jackson, Trumaine Johnson, Xzavier Dixon, Zack Wagenmann
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It’s hard to believe, but the 2015 NFL Draft is right around the corner. Before the drama unfolds in Chicago, let’s talk about dream scenarios for the St. Louis Rams. As of now, the Rams only have five draft picks, so they will need to make them count. The following is the best, realistic scenarios without any trades. Trades are nice and general manager Les Snead has made them work, but let’s see the possibilities with what the team has currently:
Round 1, Pick 10: OT Brandon Scherff, Iowa.
Really? Another offensive lineman? Since this is a dream case scenario, shouldn’t the Rams take the top wide receiver? The answer is a resounding no. There’s no doubt about it that both Kevin White and Amari Cooper are tempting prospects, but the Rams need to protect their investment in Nick Foles. The reality is that there are too many holes in the offensive line and not many opportunities to nab them, which is why Scherff would be the best pick.
Scherff is considered the top offensive line prospect, and there are no guarantees that he will be available at pick No. 10. Quite possibly the most desirable trait of Scherff is that he is versatile enough to be placed almost anywhere on the offensive line. The Rams have needs at right tackle and right guard so he can fill either need.
Of course this scenario could easily change if the Rams re-sign Joe Barksdale. If this does happen, there are plenty of other options. But it’s still hard to tell if the Rams will have a shot at keeping Barksdale since it was reported that both sides were too far apart. Don’t be surprised if the Rams pick Scherff if he’s available.
Alternate pick: CB Trae Waynes, Michigan State.
Round 2, Pick 41: CB Marcus Peters, Washington.
At some point during the draft, the Rams will need to focus on the secondary and probably sooner rather than later. Adding a guy like Peters is just the piece the Rams need to make their defense elite overall. Peters is a physical, shutdown corner that the Rams could really covet. Placing him in a great young group that consists of Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson and E.J. Gaines would make the Rams’ intimidating defense that much scarier.
Peters is considered the second best cornerback in the draft, but his off-the-field issues is a major concern. He was dismissed from Washington, and character issues can be detrimental to the success of any team. However, that’s not to say it hasn’t worked in the past; Jenkins is a perfect example of this. It’s difficult to predict where he will fall. There is still a possibility he will end up in the first round, but chances are he will fall into the second round.
A quarterback could also be selected, but there are far too many needs on the Rams for them to invest in a backup with a second round pick. I wouldn’t oppose it, but I believe the Rams should focus more on needs instead of luxury picks and a backup QB in the second round defines luxury at this point with the Rams.
Alternate pick: QB Brett Hundley, UCLA.
Round 3, Pick 72: OG Arie Kouandjio, Alabama.
As mentioned earlier, the Rams have several needs on the offensive line and right guard is one of them. Kouandjio has dropped significantly due to his injury history and some teams are a little nervous that his services to the Crimson Tide has his NFL career before it’s started. This is certainly possible, but it’s a new start for him, and he has the potential to truly make an impact.
Kouandjio is one of the more intelligent guards in the draft. He benefited from his knowledge of the game going up against some of the SEC’s top defensive talent and gained leverage by studying defenders. He is strong enough to latch on to defenders and drive them back several yards. Kouandjio is certainly a steal at pick No. 72.
Alternate pick: OG Tre Jackson, FSU.
Round 4, Pick 119: OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M.
If the Rams could somehow manage to draft Ogbuehi in the fourth round, they may have found a gem. Ogbuehi should really be considered a first round pick, but many believe he will drop to the later rounds because of the devastating ACL tear he sustained during the Liberty Bowl. ACL injuries are difficult to recover from, and he will likely miss the majority of the 2015 regular season. So why the interest? He has the potential to be great, and he shouldn’t be avoided this late in the draft. Surrendering a fourth round pick is a small price to pay if he comes back with a vengeance.
Alternate pick: QB Sean Mannion, Oregon State.
Round 6, Pick 215: DE/OLB Zack Wagenmann, Montana.
At this point in the draft, depth concerns should be addressed. The Rams did add Akeem Ayers in the offseason, but there isn’t sufficient depth at outside linebacker. It would be a good idea to look for a linebacker at pick No. 215 and Wagenmann could be a gem. He played both defensive end and linebacker while with Grizzlies, but he’s better suited to play linebacker in the NFL. He has tremendous upside, but needs to get stronger which something that can easily be fixed. He certainly would be an upgrade on the depth chart.
Alternate pick: DE/OLB Xzavier Dixon, Alabama.
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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