With only one win in 2009, and one game remaining against the San Francisco 49ers it now seems very likely that the St. Louis Rams will have the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. This after having the second overall pick in last year’s draft.
This year the Rams face a big question on what to do with that pick. Last year they passed on OLB Aaron Curry, who was widely regarded as the number one prospect in that draft. One wonders if they will do the same in 2010.
Can they afford to pass on Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh, and draft a quarterback with the first overall pick? To answer that we have to take a look at how the Rams roster looks, what their recent draft history tell us, and what kind of draft picks have burned them in the past.
The Rams do have QB Marc Bulger, but at 32 and coming off a season spent on injured reserve due to a knee injury, one has to wonder if he has a future with this team. Bulger’s career QB Rating is 84.4; he has thrown 122 TD’s to 93 INT’s and completed 62.1% of his passes.
Bulger became the Rams starter full time in 2003 and led the team to a 12-4 season. Since then it has not been as good. Two 8-8 seasons, a 6-10 season, 3-13 in 2007, 2-14 in 2008, seem to suggest that Bulger’s time in St. Louis is at an end.
The flip side of that argument will become is there a QB worthy of the overall number one pick in 2010. Is there a guy who can step in and lead another renaissance of the Rams?
There is much debate about the overall strength of Colt McCoy, Jimmy Clausen, and Sam Bradford. Many scouts see great intangibles in all three of these prospects, but see flaws in all three as well. Right now it seems likely that the Rams could use the number one pick on one of these young men.
In recent years the Rams have been burned by a trio of high draft DT’s. This history may make their front office unwilling to burn another at that position.
In 2003 they spent the 12th overall pick on DT Jimmy Kennedy. He has played in 77 games since then racking up 117 tackles and eight sacks, a draft bust to be sure. In 2001 the Rams spent the 12th overall pick on DT Damione Lewis. Lewis has since played in 130 NFL games, registered 246 tackles and 22.5 sacks. Since his last four seasons have been with the Carolina panthers, he may not be a bust but the Rams did not benefit greatly from that pick.
In 2007 the Rams spent the 13th overall pick on DT Adam Carriker. While it is too early to label him a bust or not there is an awful lot of money spent on the Rams DT. Adding Suh with the first overall pick would increase the price tag greatly.
Now the Rams may want to go a little outside the box here, given the fact that they still have Stephen Jackson, on the best running backs in the NFL, the Rams could use the first pick to pick up another top quality Offensive Lineman. There are several O- Lineman that would be worthy of the first pick.
By thinking outside the box, the Rams may be able to strengthen their O-Line, protect the QB’s they already have, and make bigger holes for Stephen Jackson to run through. Whatever they end up doing, we get the next four months to debate on what we think they should do.
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