A baseball analogy to explain why I still think the top need is DE.

[AvengerRam]

Have you ever watched a baseball game in which a pitcher is cruising along until a fielder makes an error. Then, a player who shouldn't have even been up in the inning gets a chance to hit with a man on base, and everything starts to unravel.

The same concept applied to the Rams' defense last year in many games. There seemed to be a lot of situations in which the run defense actually did its job on first and second down, only to have a drive extended because the Rams could not pressure the QB on third and long. The result: the drive would be extended, and the run defense would then give up a big play when they should have been on the sideline watching the offense play.

So, to me, DE is the top need because of the pass rushing factor. A guy like Jamaal Anderson or Gaines Adams (if either were to fall to the Rams) lined up accross from Leonard Little, would give the Rams the ability to end drives and limit the number of plays that the run defense would have to make.

My current mock has Okoye as the Rams pick. Anderson and Adams are still at the top of my draft board, though. Hopefully, one of them falls to the Rams.

[Goldenfleece]

I see your point, but I don't think the number of times the defense gave up a first on third and long beats the number of times that teams never got to third down because we were giving up firsts without the team ever taking to the air. Even without their franchise back, the Seahawks managed over 6 yards per carry against us last year. That's roughly what Matt Hasselbeck averaged per attempted pass last year. I'm just saying if a team breaks a 60 yard gain for a TD on first down, it doesn't matter how great our third down percentage is.

[chipperjones]

I also see your point. I had a dream that we got Jenkins, and traded our first, Glover, and Butler to Detroit for their first, and we selected Gaines Adams.

[smizzhfx]

I would make that trade in a heartbeat, but I don't know what we'd have left to offer Caroline for Jenkins other than some draft picks.

[Bar-bq]

Have you ever watched a baseball game in which a pitcher is cruising along until a fielder makes an error. Then, a player who shouldn't have even been up in the inning gets a chance to hit with a man on base, and everything starts to unravel.

The same concept applied to the Rams' defense last year in many games. There seemed to be a lot of situations in which the run defense actually did its job on first and second down, only to have a drive extended because the Rams could not pressure the QB on third and long. The result: the drive would be extended, and the run defense would then give up a big play when they should have been on the sideline watching the offense play.

So, to me, DE is the top need because of the pass rushing factor. A guy like Jamaal Anderson or Gaines Adams (if either were to fall to the Rams) lined up accross from Leonard Little, would give the Rams the ability to end drives and limit the number of plays that the run defense would have to make.

My current mock has Okoye as the Rams pick. Anderson and Adams are still at the top of my draft board, though. Hopefully, one of them falls to the Rams.

Right you are, Av. But you can't deny the DL as a unit some help. If that means a DE, so be it. Likewise for a DT. And we won't know till later this month where specifically we'll help. But at this point in time, I'm fine with both.

[tomahawk247]

you have to remember that a big body DT would keep blockers on him and away from Little and Hall, and as a result would improve the pass rush

[AvengerRam]

That's true, and there is also the possibility that a guy like Okoye might prove to be a very good pass rusher from the DT spot.

Still, when I look at Adams and Anderson, I see two guys who can come into this league and immediately be 10+ sacks/year guys.