My (worthless) opinion on the draft

[RamsInfiniti]

Wow! It's hard on the eyes to read all the posts concerning opinions on the draft. With that said, I'll add another one!

Seems to be a more negative feel about things around here than anything, and kudos to the few who have stood up to the monday morning front office workers who think they could have performed better on draft day. When we all leave work today, I don't believe any of us will be driving home from Ram's park after a day of scouting and evaluating talent. I know many of you are mad that the Ram's didn't get "your" player, and loyalty is a great thing, but there is no reason to doubt any of the picks that the FO made until these players fail on the field. I keep reading how the pessimistic attitude is due to draft failures that the Ram's have made in recent year, but what team has not had failures in the draft. You hit on some, you miss on some. Just because a player failed here doesn't mean he'll fail elsewhere, and vice versa. The system sometimes means a ton ....

I personally have no reason at this point to doubt the Linehan regime. They haven't done anything to turn me off and I have very postive feelings about this draft ...

First Round - Adam Carriker, DT/DE - A Nebraska boy with a huge motor. Am I the only one who thinks of the motor Grant Wistrom had when he first came in the league when I think of Carriker? At 6-6, 295+ lbs, and one of the strongest players in the draft, I think he is an absolute wrecking ball. He can contribute on the interior and on the end and apparently he is very stout against the run. His pass rushing abilities will develop as he gets some schooling at the pro level, and I think he is an excellent compliment to our line who has as much value as any DT/DE taken before him. He'll contribute immediately, particulary on running downs, and should be productive for years to come. Expect the rams to bulk him up a little.

Second Round - Brian Leonard, RB/FB - This pick makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. What an incredible athlete to add to the mix. 6-1, 230 lbs and runs a 4.5 40 (and I've heard this might be a tad slow). This guy is big, strong, and quick and will provide excellent relief to Jackson. Early word is he'll get 8 to 10 touches a game. He is a top-notch receiver out of the backfield and can play a little fullback or h-back if necessary. Should be an awesome contributor on special teams. This guy can do it all, watch his highlight reels. I know alot of people hate this pick, but think about it this way. We can practically field four wide receiver sets while only having one WR in the game. Put Holt of Bruce outside, with McMichael on the edge, and Jackson and Leonard in the backfield. I love it!

Third Round - Johnathan Wade, CB - Incredible athlete. What more can I say. He will be one of, if not the fastest playes on this team. He is raw, but at this point in the draft, I think it is an awesome value pick. He only played one year of cornerback, but seems to be selfless player. He has excellent hands for a corner, due to some time at wide receiver. I hear complaints that he is not a good tackler, but where he is going to be fielded, I don't think that is a definitive concern at the moment. I think he'll play some nickelback and spot corner duty, and his tackling technique can improve with experience. He doesn't wrap up players as well as he should, but he is an explosive hitter. I could also see him contributing on special teams and possibly as a Page Ranking/KR.

[chiguy]

Originally Posted by RamsInfiniti

When we all leave work today, I don't believe any of us will be driving home from Ram's park after a day of scouting and evaluating talent. I know many of you are mad that the Ram's didn't get "your" player, and loyalty is a great thing, but there is no reason to doubt any of the picks that the FO made until these players fail on the field.

Tony Hargrove
Jimmy Kennedy
Damione Lewis
Eric Crouch

You want me to go on?

[RamsInfiniti]

And of course, we've drafted no one worth noting in the same time period ... Just busts ...

[chiguy]

Originally Posted by RamsInfiniti

And of course, we've drafted no one worth noting in the same time period ... Just busts ...

You missed the point.

[tomahawk247]

Originally Posted by chiguy

Tony Hargrove
Jimmy Kennedy
Damione Lewis
Eric Crouch

You want me to go on?

Linehan didnt draft any of those...

[RamsInfiniti]

There is no point, because these draft picks have nothing to do with the current regime as Tomahawk pointed out. You are just another pessimistic fan who thinks that "good" is a given and is to be expected and "bad" should always be criticized. The draft is a gamble, always has been, always will be. Everyone can have their own draft lists and gripe and moan because they didn't get their guy, but what does it matter? Focus on what you have and what they can do for us and save the griping for your wives. If everyone was as talented a scout as they think they are, they'd be in the NFL ranks somewhere. Reading scouting reports on ESPN does not make you a good analyst ....

[Goldenfleece]

I'm pretty happy about Carricker. Not only is he strong, but he also ranked among the best defensive linemen on the three-cone and 20-yard shuttle drills at the Combine. That tells me he's got good speed and agility within a short space. He's big, he's versatile, he plays hard on every down...it's hard not to like this pick.

My biggest criticism of both our other first day picks is that there were talented players at positions of greater need when each was picked. In the second Crowder, Abiamiri, Moses, and Johnson were all there at defensive end. I mean having a fullback who can run and catch is nice and all, but having a pass rush that strikes fear in the heart of the quarterback is better. In the third, we could have had Quinn Pitcock, Brandon Mebane, Paul Soliai, or Stewart Bradley to name a few. We really don't know whether we have a corner or a sprinter in Jonathan Wade.


The good news is that all of the first day picks are excellent athletes who will do whatever the coaches ask (all three have changed positions, including Leonard going to fullback even after his exploits as the feature back).

[rampete]

personally, i thought this was a very solid draft for the rams...
i don't think any one of these draftees will go to the pro bowl
any time soon, but i wouldn't mind at all being pleasantly
surprised if one of these guys take the league by storm...

what the rams FO got were players with good character and
solid football fundamentals that will go a long way in their tenures
in the nfl...it wouldn't surprise me if all three picks of the first
day turn out to be starters on the rams in 2 or 3 years...

oh, btw, did anyone see leonard blow-up patrick willis in the
senior bowl? i'm certain willis remembers...