Now it is time to look at the Draft

[onslaught11]

The Rams season is basically over. It is time to look at the draft.
Round 1: I would like one of the Big 3 on defense:

AJ Hawk LB Ohio State
Jimmie WIlliams CB/S Virginia Tech
Mario Williams DE NC State

I like any one of those 3. I would be happy with any of them. But I suspect they might already be gone. I predict the Rams will go at worse 6-10 and wind up with the 13th pick.

If they are gone, I would go with:
Michael Huff FS Texas

He reminds me of a good Texas player that the Rams drafted 1st in 1985. Jerry Gray rings a belll?
What I really want is a dominating DT but I do not see any DT that is worth a first round grade.


2nd Round:

Got to go DEFENSE again:


Paul Poslusny LB Penn State
Adrian Zemaitis CB Penn State
Demeco Ryan LB Alabama
Claude Wroten DT LSU


3rd Round:

I would go TE in this round because Manu basically is a waste of space.

Anthony Fasano TE Notre Dame
Tim Day TE Oregon
David Thomas TE Texas

I like these 3 and they should be around in the 3rd round. Not the greatest blockers, but they can catch and that is what the Rams need. But if I have to go DEFENSE again, I would go with:

Jonathan Lewis DT Virginia Tech ( If still around)
Elvis Dumervil DE Louisville (Height issue will drop him)
Ray Edwards DE Purdue (Probably will not be here but work ethic might push him here)



4th Round:

I would get a OL here, Rams always seems to find the jewel of OL in the middle round.

Mike Degory C Florida
Mark Setterstrom G Minnesota
Nick Mangold C Ohio State
Adam Stenavich OT Michigan



After that, it is hard to predict the lower round since there are small school players I have never heard of and some so called blue chip prospect that always seem to drop because they are found out to be average at best.

Please post who you think that the Rams should or you want the Rams to pick.

[RamJackson39]

I'm only going with the 1st and second rounds....

1st

DeMeco Ryans. Ball Hawk, Great Hands, Great Tackler, Very Intelligent. I believe that he will be the BEST LB from this draft class.

2nd

Leonard Pope or Mercedes Lewis . I believe that one of these guys will be available. There isnt a large need for TEs on most teams at this point. I would prefer Pope because he is bigger and a better blocker, but Lewis is a deadly receiving threat who is adequate in blocking. Either one of them would be great draft picks

A sleeper I'd like to see the Rams go after in the later rounds is Mark Anderson, a DE from Alabama. He is a monster pass rusher and could rotate with either Hargrove or Little to keep the DE's fresh.

[rampete]

...What I really want is a dominating DT but I do not see any DT that is worth a first round grade...

grades, who needs em...they're not helping out any of our former 1st round picks...

but seriously, there is a DT from FSU that you should check out during the bowl games in late december. he's brodrick bunkley 6'3" 290. i love his quickness, hand technique and non-stop motor...

[HUbison]

6-10 sounds about right, which (if history is an indicator) puts us around the #7-#12 spot. If we can find our way closer to the 7 end than the 12 end, we maybe have a shot at one of this draft's current (things will change throughout the winter) big 3 of Jimmy Williams, A.J. Hawk, and Mario Williams.

If one of those three is available at our spot, it would serve us well to make sure he is NOT available in the pick after us.

Assuming the above takes place, my 2nd and third would be as follows. If round 1 is:

Jimmy Williams, then
2. is Bobby Carpenter, the over-looked running buddy of A.J. Hawk. Carpenter is a huge force on the run and would go a long way to finally giving us a legitimate strong-side OLB
3. Ray Edwards, DE out of Purdue. He's a big kid with a lanky frame that hopefully will fill out as he matures more. Could provide added support to stop the run.

A.J. Hawk, then
2. Tamba Hali, DE from Penn State. He's a solid playmaker and a great edge rusher. Would do well to learn behind Little.
3. Alan Zemaitis, CB and another PSU alum. He may not be a pure corner and may have to move to FS, but he is probably the best tackling corner in the draft.

Mario Williams, then
2. Carpenter
3. Zemaitis

[Nick]

Now it is time to look at the Draft

One of my favorite times of the year!

If they are gone, I would go with: Michael Huff FS Texas

As would I. Huff has the ability to play at any DB position, though that could change given his workout. But he would be a big upgrade for us in the secondary, so I really like this pick.

The last few years I've tended to really get my hopes up for certain prospects - in 2003, it was Trufant and Eric Steinbach, 2004 was Ben Watson. I'm trying not to do the same with Huff, but I really like his size and athleticism.

What I really want is a dominating DT but I do not see any DT that is worth a first round grade.

I disagree. Haloti Ngata could be a top ten pick, and Rod Wright should be taken in the first round. Guys like Gabe Watson and Claude Wroten might be selected as well, though you can make a case for them as not having a first round grade. The former two, I don't think you can. But regardless, I don't think DT is that big a need in terms of spending a day one pick on it.

2nd

Leonard Pope or Mercedes Lewis . I believe that one of these guys will be available.

At this point I really do not, but that might change. Still, I see both Lewis and Pope gone in the first round, let alone by the time we pick in the second. The only way one of them falls is if Vernon Davis comes out, and it might be him that is available later on. It all depends on the combines and workouts. Lewis may fall because his timed speed isn't as fast as he plays on the field, from what I've heard. But we'd have to wait til the spring to see about that one.

[HUbison]

I disagree. Haloti Ngata could be a top ten pick, and Rod Wright should be taken in the first round. Guys like Gabe Watson and Claude Wroten might be selected as well, though you can make a case for them as not having a first round grade. The former two, I don't think you can. But regardless, I don't think DT is that big a need in terms of spending a day one pick on it.

You could add Mahelona to that list as well.

[Rip32]

Unless we lose the rest of the games I dont think we will be high enough to get Jimmy Williams.So I think it has to be Michael Huff and if not him Chad Greenway or Marcedes lewis

[Rampage39]

i'm all for mario williams (if we pick high enough), and if not FS michael huff would be my pick. great size and speed and can play any position in the secondary if needed. also texas has a good record of producing DBs.

[OrlandoPaceIsMyHero]

I would say pick a big play defensive player with the first round pick. I'd be happy with alot of guys, just any LB/DB...

With the second and third round picks I think we should take Offensive Linemen. Cut away the garbage at the bottom of our O-line as well as (sadly) the older guys.

I think next year our line should look like this: (Left to right)

Pace-Terrell-Incognito-New Guy-Barron

That could be a great line if we can find ourselves a great guard.

Fourth round, TE. Not sure about the later picks...

-OPIMH

[RAMMAN68]

I was watching the Fresno St. - Louisiana Tech game the other night and saw this DB; Santiago from Tech. Physical, wraps up the player and tries to strip the ball out. Has good size and speed. He has 7 forced fumbles on the year. Would look good in horns.:clanram:

[Nick]

Byron Santiago is a linebacker in college, but might project to a safety in the NFL because of his size. I haven't heard much about him at all, to be honest.

[onslaught11]

Let me clarify, there are DT with first round grade, but I do not see a dominating DT.

Haloti Ngata - dominant on the run but pass defense needs work.

Jesse Mahelona - Solid but not dominant in any area.

Rod Wright - He look liike he is pulling an Ennis Davis. He had a great junior season. If he came out, he would have been maybe first DT taken. Right now, he looks like a second rounder at best. Watching some of the Texas game, I forgot all about him. Did not really hear his name called alot if at all. Seem to have period of disappearing.

Gabe Watson - Good run defense, nothing in pass defense. He got demoted to second team in a few games this year. Wonder why, maybe his play was slipping. Still another one where I watch the Michigan game and did not hear him called out a lot.

[Holt81Jackson39]

Well...we have to draft to improove our defense. We prolly will have a top 15 pick, so I say this os my list of top ten players....

1. Jimmy Williams, CB
2. Michael Huff, CB
3. A.J. Hawk (higly doubt he will be there), LB
4. Chad Greenway, LB
5. Ahmad Brooks, LB
6. Matias Kiwinuka, DE
7. Haloti Ngota, DE
8. LaRon Landry, S
9. Darnell Bing, S
10. Mercedes Lewis, TE

We get a TE at last resort...we need defense badly.

[CanadianRam!]

6-10? we're going to lose to eagles and ***** at home?
that's just sad..

[Nick]

Well...we have to draft to improove our defense. We prolly will have a top 15 pick, so I say this os my list of top ten players....

1. Jimmy Williams, CB
2. Michael Huff, CB
3. A.J. Hawk (higly doubt he will be there), LB
4. Chad Greenway, LB
5. Ahmad Brooks, LB
6. Matias Kiwinuka, DE
7. Haloti Ngota, DE
8. LaRon Landry, S
9. Darnell Bing, S
10. Mercedes Lewis, TE

We get a TE at last resort...we need defense badly.

As much as I am a fan of improving our secondary, I would put Hawk at the top of the list. I would also put DeMeco Ryans right there by Chad Greenway, because there's really not a whole lot separating the top three in this OLB class. As for Ahmad Brooks, he has loads of potential, but also has kind of a big bust factor when you consider injuries and his poor play this season. On potential alone he could go very high, but I'd probably list him below Super Mario Williams, Kiwi, and Ngata, who is a DT instead of a DE. As much as I was a fan of Brooks last year and continue to be to some degree now, I'm not sure an organization like the Rams with so much turmoil in the front office and coaching staff takes a risky guy like Brooks over some other defenders.

6-10? we're going to lose to eagles and ***** at home?
that's just sad..

Well, we're 5-7 now, so a 6-10 record would give us one more win. I assume that'd be against the Whiners. However, because of the struggles the Eagles are having offensively, I could see us going 7-9 by beating them and the Whiners but dropping the games to the Vikings and Cowboys on the road.