I watched the 2012 NFL draft with a pound of skepticism and 16 ounces of optimism. On one hand, the team is mired in an awful slump, winning a meager 15 games in since 2007. On the other hand, owner Stan Kroenke ponied up for a successful, experienced and proven coach and a GM who appears to be very competent at first glance.
So after the wheeling and dealing was done and the team went on the clock to pick its newly players, how did the Rams fare?
I’m not a scout or front office exec, so I’ll leave the grades and number ratings to the more seasoned draftniks. However, from my perspective, it appears the Rams had a solid draft.
At the time it went down, the first-round selection of Michael Brockers (DT, USC) was not the most popular pick in town. Countless times we’ve seen interior lineman on both sides of the ball drafted high only to flounder way. But with the ouster of Fred Robbins, the team needed a big, strong DT to plug the gaps. Since the team again traded down for extra picks, the Brockers pick couldn’t be fully evaluated until the second-round picks were completed.
The draft’s 3-day grouchy Rams’ fans an entire evening to get the gripes out of their system. Once day two arrived, the grumblings turned to gladness. The new regime focused on addressing several of the Rams’ long-ignored or inadequately addressed needs.
Outside of pass rushers, drafting defensive players is rarely exciting, it’s no surprise that Jeff Fisher’s first pick as coach of the Rams was on the defensive side of the ball. In addition to Brockers, the team gambled on high-risk, high-reward cornerback Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama). Jenkins is a stud and could be the most complete cornerback in this year’s draft, but while concerns about character hurt his draft stock after he was kicked out of the University of Florida due to drug and assault arrests. Football players don’t have to be model citizens but if Jenkins can stay out of trouble, the Rams gamble could have a huge payout.
By drafting Brian Quick (WR, Appalachian St.) and Chris Givens (WR, Wake Forest), the team two strong wideouts to help Sam Bradford. Quick stands nearly 6’4″, 220 lbs. and makes the most out of his size. He gets up for jump balls and routinely runs through tackles and should be able to give the Rams a good physical presence, especially in the red zone.
Givens on the other hand (5’11”, 198) isn’t quite as big, but has blazing speed and good strength. Hopefully he can fill the void as a deep threat. He seems to have some balance and route-running issues, but the Rams hope he will provide instant relief by stretching the field while he learns the other dynamics of the position.
Another position which desperately needed filling was running back. No, Steven Jackson isn’t going anywhere. But in past years the team has been content to spend low picks or try to retread old players to fill in for SJ39. With his bruising running style, it’s never a question of whether Jackson will miss time with injuries, it’s how much. Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati) will look to give Jackson a breather as a change of pace back and potential punt returner, but is competent (though small) enough to fill in for a few games when Jackson goes down. The team also drafted Darryl Richardson (Abeline Christian) in the seventh-round in hopes he’ll stick as an additional backup and special-teamer.
All-in-all, the Rams appear to have had a solid draft and filled various needs. They even drafted a kicker with an accurate, monster boot. Of course, the players will have to prove their worth on the field. But if the draftees perform as expected and Fisher and his staff can ‘coach up’ some of the holdovers, the team could be in for a nice turnaround.
