In what was billed as the most important draft for the St. Louis Rams, their third-year general manager Les Snead and veteran head coach Jeff Fisher completed the three-day bonanza with an assortment of new players to add to the foundation that’s been laid starting with the 2012 draft class.
Starting with the Rams first two picks, OT Greg Robinson and DT Aaron Donald, Fisher tried to make sure the Rams win more of those battles in the trenches. The point became apparent when it was reported that the Rams were trying to get back into the first round of the draft and select tackle Zack Martin, who winded up getting selected by the Dallas Cowboys.
With Robinson added to the offensive line, which had some rough moments during 2013 but finished strong, the Rams may have constructed one of the best offensive lines that quarterback Sam Bradford has yet to play behind. Also with the resigning of G/T Rodger Saffold and the emergence of Joe Barksdale at right tackle, the Rams don’t have to rush LT Jake Long, who’s recovering from an ACL injury.
Now with the addition of Donald on the defensive side of the ball, the Rams are poised to flex some muscle of their own in the toughest division in the NFL. Donald was regarded as one of the most disruptive linemen in the draft not named Jadeveon Clowney.
His arrival means that there will be some ferocious battles for playing time, especially since the Rams already have Kendall Langford under contract and he has two years remaining on a four-year $24 million contract. And even prior to the draft, Snead signed free-agent tackle Alex Carrington.
And these highly anticipated battles will not just be regulated to the defensive line. There will be plenty of action at the running back spot, with new draftee Tre Mason in the mix. Mason gives the Rams another power running back alongside Benny Cunningham. In 2012 Isaiah Pead and Daryl Richardson were drafted as heir apparent to Steven Jackson, and now one or both might not make the Rams’ final roster.
In the secondary, one of the most depleted spots on the Rams roster got a couple of refills: Lamarcus Joyner (CB/S), Maurice Alexander (S), E.J. Gaines (CB) and Christian Bryant (S). And also prior to the draft the Rams added cornerback Greg Reid, a talented player whose track to the NFL was derailed by injury and off-field miscues.
The Rams also added quarterback Garrett Gilbert in the 6th round of the draft, plus two more linemen in Demetrius Rhaney and Mitchell Van Dyk who towers at 6’8”, 315 lbs.
And I left out one more draftee, former Missouri Tigers standout defensive end Michael Sam, who has taken another step close to fulfilling his dream of playing in the NFL. I’m excited to see Sam get this chance to make the roster for the Rams. He worked hard at Missouri and quickly emerged as the heart and soul of that team.
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