Surprise names emerging for Rams in mock drafts
The 2009 mock drafts get more and more interesting. At one point there was almost 100% consensus that the Rams would take Alabama OT Andre Smith. No more. Recently, there's been some fanciful, egghead speculation about the Rams taking future star WR Michael Crabtree, and now more and more mock drafts are starting to predict things far outside the conventional wisdom. So who are some of the surprise picks in mock draft around the internets?
LB Aaron Curry - Curry's a beast to be sure, but he's an outside LB. Does he have the skills to move inside?
QB Matt Stafford - This would surprise a few people, huh? A position of need no doubt, but probably too much of a risk for a rebuilding team that already has big QB contract on the books. Is this really Cutler part II?
OT Jason Smith - Always considered among the best OTs in the draft, only recently as this Smith started to sneak into a few top spots. I think he'll be debated as the top OT in the draft, but I'm not sure he get picked this soon.
I couldn't find any links, but I was starting to hear rumors of LB Rey Maualuga's stick rising into top 5 territory. He still has his critics who think he's not good enough in coverage, but we'll see.
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I wouldn't mind
seeing Stafford be picked, as a fan. If you’re the coach of the Rams, though, and you want to win now, that’s probably not how you go about it.
I know a guy
who is a life-long Lions fan, who says he will quit rooting for them if they take Stafford at #1. He has all the statistics laid out as to how poorly under-classman QBs chosen in the first round have done.
I don’t think it is too likely that the Rams will take him if the Lions don’t but I suppose it is a possibility.
by WestCoastBuc on Jan 29, 2009 10:54 AM CST up reply actions
Scout.com is still very bullish on Michael Oher at #2
Was just checking out their site last night, and was surprised to see Oher ranked above the other linemen in the draft, considering how he has slipped in other valuations.
"Attaway to stomp 'em. Stomp the piss out of 'em. Stomp 'em when they're down. Kick 'em and stomp 'em. Attaway to go boys. Pound that old Budweiser into you and go get them tomorrow." -- Joe Schultz
Crabtree
I really don’t think Crabtree would be a bonehead pick at all. The more and more we look at the OTs in the draft the more it becomes obvious that all of them have some very serious flaws. Oher’s strength is a question. Smith’s feet. The OT from Virginia is the guy I have seen most these days connected to the Rams and that is almost by default because he is the only guy that has good but not great skills in very area without any major questions. I don’t wanna settle with the number two pick in the draft.
Crabtree is considered by a lot of the scouting services as the best player in the draft regardless of position. WR is a position of need with the Rams and I see a lot of similarities between Crabtree and Larry Fitzgerald in college. The OT FA pool is very deep this year (Includes Jordan Gross — who will probably be Fran. — Mark Tauscher, Marvel Smith, Khalif Barnes, etc…). I say sign the OT that you need and take Crabtree with the second pick.
The more I think about Crabtree, the more I don't like it
He might become the next Larry Fitzgerald, he might not. But I feel like if the Rams outsmart themselves and go with the “best player available” and fail to net a top-shelf offensive lineman, they will have failed in this draft. Rebuilding this team has to start from the trenches. We aren’t reloading the Greatest Show with the latest edge talent; we have to reboot this team from the core outwards.
"Attaway to stomp 'em. Stomp the piss out of 'em. Stomp 'em when they're down. Kick 'em and stomp 'em. Attaway to go boys. Pound that old Budweiser into you and go get them tomorrow." -- Joe Schultz
Stafford = Cutler II
Anyone know where some good highlight packages of Stafford are, so I can judge for myself if he really is Cutler Mk. II? As a Brit I am very much excluded from knowing who’s hot or not in college FB!
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by YankeeDoodleBrit on Jan 30, 2009 3:09 AM CST reply actions
Maualuga...
I don’t know if I could possibly stress enough how much we need this guy. Between Curry and he, I think Maualuga is the most physical. I’ve been thinking about this since my Freshman year at USC in 07. I saw Rey’s junior and senior year (actually saw him at a restaurant about a month ago). On literally every defensive play, I watched him and everything he did. Any scout who doubts his coverage ability is completely out of line. The guy reads and reacts to plays unbelievably well. I actually think he’s more akin to Ray Lewis than Brian Urlacher. Coverage is the least of concerns with him, and I think he’s just the complete package. Jaw-dropping hitter. Sheds blocks like they don’t exist. Relentless pursuit. He’s a hybrid of Troy Polamalu and Lofa Tatupu, but is much more talented at this point of his career than either of those guys were coming out of college. I believe, given that MLB is our second most pressing need outside of tackle, that this guy is too good to pass up.
RDE: Chris Long
DTs: Cliff Ryan, Adam Carriker
LDE: Leonard Little
OLBS: Will Witherspoon, Pisa Tinoisamoa
MLB: Rey Maualuga
FS: OJ Atogwe
CBS: Ron Bartell, Fahkir Brown
SS: 3rd rounder
I think Spags would have a lot to work with if we draft Rey, and I would love our front seven to look like that. Not to mention, if we retain Ron and OJ, we would have a pretty good DB core. Curry is more talented than Rey overall, but not at MLB. We’ve got to build our line in Free Agency. Jacob Bell was solid when healthy, if we pick up a solid Center/Tackle we could be pretty good.

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