Which OT could help the Rams most?

by VanRam on Mar 20, 2009 9:33 AM CDT in 2009 NFL draft Comment 20 comments

Since we've been talking tackles so much lately, I have to pass along this bit of "must read" reading from Football Outsiders. From their look at the top four OT prospects in this year's draft. Here are a couple of highlights, but you've got to read the whole thing.

Jason Smith

Smith's Combine performance helped vault him to the top of the tackle heap. He tied Alex Boone of Ohio State for the position lead with 33 bench reps. He ran a competitive 5.22 40. He weighed in at a lean 309 pounds. Most importantly, he didn't do anything stupid: no missed meetings or unexplained absences. Andre Smith and Michael Oher raised questions at the Combine. Jason Smith answered questions. Smith didn't run or lift at Baylor's Pro Day, but he participated in position drills and made another positive impression.

Eugene Monroe

Monroe battled Chris Long (now with the Rams) every day in practice. He competed alongside Brandon Albert (now with the Chiefs) for two seasons. He patterned his game on D'Brickashaw Ferguson, the Virginia tackle whose college career ended the year Monroe arrived. It's the kind of environment that galvanizes a young man into an NFL-ready left tackle, and Monroe is the most polished of the Big Four prospects.

Michael Oher

Mark Murphy thinks Oher is starting to live up to his billing. "He might be a little underrated now. Every time I watched him he looked really good."

Andre Smith

For those who follow Alabama football closely, Smith's February judgment lapses came as no surprise. No one doubts his raw power or ability to turn it on at the snap. But whispers of Smith's immaturity, ego, and poor work habits became howls after the Combine. Smith could be Jonathan Ogden, or he could be Tony Mandarich.

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Eugene Monroe.

Getting two tickets to an execution is like getting two tickets to NASCAR, except you KNOW Jeff Gordon's gonna die.

by Tackle Box on Mar 20, 2009 9:49 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

YankeeDoodleBrit

I was leaning towards J.Smith, but I really like FO and their analysis coughcoughStatGeekcoughcough and their review/nalysis makes me feel safer with the idea of Monroe… we really can’t afford to cock it up!

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by YankeeDoodleBrit on Mar 20, 2009 9:58 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Another scenario...

What if the Rams draft Aaron Curry, and at the top of the second round, there’s Andre Smith staring them in the face? Do you think the Rams are one of those teams who have simply taken him off their draft boards, or is the risk/reward suddenly changed in the 2nd round?

"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

by taiko on Mar 20, 2009 10:26 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I dont think smith will be there in the second round, but there may be a possibility according to some that Oher may fall, and then we could take Curry and Oher.

by kickasskeever on Mar 20, 2009 11:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i'd be happy

with that but i prefer OTs like William Beatty or Eben Britton, etc. over Andre Smith…

by VanRam on Mar 21, 2009 8:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What does the 2010 OT draft class look like?

Curry is still very appealing to me. I would be curious to know if we would draft Curry, could we still get a potential elite OT in 2010?

by bdemartin on Mar 20, 2009 1:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If you take Curry in the 1st, and WR in the 2nd, you can still get a good Right Tackle in the 3rd.. If Barron plays well at left tackle, which is his natural position ,and gives up on average fewer sacks than at right ,then you may not need to draft a tackle in ’10 or you get one just for depth. We can get 3 potential starters if we go the Curry route, instead of Tackle in round 1… We have too many holes to fill just to get 2 starters out of this draft. Tackle and WR is deeper in this draft than LB.. You take the best player at # 2 and thats Curry…

by Uncfan1 on Mar 20, 2009 2:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Barron

gave up only 3.5 sacks in his 15 games at LT in 07’ compared to his average of 7.5 in 05’, 06’ and 08’ at RT, he could possibly be staying at LT this year.

by Caruso on Mar 20, 2009 2:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like what I'm hearing...

I say draft Curry!!

by bdemartin on Mar 20, 2009 2:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

BUT

teams didn’t need to go around Barron to get sacks, when they could go around the other side with ease

by VanRam on Mar 21, 2009 8:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

and through the middle

by VanRam on Mar 21, 2009 8:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So there's draft talk and nobody drops my name?

I’m offended.
Here’s my early top 5 OTs in the 2010 draft (in no order):

- Bryan Bulaga, Iowa – reminds me of a Eugene Monroe type. Athletic, low ceiling, low basement.
- Russell Okung, Oklahoma St. – has a definitive season ahead of him. Will have to separate from the rest to make 1st day, but has a solid chance to go top 10. A greater chance than I would have given Jason Smith at this time last year.
- Ciron Black, LSU – SEC competition will hype this tackle; is he the next Andre Smith?
- Matt Reynolds, BYU – next year’s Phil Loadholt (size-wise, not talent-wise)
- Sam Young, Notre Dame – Effective, efficient – is he Jake Long, or Robert Gallery?

(honorable mention: Adam Ulatoski, Texas, Trent Williams, Oklahoma, Ed Wang, Va. Tech, Lee Ziemba, Auburn, Anthony Davis, Rutgers, Steve Schilling, Michigan)

Notice the lack of small school prospects; they just don’t get the hype until they get close to the combine and can prove their raw traits and athleticism deserve a top pick (see: Jason Smith)

Jay Zygmunt, now that you have fired yourself, please have yourself hired by Seattle. Thanks.

by 3k on Mar 20, 2009 10:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

I say go Curry, and to even comprimise, go tackle round 2, and you could still get a solid possession reciever in round 3!

by kickasskeever on Mar 20, 2009 3:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If we go Curry 1, the WR position is going to be alot stronger in the 2nd than the 3rd, and you can still get a solid RT in the 3rd.. The WR’s possibly available in the 2nd round are Kenny Britt from Rutgers who doesn’t mind going over the middle, or Brian Robiskie- my choice from Ohio St., both solid and could start day 1 with Avery. Now if we drop to the 3rd to get a WR the only guy probably worth taking that high in the 3rd would be Joaquin Iglesias from Oklahoma but you take the chance of him not being there. At tackle in the 3rd you could have Jamon Meredith- South Carolina, Phil Loadholt-Oklahoma, or Gerald Cadogan- Penn St. all 3 could possibly play day 1 at RT… So I so take LB, WR, T… don’t take a position in the 2nd that you can probably get in the 3rd. If you take tackle 2nd and those WR are all gone now you just screwed yourself.. I doubt all those tackles will be gone by round 3…

by Uncfan1 on Mar 20, 2009 5:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Go fo Curry

The Rams need to improve their run defense. If they could get a good MLB in the 2nd round( Darry Beckwith LSU or Jasper Brinkley South Caroline) then take a Tackle first.

by 91GREENE on Mar 20, 2009 5:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Are either one of those LB going to start right away???? Who Knows… So why not take the best player in Curry and get a Tackle later… everybody says take tackle first, but getting more starters to fill more holes is the way to go.. who says that Briiton, Beatty, Loadholt, or Meredith can’t do the job just as well as those considered as the top tackles. Most experts say that this class is no where near last years class… Long, Clady, Baker, Williams. It may be deeper but top better at the top. None of those guys are elite tackles, so why pay them $ 60 million, plus they are playing right tackle and they are not worth $60 million, they just have to be good run blockers and hold up for pass protection.. you get the best player available to fill a need and thats Curry. But we all have to wait and see what Detroit does.. If they take Stafford then we have a choice Curry or T.. if they take Curry, which I doubt ,then we go tackle.. but if Curry is there we have a stud LB for the next 8-10 years.. all other LB that will be available in the 2nd round who knows what they will do…

by Uncfan1 on Mar 20, 2009 8:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Draft

If we draft Curry in the first (hopefully), we could go:
2nd:
OT Phil Loadholt Oklahoma:
Height: 6-8. Weight: 332.
Combine 40 Time: 5.54.
Pro Day 40 Time: 5.45.
Benchx225: 26
3rd:
WR Ramses Barden Cal-Polytech
Height: 6-6. Weight: 229.
Combine 40 Time: 4.57.
or
WR Brian Robiskie Ohio St.
Height: 6-3. Weight: 209.
Combine 40 Time: 4.49.
Pro Day 40 Time: 4.52.
Vertical: 37.5

by strugglemonkey on Mar 20, 2009 10:21 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Robiskie won’t be there in the third; the momentum is pushing him as a mid-2nd, depending on how quickly WRs come off the board.

Jay Zygmunt, now that you have fired yourself, please have yourself hired by Seattle. Thanks.

by 3k on Mar 20, 2009 10:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think we have to go tackle.

It’s become en vogue to go for Curry, and while I think he would be a great pick, I think a franchise LT is more of a difference maker than a middle or outside linebacker.

Barron might very well be fine at LT for this year, but his contract is up after this season, and we currently have no other tackle on the roster able to start; When you’re talking about shifting your under-performing guard to RT (Bell), you know you’re in trouble.

I’m very tempted by Jason Smith, but I’m going to go with Eugene Monroe. The Rams absolutely cannot afford a bust with their first rounder this year; with the state of this team, every pick through the 5th better fill a need solidly, and he has the lowest bust-factor of any of the Big 4 tackles, and arguably of any likely top-5 pick.

Honestly though, I could get behind the picks of Smith, Monroe, or Curry. All three would be good picks with lots of upside.

by ViperLjs on Mar 20, 2009 11:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

J Smith

The big difference I see between the two tackles is that Monroe is projected as playing at only the left tackle spot in the NFL. It is his natural position. Smith played his first year at tackle on the right side and played well. He was moved to the left side because he was the teams’ best blocker. The vast majority of the running plays were to his side. Since Smith could play right tackle that would leave Barron on the left side. Frankly, Barron plays better on the left. With Smith’s athleticism and better footwork I think he could anchor the right side immediately. He just needs to pack on another 15 pounds although he is currently at Barron’s’ weight now. What I like about Smith is when he locks onto his blocks he does not release until the whistle blows. Even when the play is 10 yards down field he holds his block. Not something seen with some of the current roster.
I would not be sorry to see Curry go to the Rams. With Detroit trading for Peterson it seems they will have no interest in Curry at #1 overall. Smith or Monroe is now the more relevant picks for Detroit if they do not go quarterback. They could get a good signal caller with the 20th pick for a lot less money.

by nickro on Mar 21, 2009 8:08 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs