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Greg Cosell, Senior Producer at NFL Films and the Executive Producer of NFL Matchup, is one of the best follows on Twitter.
He grinds tape as hard as anyone willing to put their observations in the public arena. The NFL even allows him to access the super special all-22 tape that the league holds tighter to their chest than...stuff you hold really tightly to your chest. So when he drops his first ever mock draft, people pay attention.
And like anything Cosell does, he approaches it sincerely. Basing his mock off tape study and his own understanding of each team's roster needs, Cosell's not basing his selections on sources inside NFL teams' war rooms. This is just a premier scout linking what he sees from the prospects to what he doesn't see on NFL teams. That being the case, his pick for the Rams at #6 makes a lot of sense: Fletcher Cox.
In a division that features 2 ground and pound offenses, San Francisco and Seattle, the Rams go defense and select the best overall defensive linemen in the draft, Fletcher Cox of Mississippi State. Cox fits the Jeff Fisher profile: he can play both defensive tackle and defensive end, and he has the natural athleticism and body flexibility to develop into a quality pass rusher.
If you're looking at team needs, it's hard to put anything above DT. The play at both positions last year was horrible, and unless you're looking at Kendall Langford to explode, it's a serious issue. As Cosell notes, Cox has valuable versatility along the line. And he can play the pass as well as the run.
Really though, the Rams won't be focused on in Cosell's mock. It's some of the other picks that will get the headlines.
RGIII at #1 overall? Fair enough. Stephon Gilmore at 3? Ballsy. I like it. Janoris Jenkins at 5?! By the time I'm done writing this, the internet may have imploded.
Reactions? Thoughts on Cox?
And don't forget to get in on the Top 4 Team Draft Contest. And stay tuned for everything Rams-related on the NFL Draft.