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The St. Louis Rams didn't make any trades in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. It was a first for Les Snead and Jeff Fisher since the two took over the team in 2012. But why trade when you can get such great picks with the two you've got? That's exactly what the Rams did on Thursday night, and the draft grades reflect very well on the effort.
No. 2 - Greg Robinson, OL
Keep it simple, stupid. This pick's the definition of that. The Rams got the best lineman available, a guy that plays with a chip on his shoulder, and it got high marks.
Mocking the Draft, B
The next Jason Smith? Unlikely. Matthew Fairburn added this: "No player in the draft this year has a higher ceiling than Robinson."
CBS Sports, B+
An "easy" pick for the Rams.
SI.com, A+
Want to be a power team? Get powerful players. It's pretty simple.
No. 13 - Aaron Donald, DT
As much as everyone seemed to like the Robinson pick, drafting Donald was the one that made jaws drop around the league. Was it a surprise pick? Not really. Donald had been talked about in the days leading up the draft as one possibility. It's hard to argue with what he adds to the defensive line. I just hope they can find a safety soon.
Mocking the Draft, A
When the only risk to a pick is having too many defensive linemen, well, there's really not much risk at all.
CBS Sports, A
Brevity is key here too. "What a great pick." Yeah, pretty much sums it up.
SI.com, A-
Worth noting that Donald plays more than one spot on the defensive line. And he's been able to produce in whatever role he's playing.
That's a pretty good report card for Snead and Co. They've got needs left to fill, but you can't really quibble with beefing up the offensive and defensive lines.