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Had a mock from late last week I didn't get around to from NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah. Always good to get outside the various bubbles for a sincere new approach, which is certainly what we get from Mr. Move the Sticks.
Here's the top 9 shakeout:
| # | Team | Pick | POS | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa Bay | Jameis Winston | QB | Florida St. |
| 2 | Tennessee | Randy Gregory | DE | Nebraska |
| 3 | Jacksonville | Dante Fowler | DE | Florida |
| 4 | Oakland | Kevin White | WR | West Virginia |
| 5 | Washington | Leonard Williams | DL | USC |
| 6 | New York Jets | Marcus Mariota | QB | Oregon |
| 7 | Chicago | Shane Ray | DE | Missouri |
| 8 | Atlanta | Amari Cooper | WR | Alabama |
| 9 | Minnesota | Danny Shelton | DT | Washington |
Three big standout notes on this one. First, Kevin White at 4 is as high as I've seen him. Second, note the Mariota drop. I asked back at the beginning of the month following Kadar's mock that had Winston dropping to sixth if that would prompt a serious effort on behalf of the Rams to trade up to get him. You have to wonder the same for Mariota beyond Washington. The third note on this mock is Danny Shelton in the top 10. As a 3-4 nose, certainly if he can crack the top 10 that helps the Rams.
So with a relatively unconventional top 9, Jeremiah has the Rams going with:
Trae Waynes (CB, Michigan St.)
It’s not a great year for CBs, but Waynes is intriguing. He has good size, speed and agility. His physical style will appeal to Jeff Fisher.
I'll be honest. I hate it.
Not because Waynes isn't a fine cornerback. He is. But for the Rams to have drafted Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson and Lamarcus Joyner all with day two picks during Jeff Fisher's tenure (to say nothing of late picks Brandon McGee and E.J. Gaines), you could argue the Rams should be set at corner. Furthermore, considering the performance on either side of the ball, there's fair context to suggest the Rams should spend that first round pick on the offensive side.
I'm all for rolling the dice with a loose BPA strategy (see: Aaron Donald), but in year four of the Jeff Fisher era, it's past time to start getting better results out of the offense. If that can be done without the addition of another first-round offensive pick, so be it. You'd think that's asking a lot for a team and a staff that hasn't produced the offense, or a winning record, as of yet.