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When we last checked in with the former NFL scout, Daniel Jeremiah had the Rams going with West Virginia WR Kevin White. And yea, did we verily discuss.
Today, Jeremiah has his post-combine updated mock and lo does the fury howl with vigor and verve. To the top 9 with thee!
| # | Team | Pick | POS | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa Bay | Jameis Winston | QB | Florida St. |
| 2 | Tennessee | Leonard Williams | DL | USC |
| 3 | Jacksonville | Dante Fowler Jr. | DE | Florida |
| 4 | Oakland | Kevin White | WR | West Virginia |
| 5 | Washington | Shane Ray | DE | Missouri |
| 6 | New York Jets | Trae Waynes | CB | Michigan St. |
| 7 | Chicago | Vic Beasley | OLB | Clemson |
| 8 | Atlanta | Randy Gregory | DE | Nebraska |
| 9 | New York Giants | Malcom Brown | DT | Texas |
Two big moves up here for Waynes & Brown. That leaves a ton on the table for the Rams. Amari Cooper, La'el Collins, Brandon Scherff are all names we've seen a ton. Jeremiah goes with:
Marcus Mariota (QB, Oregon)
The Rams can't rely on Sam Bradford to stay healthy, and Mariota would be a great fit with their current offensive personnel.
Oh, and him too. My own concerns about Mariota aside (and they're substantial), I just don't see the Rams doing this. It's certainly a very un-Rams move. Think about Fisher's offense. About his dedication to Sam Bradford and the kinds of QBs he's brought in (Kellen Clemens, Shaun Hill, Austin Davis). Mariota just doesn't mesh at all.
Even more, the most un-Rams move, or un-Fisher move I guess, of the last few years was the trade up to get Tavon Austin. It just hasn't produced. If anything were to sour Fisher on going outside of his own bubble of how to approach the NFL process, it would be the one time he stepped outside of his comfort zone.
It does, though, offer us the opportunity to talk about what it would give the Rams at QB with Sam Bradford going into the final year of his contract with a hypothetical Rams rookie Marcus Mariota going into his first. If there's anything the Rams haven't gotten completely wrong yet in the last decade, it's a true season-defining QB battle in the preseason...
...but perhaps Chip Kelly and the Eagles would be willing to move up 10 spots to save Jeff Fisher from himself.