It's time to start considering alternatives.
In the first four major mock drafts, the St. Louis Rams were pegged to Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell. A new mock out today from Mocking the Draft's Dan Kadar forces the question: what if Treadwell's gone by 15?
Here's how his top 14 looks:
# | Team | Pick | POS | School |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tennessee Titans | Joey Bosa | DE | Ohio St. |
2 | Cleveland Browns | Jared Goff | QB | California |
3 | San Diego Chargers | Laremy Tunsil | OT | Ole Miss |
4 | Dallas Cowboys | Jalen Ramsey | CB | Florida St. |
5 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Mackensie Alexander | CB | Clemson |
6 | Baltimore Ravens | Ronnie Stanley | OT | Notre Dame |
7 | San Francisco 49ers | Laquon Treadwell | WR | Ole Miss |
8 | Miami Dolphins | Vernon Hargreaves III | CB | Florida |
9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DeForest Buckner | DE | Oregon |
10 | New York Giants | Myles Jack | OLB | UCLA |
11 | Chicago Bears | Jaylon Smith | OLB | Notre Dame |
12 | New Orleans Saints | A'Shawn Robinson | DT | Alabama |
13 | Philadelphia Eagles | Taylor Decker | OT | Ohio St. |
14 | Oakland Raiders | Reggie Ragland | ILB | Alabama |
Kadar has the Rams going with:
Paxton Lynch (QB, Memphis)
Could Nick Foles be one and done in St. Louis? Probably not considering the cap hit his release would cause, but he could be a decent enough stopgap with Lynch developing. The tools Lynch possesses – size, athleticism, a strong enough arm – make him purely the most physically gifted quarterback in the draft this year. If his pocket presence and footwork can be fixed a little bit, watch out.
Is it too much of a long play to use the Rams' first-round selection on a developmental option at QB? Is Jeff Fisher the right head coach to oversee the development of a prospect like Lynch assuming the Rams have the right environment for a QB to mature?
Ultimately, the Rams are in a bit of a bind. They've got to improve their 32-ranked offense in yardage this year, but the class isn't stocked with a ton of top-tier offensive talents. Note that in Kadar's first 14 picks, just five are on offense and three of those are at offensive tackle, a position the Rams have recently addressed with the #2 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and their second-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. So perhaps it's worth also noting the offensive players that came after the Rams.
North Dakota St. QB Carson Wentz, who came back from a wrist injury to lead the Bison to their fifth straight FCS title on Saturday, comes in at #22 to the Houston Texans. NFL Media's Mike Mayock recently praised him as the potential first QB off the board. Ohio St. WR Michael Thomas is off next at #23 to the Minnesota Vikings (sadface emoji)...
...
and that's it, outside of some offensive linemen.
Something to consider as we get ready for tonight's national championship between Alabama and Clemson.