Draft of 2009 Part #2

After the Rams drafted Jason Smith and James Laurinatis with the first two picks, I was interested to see what direction they would take.

Most drafts are 'made' with lower picks and this is no different for the Rams this year. Draft experts like Mel Kiper Jr. talk all the time about "need picks" and "best available player". I lean towards the "need pick" philosophy.

The needs for the Rams are numerous, but more so on the defensive side of the ball. With their third pick, the Rams picked Bradley Fletcher, cornerback from Iowa. I was happy with the position pick of cornerback, the Rams need help in the secondary.

With their fourth pick, the Rams drafted defensive tackle Darell Scott from Clemson. Again I was happy with the position drafted. The Rams have had a bad record at this position with a lot of "busts" in the last few years.

At this point in the draft, I was very pleased with the direction the Rams were going. With the 3 picks I started to scratch my head. With the 5th pick the Rams took Brooks Foster wide receiver from North Carolina. His biggest attributes were his size and arm length. Is he fast?

With the sixth pick, the Rams took Keith Null, QB from West Texas A&M. Who? Where? I understand that the Rams got a small school gem in Kurt Warner, and that the Patriots got Tom Brady in the sixth round of their draft, but seriously. Did the Rams "need" a QB in this spot?

With the final pick in their draft, the Rams took Chris Ogbonnaya running back from Texas. At least I've heard of him and saw him play a few times. He will work well on special teams and in third down situations.

I give the Rams a C- on their draft part two. Time will tell on the true grade of their draft.

"See you on the hit side" #21

Draft of 2009 Part #1

The Rams have always been ignored, and even though they do get some great players, it seems they never have great drafts.

What about this year? The Rams first draft pick was a no brainer. The Rams drafted Jason Smith, offensive tackle from Baylor with the second overall pick. With the departure of Orlando Pace, this was definitely the number one "need" pick for the Rams. At 6'5" and 310 lbs. he has the size, strength and quickness for the NFL.

After taking the obvious, I was curious to see the direction the Rams would take. I was hoping for a stud at middle linebacker. The Rams haven't had a decent one since Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds. I'm sure I'd hear the argument on London Fletcher being great, he did a decent job, but he wasn't that big for a middle linebacker. The Rams picked James Laurinatis middle linebacker from THE Ohio State University with their second round pick. As I have said before, I am an Ohio State homer. I LOVED this pick. I saw almost every game he played at Ohio State. He is a beast. He was the Big Ten's defensive player of the year for two straight years. He won many awards, too many to name here. His motor runs on full throttle all the time. He was projected to go in the first round if he came out his Junior year, but decided to stay in school. As a buckeye fan, I was happy he did. As a Rams fan I am ecstatic he did and got to slip to the second round.

I have a feeling that Rams fans will be talking about Jason Smith and James Laurinatis for years to come. For the Rams draft of 2009 part #1, I gave them an A+. Next I'll look at the rest of the draft and see how the "whole" draft turned out for the Rams.

"See you on the hit side" #21