2011 St. Louis Rams NFL Draft Needs
The St. Louis Rams are on the clock with the 14th overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. Let’s take a look at their biggest needs and how they might choose to address those needs in the draft.
1. Wide Receiver: The Rams made a major splash with their selection of Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford in the 2010 draft. Bradford threw for 3,512 yards with 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, helping St. Louis make a five-win improvement despite playing alongside one of the weaker wide receiver units in the league. The Rams realize the need to surround Bradford with playmakers, but they likely won’t be able to do anything about it in the first round. St. Louis fans are keeping their finger crossed that Alabama wideout Julio Jones will fall. Since that isn’t a likely scenario, the Rams will likely take a wide receiver in the second round. Miami’s Leonard Hankerson or Kentucky’s Randall Cobb are options at that stage of the game. Hankerson has more size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) but Cobb is more of a game-breaker in the open field.
2. Outside Linebacker: 2009 draft pick James Laurinaitis has found a home at middle linebacker and strong-side backer Na’il Diggs is solid in the run game, but the Rams need to upgrade on the weakside. St. Louis started four different players at this spot last season and none of them project as a full-time starter. A player with range, who also has good pass-rushing skills, is the ideal candidate. This is another area the Rams likely won’t look to fill until at least round two. In the second round, they could potentially have a shot at Georgia’s Justin Houston or Arizona’s Brooks Reed.
3. Defensive Tackle: Spending their first round pick on a player like Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget would make a lot more sense than reaching for a wide receiver or outside linebacker. With Fred Robbins’ best football behind him and Gary Gibson and Clifton Ryan both free agents, this would appear to be the right time to go after a tackle. Head coach Steve Spagnuolo is a defensive guy through and through so I could definitely see him taking Liuget. The kid has great leverage and a tireless motor, which is something that can’t be said about all d-tackles.
4. Running Back: Steven Jackson is one of the best but he’s taken a beating through seven productive NFL seasons. There’s still some more life in those legs but it’s time for the Rams to start thinking about a future replacement and a current backup. If St. Louis goes with a defensive tackle in round one and a wide receiver in round two, don’t be surprised if it addresses the running back spot in round three. North Carolina’s Johnny White or Hawaii’s Alex Green are options at this stage of the game.
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