Many of my guys were taken in the Rams' mock draft we did on The Cruddy Show Tuesday evening, but not all of them were and feel, with the NFL Draft so close, that my own personal mock should be shared.
Here is what my picks looked like heading into Tuesday night's mock on The Cruddy Show, with complete rationales's for why each pick should be made by the Rams in this year's NFL Draft.
First round, No. 16 overall - Chance Warmack - Guard - Alabama
Tavon Austin would be the pick if he were to be available, but I don't believe there is any way possible he will be there, so, Warmack it is. I realize that Warmack is being taken in other drafts much earlier than No. 16, but others have him going even lower than where the Rams are picking here and to be honest it is a crap shoot. My bet is that some moron general manager will freak out and take a quarterback too early, causing an unnecessary commotion that will benefit the Rams and allow them to land Warmack.
I realize that the Rams have other needs that are more pressing, such as safety and wide receiver at this point. But with your first pick in any NFL Draft, but especially in the second year of a rebuilding phase while playing in a division stacked with two Super Bowl contenders, taking the best player available is a necessity and Warmack fits the bill.
Warmack could be a multi-year Pro Bowler in front of Sam Bradford for years to come. He is not a sexy pick, but he is a safe one and should be a stud in the NFL.
First round, No. 22 overall - Matt Elam - Safety - Florida
A lot of people have Matt Elam going at No. 32 to the Baltimore Ravens and their general manager Ozzie Newsome, has said that Elam is the perfect replacement for departed long-time safety Ed Reed.
If Elam is good enough to replace Ed Reed, then he is good enough to play safety for Jeff Fisher and the St. Louis Rams. I understand that Fisher has a love affair with Florida International safety John Cyprien, but I rather go with the proven commodity and SEC-tested Elam.
Elam can run (4.54 40-yard dash) and can lay the lumber over the middle and make big hits and plays on the ball as well as any safety in this draft. Elam's size is a bit of a concern but he is as solid as they come among all of the safeties in this draft, even when comparing him to Kenny Vacccaro.
Second round, No. 46 overall - Keenan Allen - Wide Receiver - California
Allen ran very slow at the NFL Combine and a lot of teams are concerned about his knee that he injured at the end of the year last fall. People are also worried about a possible failed drug test too. The injury could likely move him down the board quite a bit and should he be available, the Rams should take him.
The risk/reward is right here, especially after taking a pair of relatively "safe" picks with the two first rounders. Allen has a No. 1 wide receiver type skill set when healthy. He has the size, speed, athleticism and versatility to get down field on the outside or play the middle of the field on the inside.
For the record, if Eddy Lacy is available with this pick, the Rams should pass because there are a lot of options later in this draft at the running back position. The goal of this draft is to protect Sam Bradford and give him weapons and Allen certainly can be an explosive weapon, but he is a risk.
Third round, No. 78 overall - Zaviar Gooden - Outside Linebacker - Missouri
Most of the time, when a guy wins the NFL Combine as a workout warrior, he shoots up the draft boards like a weed. For some reason, that has not happened to Gooden, who is projected to be a late-third or early-fourth round pick by most. Gooden ran a blazing fast 4.47 40-yard dash, threw up 27 reps on the bench which was among the leaders at the position, and posted the fastest cone-drill and shuttle times among all linebackers.
The Rams need an outside linebacker and they should reach to pick Gooden here for several reasons. The Rams will need to stop the dual-threat abilities of quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Russel Wilson. They also will need to stop hybrids like Percy Harvin and LaMichael James. All of this means that the Rams will need a lot of speed at the linebacker position and Gooden fits the bill.
Gooden's downside is his durability as he was injured often at Missouri, but he could be the perfect weapon to combat the powerful offenses in San Francisco and Seattle.
Round four, No. 113 overall - Montee Ball - Running Back - Wisconsin
Montee Ball accomplished just about as much as anybody can accomplish at the collegiate level and the knock on him is that he may ran the ball for just too many touchdowns.
Ball has a lot of wear on his tires, but the kid is a winner. He is tough, physical and is not afraid of contact. While his career may be cut short because of all of the carries in college, he is the most ready to start carrying the ball immediately at the NFL-level as a feature back. He has experience being a feature back and the Rams need one in a desperate way and if the Rams are lucky enough to have the opportunity to take Ball, they should pounce.
Ball can help the Rams win immediately and offers an incredible value in the fourth round.
Round five, No. 149 overall - Terry Hawthorne - CB - Illinois
While many are quick to point out that the Rams have needs at safety, outside linebacker and wide receiver in this draft, they also need to address the corner back position too. The Rams only have three corner backs on the roster right now and while all three are great, having a fourth will add quality insurance.
Hawthorne would give the Rams the perfect fourth corner back. His 4.44 speed allows him to match-up with almost any wideout. He does tend to take risks, but it is part of his nature as he is can return kicks as well and would give the Rams a nice multi-purpose athlete at the corner back position.
Round six, No. 184 - Denard Robinson - WR - Michigan
If you want a weapon for Sam Bradford, then here you go. There are a lot of questions about whether Robinson can convert to a full-time wide receiver, but I believe he can and will do so seamlessly.
Most other mocks have Robinson going in the sixth round, which is why we are picking him here, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him go earlier and if the Rams need to, jumping up into the fifth round to take him along with Hawthorne would be prudent if it becomes necessary.
Robinson ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and while short, he is stout at 199 pounds. He rushed for 4,495 yards at Michigan and nobody is doubting his ability to make plays. They are just doubting whether he can catch the ball on a consistent basis.
Robinson could turn into the Rams hybrid-type player, which is the new fad in the NFL and the Rams would be fortunate if he fell to them in the sixth round.
Round seven, No. 222 - T.J. Moe - Missouri
Alright, this may be a "homer" pick, but Moe is a fit for the Rams for several reasons. Yes, he was slow in the 40-yard dash, which is a measure of straight-line speed.
While Moe proved to be straight-line slow, he also showed the his first step may be as fast as his 20th. Moe was the fastest wide receiver in the cone-drill, the 20-yard shuttle, and 60-yard shuttle. Moe was the fastest, yes faster than Tavon Austin, in all three of these quickness drills. Moe also threw up 26 reps in the bench press, four more than the next closest wide receiver.
Moe could develop into a Danny Amendola-type slot receiver and at the very least, could serve as a valuable special teams player thanks to his 200-pound frame and superior strength.