For those of us who know we're not draft geeks.....

[PARAM]

....who in the hell is the best pick for the Rams? A lot of Rams fans believe defense is the way to go. I'm conflicted. On one hand, yeah, we need defensive help. On the other, we have McVay and I figure the more offensive weapons he has to play with, the better our chances to succeed. But in the end, I think that early pick be it #19 higher or lower, should be a defender. I've looked at four evaluators....Kiper, Yates, CBS and Draftbuzz (who I've taken a liking to).....and looked at the top 8 defenders on their BIG BOARDS. The good news is, with all that offensive talent in this draft, I don't think 8 defenders will be off the board if we sit pat at #19. And if these guys are accurate, we're gonna get a stud (in their eyes).

KIPER:
#10 Turner
#13 Latu
#15 Q. Mitchell
#19 Arnold
#20 Verse
#21 DeJean
#23 Wiggins
#24 Murphy

YATES:
#9 Arnold
#10 Turner
#11 Q. Mitchell
#15 Murphy
#16 Latu
#18 C. Robinson
#22 Verse
#23 DeJean

CBS:
#7 Turner
#9 Q. Mitchell
#11 Verse
#12 Arnold
#15 Murphy
#16 Latu
#22 C. Robinson
#23 Newton

Draft Buzz:
#10 Latu
#11 Verse
#12 Newton
#14 Turner
#17 Murphy
#18 Arnold
#19 Q. Mitchell
#20 Wiggins

I see 6 guys who are on all four lists. Latu, Verse, Turner, Mitchell, Murphy and Arnold. The question is, are 13 offensive guys going off the board before the Rams pick? Seems chances of that are predicted to be pretty good. 4 QBs, 3 WRs, 3 LTs, a TE. That's 11. We only need a couple of teams to cause a WR run or a LT run and we'll have at least 1 of those 6 defenders on the board when we pick. But even if only 11 picks are on the offensive side of the ball, that means one of those 6....or Newton....or DeJean will be there. So I'm confident, if we really do go defense, we're going to get a stud. That eases my mind.....with the only worry coming from the fact, Snead likes to trade down.

 

[WestCoastRam]

....who in the hell is the best pick for the Rams? A lot of Rams fans believe defense is the way to go. I'm conflicted. On one hand, yeah, we need defensive help. On the other, we have McVay and I figure the more offensive weapons he has to play with, the better our chances to succeed. But in the end, I think that early pick be it #19 higher or lower, should be a defender. I've looked at four evaluators....Kiper, Yates, CBS and Draftbuzz (who I've taken a liking to).....and looked at the top 8 defenders on their BIG BOARDS. The good news is, with all that offensive talent in this draft, I don't think 8 defenders will be off the board if we sit pat at #19. And if these guys are accurate, we're gonna get a stud (in their eyes).

KIPER:
#10 Turner
#13 Latu
#15 Q. Mitchell
#19 Arnold
#20 Verse
#21 DeJean
#23 Wiggins
#24 Murphy

YATES:
#9 Arnold
#10 Turner
#11 Q. Mitchell
#15 Murphy
#16 Latu
#18 C. Robinson
#22 Verse
#23 DeJean

CBS:
#7 Turner
#9 Q. Mitchell
#11 Verse
#12 Arnold
#15 Murphy
#16 Latu
#22 C. Robinson
#23 Newton

Draft Buzz:
#10 Latu
#11 Verse
#12 Newton
#14 Turner
#17 Murphy
#18 Arnold
#19 Q. Mitchell
#20 Wiggins

I see 6 guys who are on all four lists. Latu, Verse, Turner, Mitchell, Murphy and Arnold. The question is, are 13 offensive guys going off the board before the Rams pick? Seems chances of that are predicted to be pretty good. 4 QBs, 3 WRs, 3 LTs, a TE. That's 11. We only need a couple of teams to cause a WR run or a LT run and we'll have at least 1 of those 6 defenders on the board when we pick. But even if only 11 picks are on the offensive side of the ball, that means one of those 6....or Newton....or DeJean will be there. So I'm confident, if we really do go defense, we're going to get a stud. That eases my mind.....with the only worry coming from the fact, Snead likes to trade down.

Nate Tice and Robert Mayes are doing a team by team analysis of the 1st round on the athletic podcast starting with 32 and working their way up. Think it will give you some good insight as to who might be there and what teams want/need.

 

[dang]

What am I missing about Chop Robinson? His production (sacks, tfl, tackles, qb hits) is anemic.

 

[Ramhusker]

....who in the hell is the best pick for the Rams? A lot of Rams fans believe defense is the way to go. I'm conflicted. On one hand, yeah, we need defensive help. On the other, we have McVay and I figure the more offensive weapons he has to play with, the better our chances to succeed. But in the end, I think that early pick be it #19 higher or lower, should be a defender. I've looked at four evaluators....Kiper, Yates, CBS and Draftbuzz (who I've taken a liking to).....and looked at the top 8 defenders on their BIG BOARDS. The good news is, with all that offensive talent in this draft, I don't think 8 defenders will be off the board if we sit pat at #19. And if these guys are accurate, we're gonna get a stud (in their eyes).

KIPER:
#10 Turner
#13 Latu
#15 Q. Mitchell
#19 Arnold
#20 Verse
#21 DeJean
#23 Wiggins
#24 Murphy

YATES:
#9 Arnold
#10 Turner
#11 Q. Mitchell
#15 Murphy
#16 Latu
#18 C. Robinson
#22 Verse
#23 DeJean

CBS:
#7 Turner
#9 Q. Mitchell
#11 Verse
#12 Arnold
#15 Murphy
#16 Latu
#22 C. Robinson
#23 Newton

Draft Buzz:
#10 Latu
#11 Verse
#12 Newton
#14 Turner
#17 Murphy
#18 Arnold
#19 Q. Mitchell
#20 Wiggins

I see 6 guys who are on all four lists. Latu, Verse, Turner, Mitchell, Murphy and Arnold. The question is, are 13 offensive guys going off the board before the Rams pick? Seems chances of that are predicted to be pretty good. 4 QBs, 3 WRs, 3 LTs, a TE. That's 11. We only need a couple of teams to cause a WR run or a LT run and we'll have at least 1 of those 6 defenders on the board when we pick. But even if only 11 picks are on the offensive side of the ball, that means one of those 6....or Newton....or DeJean will be there. So I'm confident, if we really do go defense, we're going to get a stud. That eases my mind.....with the only worry coming from the fact, Snead likes to trade down.

If I were king, however many of those players we like are still there at 19 is how far I would trade down. If there are 4 we love, try to trade down 3 spots. In a perfect world, that's what all teams would do but just because you got into the party doesn't mean you get to dance.

 

[Loyal]

With all things be fairly equal, which player is a straight up dog who would rather play football than anything else. That's who I want.

 

[dang]

With all things be fairly equal, which player is a straight up dog who would rather play football than anything else. That's who I want.

That looks like DeJean or Mitchell.

 

[I like Rams]

With all things be fairly equal, which player is a straight up dog who would rather play football than anything else. That's who I want.

This. I trust mcsnead to pick the best player, regardless of position with their first pick.

 

[Ramhusker]

With all things be fairly equal, which player is a straight up dog who would rather play football than anything else. That's who I want.

Braden Fiske and Malik Washington come to my mind in an instant.

 

[snackdaddy]

I think at least 4 quarterbacks go before #19. 3 receivers. 1 tight end. 4 offensive linemen. That is 12 offensive players. Its possible another quarterback makes it 13. Maybe another lineman to make it 14.

Throw in a couple CB's and maybe an edge rusher or two. That leaves a number of talented defensive players to choose from assuming they go defense. I hope they don't trade down. Trading back 9 or ten spots and by then most that talent is gone. I'd rather they stand pat and pick the best edge or DT guy on the board.

 

[WestCoastRam]

What am I missing about Chop Robinson? His production (sacks, tfl, tackles, qb hits) is anemic.

Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.

 

[WestCoastRam]

What's gonna be hilarious is we'll eventually pick the guy we all thought we'd get before FA started. Dejean.

 

[PARAM]

I think at least 4 quarterbacks go before #19. 3 receivers. 1 tight end. 4 offensive linemen. That is 12 offensive players. Its possible another quarterback makes it 13. Maybe another lineman to make it 14.

Throw in a couple CB's and maybe an edge rusher or two. That leaves a number of talented defensive players to choose from assuming they go defense. I hope they don't trade down. Trading back 9 or ten spots and by then most that talent is gone. I'd rather they stand pat and pick the best edge or DT guy on the board.

Yeah, we've seen the 'experts' claiming there's only about 18 players with a first round grade. And we know some teams above us (probably multiple) are going to draft players not of that group. So we're practically guaranteed a player with a first round grade.....if we choose wisely. To Mr Phelps (Les Snead).....'this is your mission should you choose to accept it......get a first round player in the first round!'

 

[TexasRam]

The first question Mcsneadster needs to answer -- Are we drafting for RIGHT NOW or are we drafting for the future?

Are we still a heavy weight in the NFC, a few players away from beating the Niners and Lions of the world?

We lost Donald, but otherwise have upgraded several positions: Center, LG, TE, WR(If Kupp is healthier), Safety, CB,CB.

I see us as an impact defensive playmaker away from partially covering the loss of Donald and thus being a better overall team then last year.

This is why I personally would move up 4-5 spots in the draft if Latu falls to around the 15 spot.

But what is the organizations approach?

Maybe getting the QB for long term is the play. Maybe getting a top WR in a deep WR draft is in play to replace Kupp.

Maybe they go best player available or move back and play the odds with more picks.

We will find out very soon what their approach is.

Personally I want to win now. But if they go long term, it's hard to argue with the approach.

You can always acquire a Dante Fowler or Von Miller later in the year in a trade.

 

[PARAM]

I think the NFL has become all about "the now". Sure there's some consideration for the future but you get guys for 4 years, 5 if they're a 1st round pick and you exercise the 5th year option. Develop 6 and 3 leave in free agency. Prior to free agency it was all about the future because you owned guys. Now, if you've been 5-12 and 4-13 the last 2 years, chances are your head coach is gone or on his way out if that's repeated. So he's definitely all about 'the now'. If you've been 9-8 and 10-7 the last 2 years, you're looking for a few guys to make a difference in the now and get to 12-5. NFL life is too short for head coaches and players.

 

[DzRams]

The first question Mcsneadster needs to answer -- Are we drafting for RIGHT NOW or are we drafting for the future?

Are we still a heavy weight in the NFC, a few players away from beating the Niners and Lions of the world?

We lost Donald, but otherwise have upgraded several positions: Center, LG, TE, WR(If Kupp is healthier), Safety, CB,CB.

I see us as an impact defensive playmaker away from partially covering the loss of Donald and thus being a better overall team then last year.

This is why I personally would move up 4-5 spots in the draft if Latu falls to around the 15 spot.

But what is the organizations approach?

Maybe getting the QB for long term is the play. Maybe getting a top WR in a deep WR draft is in play to replace Kupp.

Maybe they go best player available or move back and play the odds with more picks.

We will find out very soon what their approach is.

Personally I want to win now. But if they go long term, it's hard to argue with the approach.

You can always acquire a Dante Fowler or Von Miller later in the year in a trade.

Drafting for now or the future doesn't have to be mutually exclusive.

In fact, for every position except QB, I believe that drafting for the future would help the now.

A top WR would be great Kupp insurance while taking the offense to elite of the elite territory.

Getting the best player available would help the now while potentially setting in place another "load-bearing wall" for future years.

Trading back and getting more picks helps now and in the future as long as they hit on them like they did in 2023.

I'm expecting to see an approach that helps in the short term and long term.

 

[Flatlyner]

What am I missing about Chop Robinson? His production (sacks, tfl, tackles, qb hits) is anemic.

Field Yates really loves this guy. Not sure how great an analyst Yates is yet, he just started doing the draft stuff last year and has a ton of other stuff on his plate. I'd tend to lean more towards Kiper of the 2 currently.

With all things be fairly equal, which player is a straight up dog who would rather play football than anything else. That's who I want.

Marshawn Lloyd is one I can think of. Based on snaps played, Newton as well

 

[muggmeister]

The first question Mcsneadster needs to answer -- Are we drafting for RIGHT NOW or are we drafting for the future?

Are we still a heavy weight in the NFC, a few players away from beating the Niners and Lions of the world?

We lost Donald, but otherwise have upgraded several positions: Center, LG, TE, WR(If Kupp is healthier), Safety, CB,CB.

I see us as an impact defensive playmaker away from partially covering the loss of Donald and thus being a better overall team then last year.

This is why I personally would move up 4-5 spots in the draft if Latu falls to around the 15 spot.

But what is the organizations approach?

Maybe getting the QB for long term is the play. Maybe getting a top WR in a deep WR draft is in play to replace Kupp.

Maybe they go best player available or move back and play the odds with more picks.

We will find out very soon what their approach is.

Personally I want to win now. But if they go long term, it's hard to argue with the approach.

You can always acquire a Dante Fowler or Von Miller later in the year in a trade.

I've made it known that I'm on the LAiata LAtu from ucLA to LA train. Will provide the most instant impact of ANY defensive players in round 1.

 

[PARAM]

I don't remember how previous drafts were mocked, as far as offense vs defense (and I'm glad ) but taking a look at how the last dozen drafts transpired over the first 18 picks, there have only been a couple lopsided in one direction or the other. The widest margin has been 13 to 5 (in favor of defense). There have been four 11 to 7 (@ D twice & @ O twice) and four 10 to 8 (three @ D). Also three 9 to 9.

What does it mean? Nothing. But from an optimistic viewpoint, we're due for a 13-5 or 12-6 leaning towards offense. Particularly with QB need this year and plenty to pick from, not to mention WR. LTs seem to see 4 or 5 every year in the first. I only wonder which way the Rams will go if it doesn't happen and there's a stud WR or LT sitting there?

 

[JimY53]

What am I missing about Chop Robinson? His production (sacks, tfl, tackles, qb hits) is anemic.

Elite athlete on the rise. Teachable. And on occasion, a freak athlete can be a great NFL player even though his college production is not huge. You look at speed, hands, feet, all the things that he does well.

If he had great production he'd be top 10 pick. Without it he drops to later, maybe 20s-30s

Needs to get stronger and needs to work on pass rush moves.