2013 NFL Mock Draft (Week 14 Edition): The St. Louis Rams Select…

A new week, a new mock draft!  That is how it will play out for the remainder of the season, as a half of the NFL starts preparing for the offseason and the other half battles for the remaining slots in the playoffs. With a win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the St. Louis Rams fall into that latter category, clawing their way up the NFC rankings in hopes of stealing a spot in January. Consequently, that also means that the Rams draft spot is creeping lower and lower in the draft. Picking in the low twenties is a good sign for any organization, but a bad sign for the talent level of the players that are being draft, at least theoretically. Still, I doubt anyone in St. Louis will care that they have to wait to be “on the clock” on Day 1 of the draft.

Like we mentioned in the Week 13 Mock Draft, the NFL Draft page on Fansided.com will be pushing out a weekly mock, and we will be reporting those results here on Ramblin’ Fan. This week, with the projected 16th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft “the St. Louis Rams select…”

Jake Matthews – RT/Texas A&M

"Not very many people are high on Matthews in terms of having him on the big board, but as the need for lineman rises at the top of the draft, so will Matthews stock. The Rams have a great team coming together but they need to protect Sam Bradford and Barry Richardson needs to go. Matthews was on one of the better lines in the country and while his buddy Luke Joeckel is getting all the attention, Matthews is largely regarded as one of the best right tackles in the draft. When his name is called, Sam Bradford breathes a sigh of relief."

Everyone in St. Louis can agree on one thing, and that is thatBarry Richardson needs to go, at least out of the starting lineup. An offensive tackle would not be the worst pick in the world at this spot, although it was not the offensive linemen that were having trouble getting separation against Buffalo’s secondary on Sunday. Still, any pick that can help Steven Jackson/Daryl Richardson in the running game and keep Sam Bradford upright for an extended period of time is nothing to be upset about. WalterFootball.com has Matthews as their 2nd ranked offensive tackle in the 2012 draft, behind only teammate, Luke Joeckel. Combining a “best available” and “biggest need” drafting philosophy here may have the Rams ending at a tackle on this spot…

Luckily, the Rams have another pick in the first round to grab themselves an offensive playmaker, or maybe a ball-hawking safety. According to the mock draft from this week, this St. Louis Rams next pick will come at the 21st spot, via the Washington Redskins. With that pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, “the St. Louis Rams select…”

Eric Fisher – LT/Central Michigan

"Like the Vikings, the flashy pick for one of the Rams two first round picks is a giant receiver but again, Sam Bradford isn’t made of stone and he needs protection to properly utilize his weapons. Fisher is a MAC product and while it’s easy for great players to look good there, he also held his own against top notch competition. Getting Steven Jackson some blocking for once in his career won’t hurt either. It’s not flashy to double dip on lineman in the first round, but Super Bowl trophy’s are very flashy."

Huh? If the St. Louis Rams take two offensive tackles in the first round, there will be men and women from all around Missouri lining up with stakes and pitchforks, and marching to Les Snead’s house. Rodger Saffold, when healthy, has been one of the best tackles in the NFL this season. After the trade for Wayne Hunter and the waiver acquisition of Chris Williams from Chicago, the Rams should have more than enough talent  to work with during the offseason at tackle. Even with Barry Richardson manning the right side, and third- and fourth- string players lining up on the line periodically throughout the year,  Bradford has taken only 31 sacks this season, 5 fewer than he took in 2011 when he only played in 10 games.

The St. Louis Rams will not take a tackle with this pick, especially not a left tackle, or following Matthews getting selected 5 spots prior. Period. However, this mock draft still has C. J. Mosley and Keenan Allen available at this spot, which might be an enticing selection for the Rams if they solidify the right tackle spot with Matthews early…

Tune in next week for another round of the FanSided.com 2013 Mock Drafts. Let us know what you think about these selections!