2014 FanSided Final Mock Draft: The St. Louis Rams Select…

Nov 9, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive linesman Steve Elmer (79) blocks against Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Aaron Donald (97) during the first quarter at Heinz Field. PITT won 28-21. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Happy Draft Day! After an excruciating wait, the days of Combines, Big Boards, and Mock Drafts are finally behind us… almost. Over the last 24 hrs, most of the major draft experts have released their “final” mocks of the offseason, including the likes of Mike Mayock and Mel Kiper, Jr. With the 2014 NFL Draft only hours away, all of the whispers, smokescreens, rumblings, and leaked information from “unnamed sources” can be crammed into the grand finale of predictions, leading up to Commissioner Roger Goodell stepping up to the podium at 8:00 PM ET tonight. In the spirit of pre-Draft closure, all of the editors within the FanSided Network banned together to create our own final mock draft of the 2014 offseason.

Per usual, the normal “no-trade” mocking rules are in place. So, with the No.2 overall pick in the 2014 FanSided Mock Draft, the St. Louis Rams select…

Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo

"“The Rams have a plethora of options here, they could trade back and pick up more picks or take an elite player. Although Sammy Watkins and Greg Robinson have been popular choices, we’re going to go in a different direction with Khalil Mack.Mack is explosive, he can pass rush as well as cover, and overall he is just a great athlete. He did play in a smaller conference, which can be a little concerning, but he had a solid game against Ohio St. last year.The addition of Mack on this already good defense will give offenses headaches for years to come and hopefully help the Rams compete in the tough NFC West” – Blaine Grisak"

Rumbling on the down the draft order, we’ll fast-forward to the St. Louis Rams next pick. At the No.13 slot, the Rams select…

Aaron Donald, DT, Pitt

"“Despite the fact that 1) the St. Louis Rams already own one of the Top 5 pass rushing units in the NFL and 2) they already took, arguably, the top pass rusher in the 2014 class (Khalil Mack), Aaron Donald is far and away the best player available at this point in the draft.Donald is the perfect complement to Michael Brockers on the interior, and will inevitably cause some sleepless nights for offensive coordinators scheming to block the Rams front-seven. The class is plenty deep enough to go after a safety, guard, offensive tackle, and cornerback on Days 2 and 3.St. Louis can simply not afford to pass on this blue-chip, “must-have” prospect falling to the No.13 slot. The Rams will run to the podium to make this pick… that is, if Les Snead is able to get off the phone, as plenty of teams will be begging to move up for this pick!” – Nathan Kearns"

There you have it, folks! In Ramblin’ Fans final mock of the 2014 offseason, they have pieced together arguably the most talented defensive unit in the NFL. While no one will know how these draftees will pan out once their cleats hit the NFL turf, one can only imagine the wondrous things that Gregg Williams could do after adding Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald to a pass rushing unit that already leads the NFL in total sacks over the last two seasons.

Cheers to a Happy Draft Day!