The St. Louis Rams 2013 Draft Preview: Eddie Lacy And Bacarri Rambo

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, will be coaching the St.Louis Rams defense for the 2013 NFL season. Will Ryan play a big role in determining how the Rams draft pans out? Will the Rams change from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense? Or has Les Snead and Jeff Fisher got a plan that has already been discussed? The truth is, the public will never find out, until actions have taken place.

Two players will be analyzed weekly (one from defense and one from offense) based on their current form in college football.
This isn’t a mock draft. This is simply an analysis of high valued players that will enter the 2013 NFL draft, so that you guys are more knowledgeable of each high draft prospect come draft time.

OFFENSE
Eddie Lacy (6 foot 0, 220 pounds)
Running back (Alabama)
Seeing Steven Jackson put on that blue and gold jersey for another year would be fitting, but let’s be realistic, he isn’t worth seven million dollars for the 2013 season. Jackson will find out his value in the free agency fairly quickly. From there, the Rams will either match the offers made by NFL teams, or they’ll simply not match these offers and let him walk out the door.

Even if Jackson stayed, the Rams must still find their bell cow running back. Daryl Richardson was a nice change of pace for Steven Jackson earlier on the year, but lets be honest, he isn’t a every down back that will carry the load for a whole season. Isaiah Pead showed glimpses of why he was chosen in the second round, but overall he had a disappointing year. Eddie Lacy will provide the Rams with that every down back, that can carry the load for a full season. Lacy was a key player in Alabama’s BCS Title Championship win over Notre Dame, rushing for over 140 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. He was named the Offensive MVP for the BCS Championship game and finished with 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns for the season. Lacy has a phenomenal spin move that can allow him to break out into the open very quickly. With similarities to players such as Marshawn Lynch, Lacy gets plenty of his yards after contact. If Eddie Lacy can pull of a good combine, expect his draft stock to soar.
Draft range – Late first/late second 

DEFENSE
Bacarri Rambo ( 6 foot 0, 220 pounds)
Safety (Georgia)
Ram fans have had enough of watching Craig Dahl running around the field like a headless chicken. He simply isn’t the answer for the future of the St.Louis Rams. Safety Quintin Mikell, had a great 2013 season, but similar to Jackson, Mikell wont be worth the money that is expected for him in the 2013 season. Hopefully Mikell is in touch with reality enough to realise that a little pay cut won’t hurt, as no NFL team out there will be willing to pay nine million dollars for him for 2013. If Quintin Mikell stays, then that’s fantastic, but if he leaves the Rams for another team, the Rams will be forced to quickly find players for both free safety and strong safety.

A hard hitting safety who goes by the of name Rambo, what isn’t there to like? Imagine the amount of jerseys he would sell. Not only will Rambo bring a little excitement given his brillant name, but he is also a dynamic safety who can really help the Rams secondary. Rambo is a very balanced safety, he’s great against both the run and the pass. Rambo is a real playmaker who does a fantastic job of reading a quarterback’s eyes. He jumps routes and has real explosiveness to close down on receivers. In the 2012 season Rambo collected 75 tackles, one sack, three interceptions and two pass deflections. These are impressive stats considering Rambo was suspended for the first four games of the season.
Draft range – mid second/mid third

Follow @davebarber92 for more updates

Follow the links to previous Ramblin Fan Draft Previews:
Week 1      Week 4     Week 7    Week 10   Week 13   Week 16
Week 2      Week 5     Week 8    Week 11   Week 14
Week 3      Week 6     Week 9    Week 12   Week 15