The Risk of Taking a Wide Receiver for St Louis

As the 2015 NFL draft nears, the amount of mock drafts that appear are growing at an insanely fast pace. These are always fun, because we trust these “professionals” word and then began to speculate on the upcoming season.

Out of the mock drafts I’ve seen, it appears the St Louis Rams are favorites to take either one of two positions, either offensive lineman, or wide receiver.

We all love the idea of having an elite wide-out who can put the team on his shoulders. It’s what the Rams have needed for a very long time now. Not to mention with Foles at the helm, we actually have a quarterback who can throw to one, how exciting!

It also helps that when you take risk into play, you realize that it really isn’t that high. Let’s look at every wide receiver that has been drafted in the first round over the last 3 years.

2014:

Sammy Watkins

Mike Evans

Odell Beckham Jr

Brandin Cooks

Kelvin Benjamin

Wow what a first round class. Three of these players finished with over 1000 yards in their rookie season. (Evans, Odell, Benjamin) Watkins only missed it by 18 yards, and cooks was well on his way before an injury knocked him out in week 11.

2013:

Tavon Austin

DeAndre Hopkins

Cordarrelle Patterson

This one gets tricky, because I know some will argue hard that Tavon Austin and Cordarrelle Patterson are bust, but I am in the other pool. I don’t think either of these players are being used to their potential at all. Tavon Austin averages 6.2 yards a carry when rushing him, so why not rush him more? Why bench Patterson? He has proven he can be explosive, so does that mean it is an attitude issue? I digress. I still don’t see a true bust in this draft either.

2012:

Justin Blackmon

Michael Floyd

Kendall Wright

A.J. Jenkins

Here we go, I was beginning to think we would never find one. Justin Blackmon is a true bust. After getting kicked off the team and multiple arrest, it is disappointing for such talent to be wasted with a 5th overall pick. Michael Floyd post great numbers for Arizona opposite Larry Fitzgerald, and Kendall Wright has found success despite having a sub-par quarterback for a couple of years. A.J. Jenkins is another true bust, not recording his first career interception until 2014.

So what do all of these numbers mean? It means that 10 out of 12 times, if you draft a wide-receiver in the first round, you are getting a solid talent with play-making ability. The same applies to this years draft. If the Rams take either Kevin White or Amari Cooper with the 10th overall pick, they will be getting a great wide-out who will bolster the offense. There is very little risk in either one of these players. Does anyone really think Cooper won’t succeed?

The issue then lingers over something much bigger, the offensive line. If the Rams take a wide receiver at 10, then they will have to use their 2nd and 3rd round picks on Lineman, right? Wait a second, what about drafting a quarterback? Does Fisher really want to wait until the 4th round or later to do that? I hoped they would take Bryce Petty, who will not last that long in the draft.

So then what?

That’s where the issue comes into play. Do the Rams sacrifice their O-line for a play-maker? Do they play it safe and bulk up the line? Who knows, but even though most think the Rams will call a Wide-outs name this year, it will come at a huge risk if they do. As much as I love Cooper and White, with a run-first team, I have to go with the O-line on this one.

But Before I go…

I would like to mention that I have a small theory on the center position for the Rams, most of ignore that the Rams have 5th year player Tim Barnes and 3rd year player Barrett Jones. After doing a little research, I think it is completely possible that Tim Barnes could take that starting role. He has worked with the Rams system for a few years now and has filled in for Scott Wells when he was injured, and although he didn’t pancake every D-lineman who came he way, he held his own and seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Since Foles has to learn from a new center anyway, why not one the Rams already have and are comfortable with?

If this plays out, and Barksdale re-signs, then that would leave only one gap to fill. This would allow the draft to be completely blown wide open for the Rams. They can take whoever they want, and not have any issues getting a Offensive lineman in the second or third round.

Just a thought, or maybe hope for the fans pulling for a WR at 10.

Next: St Louis Rams Preseason Schedule Released

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