Day Two Helps Reassure St. Louis Rams Fans

I have a serious confession to make: until Friday morning, I had never heard of Todd Gurley. I realize this may wipe off any credibility I may have, but it is not really my fault. In my part of Europe, we do not have much access to college football, so my knowledge of draft prospects is limited to those who reporters may have projected to the St. Louis Rams in mocks.

My research was therefore limited to the likes of Brandon Scherff, Andrus Peat and Amari Cooper; Todd Gurley was not on my radar as he was not on anyone else’s. Few people outside the Fisher-Snead marriage expected the Rams to select a running back with the tenth pick, especially with Tre Mason – last year’s third-rounder – having shown considerable potential in his rookie season. So, when I consulted Twitter that morning (remember I am six time zones ahead), I thought there was a new symptom to the hangover I was sporting. Imagine my surprise when I discovered Todd Gurley was a real person and the Rams’ first round pick.

Naturally, social media was on fire. Rams Nation seemed displeased with the choice. Gurley may have been the top offensive player on Coach Fisher’s board, but, with glaring needs in the offensive line, many felt that this was a luxury pick St Louis simply cannot afford. There were also concerns about the player’s recent ACL injury. On the other hand, others argued that, with the top O-line prospects off the board, drafting according to value was perhaps not such a bad idea. Some questioned why, given the circumstances, the Rams had not traded down, thereby presuming interest from other teams. The overall consensus was that the front office had misfired. Focus then turned to Day Two, and Rams Nation was expecting.

Luckily, the Rams’ approach in the Second Round went some away towards dispelling these concerns. Perhaps the shrewdest move of the Draft – and one perhaps inspired by the drafting of receiver Dorial Green-Beckham just before the Rams selected again at 9 – was a trade with Carolina that saw St Louis pick up a bonus third-round pick (plus a sixth-rounder). Moving down to 25 (57^th overall), the front office selected offensive (likely right) tackle Rob Havenstein from Wisconsin. With uncertainty surrounding Joe Barksdale’s status, this was a move towards addressing one of the team’s main needs. This was supplemented by the drafting in Round 3 (8^th, 72^nd overall) of Jamon Brown, a versatile lineman who can play inside and outside. This went some way towards representing the investment in the O-line that Rams fans were hoping for, with two large prospects who, it can be currently assumed, could find themselves plugged straight into the starting unit come Week One. For those clamoring for offensive linemen, this was an encouraging evening.

But the pick gained from Carolina – 25^th in Round 3, 89^th overall – was still pending, and the Rams used it to draft Sean Mannion, a quarterback from Oregon State. With most scouts reporting on Mannion being an unfinished product, this is clearly a developmental pick who will sit behind Nick Foles and, ideally, refine his craft until ready to become St Louis’ quarterback of the future. This was another item on most fans’ wish-lists, one which, suddenly, looks much more complete

So, a quick stroke of Les Snead’s drafting acumen seems to have covered most of our needs, with the addition of a stud running back. Suddenly, the Gurley choice does not seem so misguided, and the classic fickleness of fans started showing through social media at the end of Day Two. Yes, somewhere deep down we are all aware that, at the moment, next year’s offensive line comprises of two rookies, an unproven sophomore, an oft-injured Raiders reject, and Barrett Jones’ back. But it is draft day(s), a time when we all like to ignore reality and dream…