Michael Thomas The Perfect Receiver For the Los Angeles Rams

This draft season dont be surprised when the NFL commissioner walks up to the podium and announces that the Los Angeles Rams have taken a wide receiver. The fact of the matter is, they are a team that is in desperate need for a guy who can make a difference on the outside. Tavon Austin proved his playmaking ability last season, but he’s not going to make plays outside the numbers.

The Rams need a receiver like LaQuan Treadwell or Michael Thomas who can develop into number one receivers and make plays on the outside. While Treadwell would be nice, given the Rams’ need at quarterback or even on defense, taking Treadwell in a not so great wide receiver class may not be the right move.

Meanwhile, the Rams do have two second round picks, one of which could be used on a receiver. If the Rams do in fact go receiver in the second, Michael Thomas should be a guy that Les Snead and Jeff Fisher take a good look at, because he is the prototypical receiver that fits right into their long-term plans.

Playing at Ohio State University, Thomas lead the Buckeyes in production the last two seasons. On a national championship team, the receiver had 54 catches that went for 799 yards and nine scores. He backed that up last season once again leading the team in receiving yards piling up 56 catches, 781 yards, and nine touchdowns.

Thomas has the prototypical size and speed of a number one receiver. The one problem with him is that his route running ability is extremely raw and he struggles to break away from cornerbacks in press coverage. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that those skills can be developed and he already has the traits and flashes the tools to be able to develop into a good route runner.

While he has the size and potential to excite offensive coordinators, Thomas is still a work in progress who must develop a greater feel for the position if he is to match his traits with real NFL production. Thomas has a much higher ceiling than a lot of the receivers in this class which makes him so intriguing, but he is also raw enough that his floor is also lower making him a risky selection.

To put it simply, he is a high risk-high reward type pick, however, if you are Les Snead and Jeff Fisher, he is exactly the type of player that they want and the type of player that they have drafted in the past. Thomas may not be dominant right away, but 2-3 years down the road, he has the potential to be very good.

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The Rams have taken those types of players in the past. Players like Greg Robinson, Brian Quick, and you can even throw in Todd Gurley in that conversation as the potential was always there, but coming off the injury, he was a high risk. This isn’t a team that is built to win right now. With the offense in the shape that its in, they have a lot of building that needs to be done, and they aren’t going anywhere without a franchise quarterback.

Drafting a guy like Michael Thomas would be the perfect receiver for the Rams as he is a player that they can develop and coach up for when they are a team that is ready to win. This is a fairly weak receiving class, but if it’s one guy who might be worth the risk, it’s Thomas.