Why Rams won't regret not prying 10th overall pick from Jets GM Joe Douglas

Penn State OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu

Many fans and some draft analysts viewed the team's offseason efforts to bolster the offensive line as only partially completed. After all, the Rams front office was very active between the offensive tackles but not making any drastic changes as either offensive tackle position.

The Rams extending right guard Kevin Dotson with a three-year deal that excited many fans. Following that move, the front office shocked everyone by signing former Detroit Lions offensive left guard Jonah Jackson to a three-year contract as well. That effort compelled the team to reassign former rookie left guard Steve Avila to the starting center position, and negating the need to re-sign former starting center Coleman Shelton.

While the Rams did extend starting left tackle Alaric Jackson on a one-year Qualifying Tender Offer, some analysts expected the team to make a move to address the position more permanently. If that was the goal, then Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu was certainly a prime target.

The Rams cleverly disguised their positional targets in the draft by holding plenty of meetings with offensive tackles, at least two of whom were expected to come off the board in Round 1. While there were practical reasons for holding these meetings, there was the added bonus of focusing speculation that the Rams wanted to add an offensive tackle early in the draft.

I admittedly fell for that deception, citing Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu as a player that could tempt the team into trading up in Round 1 to select. While the film may have been edited to fit the creative narrative, there were few indications that the Rams were tracking any offensive tackles selected in Round 1.