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St. Louis Rams: 2009 NFL Mock Draft

Written April 21, 2009 by Black Widow

st-louis-rams-2009-mock-draft-042109 The Rams set a franchise-record for losses last season with 14, and were outscored by 233 points in the 2008 regular seasons. Sweeping changes by owner Chip Rosenbloom in the offseason ensued as he phased out GM Jay Zygmunt who stepped down after 27 seasons. Longtime team president John Shaw now has a lesser role as well. Billy Devaney is now the new GM in charge of revamping this organization and running the search that ended with Steve Spagnuolo being named the team’s fifth head coach since moving to St. Louis in 1995. The Rams will have the second overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft for the second straight year. With needs everywhere except at kicker and punter, the Rams will likely put their pick to good use. Devaney wants bigger, tougher players on both sides of the ball. Turf Show Times has their own ideas for who the Rams will take in the 2009 draft, but here are my top five needs for St. Louis to address with their picks:

1.) Offensive Linemen - After being forced to rehab from surgery the past two offseasons, seven-time Pro Bowl OLT Orlando Pace has been cut. As a result, a stud tackle with the second overall pick will likely be the route the Rams’ choose. ORT Alex Barron has yet to play up to his first-round expectations. At guard, free agent Jacob Bell had trouble keeping weight on, while Richie Incognito might be considered more trouble than he’s worth after sitting out the final regular season game last year with a questionable illness. The Rams did sign C Jason Brown from Baltimore to take the place of lackluster Nick Leckey and Brett Romberg to take a step in the right direction. Good Fits in ‘09 Draft Class: OT Jason Smith (Baylor), OT T.J. Lang (Eastern Michigan).

2.) Middle Linebacker - The Rams finally realized that Will Witherspoon wasn’t made out to be a middle linebacker last season, and the Rams need a bigger, more powerful run stuffer in the middle. Witherspoon should make for a good weak side linebacker this season, where he excelled at in Carolina. The strong side is a mess unless undersized Pisa Tinoisamoa can handle a switch to that position from the weak side. More depth on each side is a necessity this offseason, but finding a middle linebacker is most important here. Good Fits in ‘09 Draft Class: MLB Scott McKillop (Pittsburgh)

3.) Running Back - Steven Jackson missed nearly all of 5 games last season with a strained thigh muscle and the running game suffered because of it. The Rams will be looking for a quality back to be able to carry the load incase Jackson gets injured again, and to give him a breather. They’ll surely pick one up in the draft or through free-agency, and St. Louis will also be looking for a true lead-blocking fullback. Good Fits in ‘09 Draft Class: FB Quinn Johnson (LSU), RB James Davis (Clemson).

4.) Defensive Back - Three starters and one reserve in the secondary entered the offseason as free agents and it was clear the Rams would not keep all of them. They decided to make FS O.J. Atogwe their franchise player, and re-signed CB Ron Bartell to a four-year deal. CB’s Jason Kraft and Fakhir Brown are each free agents and have yet to re-sign or move elsewhere, leaving a void in the secondary. Also former first-round pick in CB Tye Hill has problems staying healthy. The Rams need help at SS as Corey Chavous has been cut and his replacement, Todd Johnson, is only serviceable at best. Good Fits in ‘09 Draft Class: FS Rashad Johnson (Alabama), SS Patrick Chung (Oregon), S Nic Harris (Oklahoma).

5.) Defensive Tackle - The Rams allowed their most rushing yards in franchise history last season, 2,475 yards, and a run-stuffing tackle would come in handy. Six-time Pro Bowl DT La’Roi Glover played with torn cartilage in his left knee late last season, and there’s a possibility he’ll retire at age 34. 2007 first-round pick Adam Carriker has performed sub-par since suffering a torn labrum in the final game of his rookie season. Good Fits in ‘09 Draft Class: DT Terrance Taylor (Michigan), DT Dorell Scott (Clemson).

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