Nick Foles and the new-look Rams have the 10th pick in this year’s draft. There seem to be many ways for the Rams to go with the pick. The biggest need looks to be offensive line because Jake Long was released and Joe Barksdale has yet to reach a deal to stay with the team. Another possibility would likely be wide receiver. The Rams have guys like Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, and Brian Quick who show flashes of potential here and there but struggle to stay healthy and perform well. Inside linebacker also appears to be an area of need. Jo-Lonn Dunbar is aging, and they need some youth to step into his place.
Possible selections on the offensive line would be Brandon Scherff, Andrus Peat, and La’el Collins. Scherff is from the University of Iowa and has proven he can play multiple positions. He can step in and be a starter on the interior line as well as start at an offensive tackle. This ability makes him the number one offensive line prospect in the draft. Andrus Peat is a pure offensive tackle. The Stanford Cardinal has shown he is a force to be reckoned with in the run game but may struggle early with pass protection. La’el Collins is another great run blocker from Louisiana State University. He, like Peat, is a pure tackle and may need time to develop into a pass protecting tackle. Don’t be surprised if any of these three end up as a Ram.
If the Rams acquire a receiver in the first round, it would likely be Amari Cooper. Cooper had an amazing career at Alabama and ran a 4.4 forty at the NFL combine. He is NFL ready now and would be a great asset for Nick Foles. Kevin White from West Virginia is another potential receiver the Rams might take. He has the body and the speed to be a great receiver in the league, but his ball skills and route running are not as up to par as Cooper’s. If the Rams were to go receiver, Amari Cooper would have to drop to the tenth pick in the draft. White is raw and probably a stretch for the Rams at ten with a more pressing need on the O-line.
If the lineman are gone by ten and the team chooses not to take a receiver, an inside linebacker would make sense. Benardrick McKinney from Mississippi State seems like a good choice. He is a run-stuffing, chase-and-tackle linebacker similar to current Ram Alec Ogletree. These two paired together would make for a very athletic group of backers.
Lastly, if Marcus Mariota falls to the Rams at ten, look for the team to trade down. Many teams, including the Eagles, have shown interest in the quarterback from Oregon. The deal would give the Rams even more picks, just like the Robert Griffin III trade from a few years ago.
Any of these options seem okay except Kevin White and Bendardrick McKinney. White is too big of a project to go this high, and McKinney is a good player but might be a stretch with the tenth pick.
My prediction: Andrus Peat, Offensive Tackle from Stanford