Draft Preview: St. Louis Rams
Truth be told, if the Lions weren't so completely horrendous, there would be plenty of talk about just how bad the Rams' roster really is. St. Louis looks set at running back and defensive end for now, but holes dot the rest of the lineup.
With Torry Holt out of the picture, the Rams O is severely lacking in playmakers at receiver. So, in Homerism's draft fantasy land, the Rams are going to be pretty hacked off about the Lions grabbing their top target, Michael Crabtree.
Next up is offensive line, where franchise mainstay Orlando Pace has been put out to pasture. Fortunately for general manager Billy Devaney and new coach Steve Spagnuolo, the 2009 draft class features a number of promising prospects up front. And it's here that we come to yet another controversial pick: Andre Smith.
Smith's stock has taken a substantial tumble since the end of the regular season in December. He has been dinged for allegedly getting involved with an agent prior to the Sugar Bowl, blowing off the NFL combine and sporting some hideous man cans at a supposedly unimpressive workout in Tuscaloosa for scouts. All of which has left teams fleeing the Crimson Tide product for fear of amorphous "character issues."
OK, so teams are right to be scared of Smith's judgment. Did they happen to watch him dominate opponents in the best conference in college football last year? When a left tackle has the kind of success Smith had against the SEC's procession of NFL-caliber defensive ends, he's ready to make a difference for your team, and with a quickness. In reality, the things that made Smith such a highly regarded pro prospect in the middle of the 2008 season haven't changed.
In all likelihood, Jason Smith of Baylor or Eugene Monroe of Virginia will go ahead of Smith. A tackle-needy team in the middle of the first round should thank whoever passes on Big Andre.