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Well, this is it for me, guys. Glad the Rams let me know that they'd be picking #1 before my final mock. Have exams coming up over the next couple weeks so I want to knock this out now. There are rumors on a Rams forum that the Rams agreed to terms with Donte Whitner or are about to. So I'm including him as a Ram in this mock. As I always specify, I'm not trying to guess what the Rams would do; this is what I would do in their shoes.
Trade
Rams trade Round 4 Pick #12 and QB Nick Foles
Cowboys trade WR Terrance Williams and Round 6 Pick #14
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEcCjRn6rhQ
I still strongly feel that the Rams need to acquire a veteran WR before the season. My preference is Anquan Boldin because he's a FA. But that doesn't seem to be likely to happen. I think Williams is likely the best WR available for trade. He's going into the final year of his contract and has been inconsistent thus far in his career. However, I liked him as a prospect and he was a Baylor WR which means that he had a large learning curve coming into the NFL. Williams is still an inconsistent route runner at this point in his career. He'll run some absolutely beautiful routes at times and at other times, he'll drift coming out of his break or fail to work back to the QB. His hands are also inconsistent. However, he's a physically gifted WR who can separate vertically and works the sidelines well. He's also not afraid to go over the middle. Essentially, he offers what Rueben Randle would have...except I haven't heard any bad things about his work ethic/character or his durability/injury history. He's a physically talented player with upside who has shown flashes of greatness but is still prone to a lot of inconsistency. I think he's worth the gamble. Plus, we get rid of Foles which makes me happy. Dallas reportedly likes him.
NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #1 - Jared Goff QB California
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTNZjkdPTe8
Analysis: In terms of style, I think Goff compares most to Manning but I think his realistic ceiling is Rivers as expecting anyone to be Manning is unrealistic. According to Goff's OC, he was responsible for the entire offense at the LOS. He could call audible, change protections, change routes, etc. He had full freedom. Goff and his WRs develop hand signals to change their routes when they noticed an advantage. As a player, Goff is the best pure thrower in this class. He possesses a good but not elite arm. However, he has top shelf accuracy, touch, and anticipation. Goff put on a show at the Combine. On top of his throwing ability, Goff possesses extremely quick feet and polished footwork. He moves effortlessly in the pocket and is always in position to throw. Goff's instincts and feel for the pocket are as good as any QB that came out in the past few years. What issues does Goff have? He's coming out of an offense without a dense playbook and he has a thinnish frame at 6'4" 215. Oh, and his hands are 9 inches which is right at the bottom of the allowable range. Still, I don't think these are major issues. This kid is a future franchise QB and if he ends up on the Rams, we'll win at least one Super Bowl.
NFL Comparison: Philip Rivers
Round 4 Pick #15 - Mike Thomas WR Southern Miss
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5hq-x4_5UA
Analysis: Yep, I have us drafting another WR. We've had success in the past doubling up on positions. Thomas is a very talented guy who's been overlooked despite steller production. He only has two years of college tape because he was a JUCO transfer. Thomas was snubbed by the Combine despite putting up 1391 yards, 14 TDs, and nearly 20 yards per catch this year. I tossed out Antonio Bryant as a comparison because they have similar games and body types. Like Bryant, Thomas is a guy who can get vertical and win jump-balls and pull down tough catches in traffic. He can also create yardage after the catch. He's ultra-competitive and has great instincts for timing his jumps and adjusting to the football in the air. However, like Antonio Bryant, Thomas is prone to bouts of inconsistency with his hands and route running. He suffers from concentration drops but makes the tough catches look routine. Unlike Bryant, Thomas does not have significant off the field problems (that I know of). Thomas is an intriguing player in the mid rounds because he's an explosive player with the ability to make extremely acrobatic catches and win 50-50 balls but he still is pretty raw and inconsistent. He needs to get a bit bigger and stronger in order to better get off of press coverage in the NFL. Still, he has a lot of upside.
NFL Comparison: Antonio Bryant
Round 6 Pick #2 - Dan Vitale TE/FB Northwestern
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeKI9mm_ZZY
Analysis: I bet you the Patriots love this guy. Vitale did everything for Northwestern. He lined up in the slot at WR, he played inline TE, he lead-blocked as a FB, and he pass blocked as a HB. At 6'1" 240, Vitale isn't your traditional TE but I love him for the Jared Cook role in the Rams offense. Vitale blew up the Combine posting the best 40, vertical jump, broad jump, short shuttle, and most bench press reps of any tight end. Vitale's official 40 was a 4.60 but many had him clocked in the 4.5s. When you turn on the film, you definitely see the speed to get over the top of the defense and the quickness to separate as a route runner. Vitale also was heavily praised during Senior Bowl week for his pass protection and run blocking skills. Vitale still is developing as a receiver because he moved around so much. His route running footwork needs to become more efficient and he needs to improve his coverage recognition skills and route awareness. Those will come with time, though. However, Vitale offers outstanding athleticism, sure hands, and great run after catch skills. As a blocker, his lack of length will hurt him inline. He'll have some trouble against DLs and longer LBs. However, he's a strong, physical kid who loves to hit. He's very much a willing blocker. He can definitely improve his blocking in space as he plays a bit out of control and he needs to use his hands better while run blocking. That all said, the desire is there and the strength is there. The only down side to his strength is that his frame is just about maxed out. Still, this is a kid that you can move all around the formation with the talent to take advantages of mismatches on the field. I'll tell you this much; he does not go down easy when he gets the ball in his hands. Some team is going to end up with one heck of a move TE.
NFL Comparison: Dallas Clark
Round 6 Pick #14 - Matt Ioannidis DT Temple
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUY9y8vCW-w
Analysis: The Rams really are lacking in DT depth right now. We have Westbrooks and Coples who can slide inside but are both probably better at DE. Our only true DT backup is Trinca-Passat. Ioannidis is an experienced, intelligent player who can immediately step into a role as a rotational run stuffer. He doesn't have a lot of pass rush potential because he's limited in terms of his change of direction and twitch but he's a strong guy who can push the pocket. He's an involved run stuffer who uses his strength and savvy to get into the back-field. Can also hold his own against double teams. Intelligent player who does a nice job of consistently finding the ball and carrying out his assignments. He played all over the interior DL for Temple from 0-Tech to 3-Tech. He also had a strong post-season which included performing well at the Senior Bowl. One of the best things about his game is that when he hits a guy, the guy goes down. He's a hard hitter but also a technically sound tackler. Not a flash player type but he's a good glue guy who can play snaps for us without being a liability.
NFL Comparison: Jeff Zgonina
Round 6 Pick #15 - Evan Boehm C Missouri
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWDstknJHEw
Analysis: Boehm is a tough as nails player who was consistently great over his career at Missouri. The Rams might as well make use of the depth and talent at Center in this draft. Boehm offers the Rams a difference-making run blocker at Center. He has rare power and drive blocking ability for a Center along with a nasty disposition. This allows him to absolutely maul defenders at the LOS and handle the power of NTs. Why will Boehm fall to Day 3 if he's such a powerful guy and great player in the SEC? He lacks the foot speed and quickness to play in a true ZBS and doesn't have the height and arm length a lot of teams look for. That all said, he fits our scheme well and has the sort of work ethic and passion for the game that makes me believe he can develop into an effective NFL pass blocker. I compared him to Incognito but he has the common sense that Incognito lacks. He plays the game with a similar mean streak but doesn't kill his team with bone-headed mistakes.
NFL Comparison: Richie Incognito
Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Todd Gurley
WR: Kenny Britt
WR: Tavon Austin
WR: Terrance Williams
TE: Lance Kendricks
LT: Greg Robinson
LG: Jamon Brown v. Garret Reynolds
C: Tim Barnes
RG: Cody Wichmann v. Rodger Saffold
RT: Rob Havenstein
LDE: Will Hayes
NT: Michael Brockers
UT: Aaron Donald
RDE: Robert Quinn
WLB: Mark Barron
MLB: Alec Ogletree
CB: Trumaine Johnson
CB: E.J. Gaines
CB: LaMarcus Joyner
FS: T.J. McDonald
SS: Donte Whitner
K: Greg Zuerlein v. Ross Martin (UDFA)
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
Trade
Rams trade Round 4 Pick #12 and QB Nick Foles
Cowboys trade WR Terrance Williams and Round 6 Pick #14
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEcCjRn6rhQ
I still strongly feel that the Rams need to acquire a veteran WR before the season. My preference is Anquan Boldin because he's a FA. But that doesn't seem to be likely to happen. I think Williams is likely the best WR available for trade. He's going into the final year of his contract and has been inconsistent thus far in his career. However, I liked him as a prospect and he was a Baylor WR which means that he had a large learning curve coming into the NFL. Williams is still an inconsistent route runner at this point in his career. He'll run some absolutely beautiful routes at times and at other times, he'll drift coming out of his break or fail to work back to the QB. His hands are also inconsistent. However, he's a physically gifted WR who can separate vertically and works the sidelines well. He's also not afraid to go over the middle. Essentially, he offers what Rueben Randle would have...except I haven't heard any bad things about his work ethic/character or his durability/injury history. He's a physically talented player with upside who has shown flashes of greatness but is still prone to a lot of inconsistency. I think he's worth the gamble. Plus, we get rid of Foles which makes me happy. Dallas reportedly likes him.
NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #1 - Jared Goff QB California
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTNZjkdPTe8
Analysis: In terms of style, I think Goff compares most to Manning but I think his realistic ceiling is Rivers as expecting anyone to be Manning is unrealistic. According to Goff's OC, he was responsible for the entire offense at the LOS. He could call audible, change protections, change routes, etc. He had full freedom. Goff and his WRs develop hand signals to change their routes when they noticed an advantage. As a player, Goff is the best pure thrower in this class. He possesses a good but not elite arm. However, he has top shelf accuracy, touch, and anticipation. Goff put on a show at the Combine. On top of his throwing ability, Goff possesses extremely quick feet and polished footwork. He moves effortlessly in the pocket and is always in position to throw. Goff's instincts and feel for the pocket are as good as any QB that came out in the past few years. What issues does Goff have? He's coming out of an offense without a dense playbook and he has a thinnish frame at 6'4" 215. Oh, and his hands are 9 inches which is right at the bottom of the allowable range. Still, I don't think these are major issues. This kid is a future franchise QB and if he ends up on the Rams, we'll win at least one Super Bowl.
NFL Comparison: Philip Rivers
Round 4 Pick #15 - Mike Thomas WR Southern Miss
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5hq-x4_5UA
Analysis: Yep, I have us drafting another WR. We've had success in the past doubling up on positions. Thomas is a very talented guy who's been overlooked despite steller production. He only has two years of college tape because he was a JUCO transfer. Thomas was snubbed by the Combine despite putting up 1391 yards, 14 TDs, and nearly 20 yards per catch this year. I tossed out Antonio Bryant as a comparison because they have similar games and body types. Like Bryant, Thomas is a guy who can get vertical and win jump-balls and pull down tough catches in traffic. He can also create yardage after the catch. He's ultra-competitive and has great instincts for timing his jumps and adjusting to the football in the air. However, like Antonio Bryant, Thomas is prone to bouts of inconsistency with his hands and route running. He suffers from concentration drops but makes the tough catches look routine. Unlike Bryant, Thomas does not have significant off the field problems (that I know of). Thomas is an intriguing player in the mid rounds because he's an explosive player with the ability to make extremely acrobatic catches and win 50-50 balls but he still is pretty raw and inconsistent. He needs to get a bit bigger and stronger in order to better get off of press coverage in the NFL. Still, he has a lot of upside.
NFL Comparison: Antonio Bryant
Round 6 Pick #2 - Dan Vitale TE/FB Northwestern
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeKI9mm_ZZY
Analysis: I bet you the Patriots love this guy. Vitale did everything for Northwestern. He lined up in the slot at WR, he played inline TE, he lead-blocked as a FB, and he pass blocked as a HB. At 6'1" 240, Vitale isn't your traditional TE but I love him for the Jared Cook role in the Rams offense. Vitale blew up the Combine posting the best 40, vertical jump, broad jump, short shuttle, and most bench press reps of any tight end. Vitale's official 40 was a 4.60 but many had him clocked in the 4.5s. When you turn on the film, you definitely see the speed to get over the top of the defense and the quickness to separate as a route runner. Vitale also was heavily praised during Senior Bowl week for his pass protection and run blocking skills. Vitale still is developing as a receiver because he moved around so much. His route running footwork needs to become more efficient and he needs to improve his coverage recognition skills and route awareness. Those will come with time, though. However, Vitale offers outstanding athleticism, sure hands, and great run after catch skills. As a blocker, his lack of length will hurt him inline. He'll have some trouble against DLs and longer LBs. However, he's a strong, physical kid who loves to hit. He's very much a willing blocker. He can definitely improve his blocking in space as he plays a bit out of control and he needs to use his hands better while run blocking. That all said, the desire is there and the strength is there. The only down side to his strength is that his frame is just about maxed out. Still, this is a kid that you can move all around the formation with the talent to take advantages of mismatches on the field. I'll tell you this much; he does not go down easy when he gets the ball in his hands. Some team is going to end up with one heck of a move TE.
NFL Comparison: Dallas Clark
Round 6 Pick #14 - Matt Ioannidis DT Temple
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUY9y8vCW-w
Analysis: The Rams really are lacking in DT depth right now. We have Westbrooks and Coples who can slide inside but are both probably better at DE. Our only true DT backup is Trinca-Passat. Ioannidis is an experienced, intelligent player who can immediately step into a role as a rotational run stuffer. He doesn't have a lot of pass rush potential because he's limited in terms of his change of direction and twitch but he's a strong guy who can push the pocket. He's an involved run stuffer who uses his strength and savvy to get into the back-field. Can also hold his own against double teams. Intelligent player who does a nice job of consistently finding the ball and carrying out his assignments. He played all over the interior DL for Temple from 0-Tech to 3-Tech. He also had a strong post-season which included performing well at the Senior Bowl. One of the best things about his game is that when he hits a guy, the guy goes down. He's a hard hitter but also a technically sound tackler. Not a flash player type but he's a good glue guy who can play snaps for us without being a liability.
NFL Comparison: Jeff Zgonina
Round 6 Pick #15 - Evan Boehm C Missouri
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWDstknJHEw
Analysis: Boehm is a tough as nails player who was consistently great over his career at Missouri. The Rams might as well make use of the depth and talent at Center in this draft. Boehm offers the Rams a difference-making run blocker at Center. He has rare power and drive blocking ability for a Center along with a nasty disposition. This allows him to absolutely maul defenders at the LOS and handle the power of NTs. Why will Boehm fall to Day 3 if he's such a powerful guy and great player in the SEC? He lacks the foot speed and quickness to play in a true ZBS and doesn't have the height and arm length a lot of teams look for. That all said, he fits our scheme well and has the sort of work ethic and passion for the game that makes me believe he can develop into an effective NFL pass blocker. I compared him to Incognito but he has the common sense that Incognito lacks. He plays the game with a similar mean streak but doesn't kill his team with bone-headed mistakes.
NFL Comparison: Richie Incognito
Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Todd Gurley
WR: Kenny Britt
WR: Tavon Austin
WR: Terrance Williams
TE: Lance Kendricks
LT: Greg Robinson
LG: Jamon Brown v. Garret Reynolds
C: Tim Barnes
RG: Cody Wichmann v. Rodger Saffold
RT: Rob Havenstein
LDE: Will Hayes
NT: Michael Brockers
UT: Aaron Donald
RDE: Robert Quinn
WLB: Mark Barron
MLB: Alec Ogletree
CB: Trumaine Johnson
CB: E.J. Gaines
CB: LaMarcus Joyner
FS: T.J. McDonald
SS: Donte Whitner
K: Greg Zuerlein v. Ross Martin (UDFA)
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
