St. Louis Rams 2010 NFL Draft Grade
ST. LOUIS
1.01 Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
The Rams did what they had to do at the top. They now have a franchise passer. Bradford will determine the length of Steve Spagnuolo’s career, and he was the consensus #1 QB in this class. Finally Rams fans have a living, breathing quarterback. I think he’ll do alright behind an underrated O line, that could be much better this year, even if they still aren’t anything to write home about. This was the pick they had to make. GRADE: A-
2.33 Rodger Saffold, OT, Indiana
Saffold was an odd pick to some, but Alex Barron won’t be around for long, and Jason Smith might even stay on the right side allowing Saffold to protect Bradford’s backside. Or, he could end up at guard. Somehow, Saffold will find a way to help Bradford out, and that was a big priority for St. Louis. GRADE: B+
3.65 Jerome Murphy, CB, USF
I don’t really like the Murphy pick at all. He was a reach. There were some big issues with his personality and work ethic, and he didn’t do a lot to quell those rumors at the combine with his attitude. He’s got a lot of physical tools, and that may save him, but I wouldn’t ever put my team in a position where they had to rely on him. GRADE: D
3ROUND GRADE: B
4.99 Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati
It’s hard not to like this pick in the fourth. Gilyard was not a guy I was high on, but it’s hard to overlook his production. The Rams needed more weapons for Bradford, and this is at least a nod in the right direction. He’ll help on returns in a big way early on. GRADE: B-
5.132 Michael Hoomanawanui, TE, Illinois
A somewhat nearby kid who is an excellent blocking tight end, Hooma will help Sam Bradford stay upright and off of that shoulder. He’ll also be an effective cog in run blocking. Not a weapon in the traditional sense, but he’ll help. GRADE: C+
5.149 Hall Davis, DE, ULL
Davis is an intriguing guy with good size (6-04 270 range), and nice athleticism. He projected as a possible 4-3 or 3-4 end, and with Spagnuolo at the helm, he could develop more quickly than expected. GRADE: C
6.170 Fendi Onobun, TE, Arizona
This is a pick that no one will pay attention to, but he’s very intriguing. He’s the vertical counterpart to the Hooma pick. A basketball player as well in college, his 6-06 frame at the TE spot will be a familiar site for Sam. GRADE: C+
6.189 Eugene Sims, DE, West Texas A&M
A very raw pass rusher who is way too light to play anytime soon except on strict passing downs, but even then he’s a question. As purely developmental as they get, but with some upside. Still, he’s built like a high school recruit. GRADE: D+
7.211 Marquis Johnson, CB, Alabama
Who knew Bama had three draftable corners in this class? Johnson has the advantage of learning the ropes in Nick Saban’s extremely complex defense, and if he works hard he could be a nice dimeback or special teams bandit. GRADE: C
7.226 George Selvie, DE, USF
I like this pick in the mid seventh. Selvie was a wildman as a junior, and led the nation in just about every DE category. He really fell off after receiving more attention his junior and senior years, but that spark is in there somewhere, and he should be an option on passing downs with good coaching. GRADE: C+
7.254 Josh Hull, ILB, Penn State
The Rams need depth behind James Laurinaitis, and Hull is a tough kid who plays like a PSU ‘backer. He’s got great technique, which masks his athletic deficiencies. Will be a specials guy at least. GRADE: C
Best Pick: Sam Bradford
Worst Pick: Jerome Murphy
Sleeper Pick: Hall Davis
FINAL ANALYSIS
The Rams didn’t fall victim to the Suh Madness. Sure, he would have been a great player for them, but I’m not sure if throwing the ball against an NFL defense is listed among his many strengths. They passed on Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, and Mark Sanchez in recent drafts, and they couldn’t afford to do it again. He may not be the next Peyton Manning, but I think he could be an Eli. He’s got great accuracy, and the added weight will help keep him healthy. Bottom line, when you need a franchise passer, you don’t pass on the chance to draft one. Saffold seems like a really interesting pick. Drafting loads of protection is what many thought Detroit should have done last year, so it’ll be interesting to see the merits of going OT over TE here, even thought STL was dying for Gresham or Best to fall. Saffold will be a starter soon. Hall Davis, George Selvie, and Eugene Sims all have traits that make each a possible hit, but they all have a lot to overcome in terms of consistency and/or strength. DE was a need, but they kind of limped into addressing it.
Hooma and Fendi will be two guys that the Rams have high hopes for, earlier than you might think. There’s no size to this receiving corps, but they have a basketball playing pass-catcher, and a true OT at tight end now. They’re both a little risky, especially Onobun, but they were necessary. I really think Gilyard will do more as a return man than a receiver, but that helps, too. Josh Hull and Marquis Johnson are guys with good collegiate pedigrees and solid potential who could find situational roles after some time on specials. Murphy was an awful pick. One of the worst of the draft. Maybe the Rams will use him at safety, and that could be a giant boost for him, but he was taken way too high over a lot of better players. A lot.
The Rams will get a decent grade here because I love the decision to get their guy at QB instead of falling victim to the same pressure Detroit felt to draft Aaron Curry. Stafford was obviously the right call, and with the protection they’ve bought him, Bradford might follow in those footsteps. Would have liked to see more ammo for him, and the passing game as a whole while he learns, and they didn’t help a bad secondary much. But they got some really solid, if not flashy, guys here and this is a good second class to build off of for the front office.
FINAL GRADE: B
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