Pancake Blocks Mock: Pick No. 2
The Rams came away with what looks to be a keeper at No. 2 overall last year, drafting Virginia DE Chris Long. St. Louis hopes it won't be drafting second again for a long time. Here's Evan Silva with his Rams mock pick.
Rams GM Billy Devaney will entertain any and all phone calls on draft day. He's trying to fill in a roster full of holes. The reality is that teams don't trade into the top two and Devaney must use the pick on the best remaining offensive tackle after releasing Orlando Pace. Alex Barron will probably keep a starting job, but is entering the last year of his contract and is barely a replacement-level first stringer.
Eugene Monroe played in a pro-style offense at Virginia. He comes highly recommended by former NFL coach Al Groh and is a gifted slide-and-glide lineman with franchise left tackle potential. Monroe was the reason Groh never needed to move Branden Albert from guard to tackle. Albert, last year's No. 15 overall pick, started 15 games in his first NFL season and would've been a first-team All Rookie pick if Ryan Clady and Jake Long weren't so good.
There's little reason to believe Monroe won't pan out just as well as Albert, and he might be better.
With the second pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Rams (should) select Eugene Monroe OT / UVA.
2009 Pancake Blocks Mock Draft
1. Detroit Lions (Sparty) - Jason Smith
2. St. Louis Rams (Evan) - Eugene Monroe
3. Chiefs (The Dude Abides): On the Clock
Comments
Again, you can't really argue with a team with major O-Line issues taking a tackle at the top of a draft, especially after the Rams let Pace go.
Posted by: Jesse | April 13, 2009 04:44 PM
evan, do u like monroe better than jason smith?
Posted by: scott | April 13, 2009 04:54 PM
there's little obvious separation. i think smith has more upside, but monroe looks a little safer. both seem to have pretty low downsides, though. so i'd take smith's slightly higher ceiling if i had to choose between the two.
Posted by: evan | April 13, 2009 04:58 PM
"high" downsides i meant.
Posted by: evan | April 13, 2009 05:09 PM
Solid pick, and Pace getting released makes it very telling which way STL is going with theirs. They know they will get either Smith or Monroe on draft day and perhaps have their pick of the 2.
Posted by: Matt G | April 13, 2009 06:02 PM
I love this draft, but cmon, tick tick, lets keep er moving.
In the meantime challenge my BRUTE for supremacy!: http://tspmutt.mybrute.com/
Good fun in the downtime
Posted by: ThatguyAgain | April 13, 2009 06:13 PM
I'd be blown away if the Rams didn't take Smith or Monroe.
Posted by: Mark Parisi | April 13, 2009 08:22 PM