Like the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, the St. Louis Rams have a variety of options with the No. 2 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, as they could draft a stud wide receiver in Sammy Watkins, yank a blue-chip prospect on defense in Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack, pick up a top offensive tackle prospect, or trade down (still the most likely option if there is at least one legitimate suitor). The Rams are expected to draft a quarterback after the first round in case they can find a franchise quarterback to take over if Sam Bradford flops, and it is difficult to envision them taking a QB with their first first-round pick.
That said, there’s actually a possibility of them taking one of the “big four” quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class, as the MMQB’s Peter King reports that the St. Louis Rams “really like” Johnny Manziel, who is the riskiest player in this year’s class. Questions about how his playing style (hits, bypassing easy throws and all) translates to his NFL make him a big gamble, but he undoubtedly has excellent physical tools and looked excellent against tough defenses through the air during his college career. Manziel is lightning-in-a-bottle, and those prospects almost always carry a big boom-or-bust label.
King reports that the Rams “would consider” drafting Manziel with the 13th pick overall if he’s still there, but King unsurprisingly adds that while this scenario is possible, it is unlikely for them to snag Manziel even if he is on the board at 13. Per King, the Rams held an impressive workout with Manziel, and I wonder if they could take him later on in the draft (the second round) if they trade down far enough and get enough of a haul in that deal. I think Manziel isn’t worth taking for the Rams since he’s too big of a risk, but this is an interesting topic to keep an eye on.
Maybe more interesting is King’s statement that the Rams would prefer to take Auburn Tigers product Greg Robinson with the No. 2 overall pick than either Sammy Watkins or Jake Matthews. Robinson is an excellent prospect, but I don’t view offensive tackle as a big enough need for the Rams. My preference for the Rams at No. 2 is a trade down and the selection of Mike Evans, or even the selection of Khalil Mack at No. 2. Robinson wouldn’t be a bad choice, though, and this report is yet another indication that the Rams might not view Watkins as nearly as good of a fit for them as most of us do.
