The Winners and Losers of Round 1 of the NFL Draft
Losers: Rams Select Another Running Back at 10th Overall
Now, I know that that's a vaguely misleading title to this slide, but that is absolutely one way -- and I think a fair one -- to frame the story. The full story is that Todd Gurley, Georgia running back, wasn't only the first running back drafted in Round 1 since David Wilson in 2012, but also the first top-10 running back drafted since Trent Richardson in 2012. Gurley is special, don't get me wrong; he's not just "another running back", and his draft placement reflects that. But was this a smart move for the Rams?
Our own Michael Luchies is optimistic about his prospects for success, if he stays healthy. He writes:
"According to our Net Expected Points (NEP) metric, which quantifies a team’s production in comparison to expectation-level production, the Rams' Rushing NEP adjusted for schedule was tied for 14th (-0.01) in the NFL last year. Due to injuries at quarterback and inconsistency at wide receiver, the Rams were 24th in Adjusted Passing NEP (-0.01). With the addition of Gurley, the Rams improve both their rushing and passing attacks. Newly acquired quarterback Nick Foles gets a breath of fresh air in the backfield next to him as he tries to lead the Rams back to respectability."
I am obviously not contesting Gurley's incredible potential, his fantastic college career (3,900 all-purpose yards, 42 total touchdowns in just 30 games), or the fact that he's an upgrade for the Rams. I simply don't understand why head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead keep hammering the running back picks for this franchise. Speed back bust Isaiah Pead was drafted with the 50th overall in 2012, Daryl Richardson was 252nd overall in 2012, Zac Stacy went at 160th overall in 2013, and then Tre Mason went 75th overall in 2014. It's not that Gurley isn't well above all of these players, it just leaves a sour taste in your mouth to spend that much draft capital on such a dispensable position.
The St. Louis Rams, a bottom-10 team in both pass and run blocking by Pro Football Focus in 2014, could have gotten the highest upside offensive tackle of this class in Stanford's Andrus Peat. Instead, they added more to a stacked position and then threw late-round darts at their offensive line; not a strategy for success.
