The 2010 NFL Draft is three days away, and here are three teams worth keeping an eye on come draft time.
St. Louis Rams The NFL Draft is always of utmost importance for the team holding the first overall pick. The Rams simply can’t afford to strike out on their selection, especially if it’s a quarterback. The Oakland Raiders made JaMarcus Russell the top pick in 2007, and the franchise has turned into one of the most dysfunctional in the league as Russell has shown to be completely incompetent.
All signs point to the Rams making University of Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford the face of the franchise this Thursday. St. Louis needs help in a lot of areas, but quarterback is the most pressing need. After seeing Kyle Boller, Marc Bulger and Keith Null under center last season, Rams fans know they need a quarterback to build around. The Rams front office sees Bradford as that guy, and they need to be right because the future of the team will largely depend on his NFL success or failure.
Not only does St. Louis need to score a touchdown with their first pick, but they also have to stockpile impact players. The Rams have not dealt any of their draft picks, which means they will select first in each of the draft’s seven rounds. Any potential franchise quarterback is going to need weapons, and the Rams are severely lacking at the wide receiver position. If a highly rated receiving target is available with the 33rd pick, the Rams should pair Bradford with a playmaker. St. Louis needs a lot of help, and their rebuilding process starts on Thursday and continues through Saturday.
Washington Redskins With the Donovan McNabb trade still fresh in the minds of Redskins fans, it is easy to forget just how inept this team was last year. Washington went 4-12, embarrassed itself on Monday Night Football with a trick play against the New York Giants and became the first team to lose to the Detroit Lions since 2007. The problem with the Redskins is that they don’t value the draft enough, opting instead to sign expensive free agents and trade away their picks. The New York Jets are a perfect example of the success a team can have when they draft well and bring in key players. The Redskins need to find this balance.
Washington will have one pick in the first three rounds, highlighting the magnitude of their fourth overall selection. Choosing Brian Orakpo last year was a solid pick, and the Redskins need to continue to plug holes through the draft. The main weakness in Washington is the offensive line, which was a complete disaster and ended up allowing the fourth most sacks in the league last season.
Chris Samuels’ retirement means the left tackle position is open for a cornerstone lineman. For Washington, the decision will come down to University of Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams and Oklahoma State University tackle Russell Okung. This selection needs to be the first step towards repairing the mess that is the offensive line.
San Francisco 49ers This is a team that is ready to make “the jump.” When Head Coach Mike Singletary took over in the middle of the 2008 season, he inherited a squad that had not recorded a winning season since 2002. Singletary significantly changed the culture in San Francisco, leading the team to a 5-4 record in its final nine games of 2008 and an 8-8 mark in 2009.
With the Arizona Cardinals undergoing many changes this offseason, the NFC West is completely up for grabs. San Francisco needs to go out and seize the opportunity. The 49ers swapped a fifth round pick for wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and hold the 13th and 17th overall picks in the draft. In all probability, University of Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen will not slide past the Buffalo Bills, who hold the ninth pick. But if he does, San Francisco would need to take Clausen. Alex Smith is serviceable, but a quarterback upgrade will eventually be needed.
With two picks in the middle of the first round, the team will have a lot of options come Thursday. Should they stay put? Should they package one of their first round picks with a later pick and move up the draft board? Three of the 49ers’ most recent first round picks (Patrick Willis, Joe Staley and Michael Crabtree) have panned out, and the team will need to continue to make the right decisions as they prepare for a run within the division.
As the NFL Draft nears, can the Rams accelerate their rebuilding process? Will the Redskins fix a glaring weakness? Can the 49ers begin to set themselves up for a successful 2010? These three teams, like the rest of the league, are now on the clock.
You can reach this staff writer at ttomea@theeagleonline.com.
