Will Rams Pass On Sam Bradford (& Why Is Anyone a Consensus #1 Pick?)

Often in sports drafts the general consensus is that one player will be the top pick in the draft. Most of the time this is true, but what is unclear is why. Do the fans and media put so much pressure on the team that the front office doesn't want to dissapoint? Do they usually agree that this person IS the best player for them?

How when you have a chance at all the best college athletes in the country does one stand out as the clear front runner so often? How does it happen that when in the months leading up to the draft there are multiple players being named as the top guy, but eventually it lands on just one?

When the regular season was winding down, the teams with the worst records were said to be in the "Suh Sweepstakes" (as in Ndamakung Suh) Whoever finishes last will get the privelege of picking him. But then when the season ended and the St. Louis had the worst record Jimmy Clausen became the trendy pick, because hey the Rams need a quarterback don't they? Oh and by the way Gerald McCoy may be better than Suh, if the Rams don't pick Clausen HE will be the guy. Finally the wheel stopped on Bradford, and after his Pro Day he is the guy and almost no chance anyone else takes over.

But after other teams have made a mistake going with this flow how does it still continue?

 The Oakland Raiders and San Fransisco 49ers both made a mistake in this situation, so why did the Lions do it last year or why will the Rams do it this year? Hopefully it has nothing to do with the fans or media, hopefully the scouts and front office are picking players based on evalutions alone.

Unfortunately the temptation to find out what your pick is worth in a trade is too strong. Hypothetically a GM can trade out and still get the player HE thinks is best if they know their trade partner doesn't want the same guy. This inevitably leads to knowing who the rest of the league, media, and fans think the best player is.

So, why might the Rams pass on Bradford? Any number of reasons really. Maybe they like another guy better. Maybe they have realized it isn't always the "best" player being hyped (look at Russell for a great example). Maybe they will look to the NBA, where guys like Michael Jordan, Gary Payton, and Kevin Durant went second overall because supposedly the guys ahead of them were the better choice at the time.

 It's unlikely that the Rams wont do their homework, but who is to say if it's close it wont be the fans and the media pushing them towards Bradford, in a way making that pick?

Just a few draft related things to think about while you are waiting for Thursday to get here.

Looking forward to any feedback, positive or negative.

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