St. Louis Rams: Mocking Billy Devaney's Draft Record

Google Billy Devaney.  Try it sometime. 

You will see "Billy Devaney Ryan Leaf" as one of Google's search options before you are done typing "Devaney." 

Devaney was the director of player personnel for the San Diego Chargers when they drafted Leaf. Of course, he was perhaps the biggest bust in the history of the NFL draft (apologies to JaMarcus Russell).  

That is not something you want on your resume if you have aspirations to be an executive in the NFL.

To be fair, Devaney wasn't the GM.  He didn't have the final say in drafting Leaf.  But, he did contribute to the Ryan Leaf stink bomb in San Diego. 

After that, Devaney went to work for the Atlanta Falcons.  I'll give credit where it's due, Devaney did help rebuild the roster in Atlanta. 

However, and I'll say it again, he wasn't the guy calling the shots in Atlanta. 

The Rams hired Devaney in February of 2008.  Since then, Devaney has been the man in charge of rebuilding the Rams, quite possibly the worst roster in the NFL. 

The Rams were awful when Davaney took over, which wasn't his fault.  However, awful teams get to pick higher in the draft, and Devaney didn't always make the best choices.

That part is his fault. 

Here is a rundown of the worst teams in the NFL (the teams that were similar to the Rams) from the 2008 NFL draft to the 2010 NFL draft (when the Rams drafted Sam Bradford):

2008 Draft Order

1 Miami (1-15), 2 St. Louis (3-13), 3 Atlanta (4-12), 4 Oakland (4-12), 5 Kansas City (4-12), 6 NY Jets (4-12), 22 (traded back in the draft) Baltimore (5-11) 

2009 Draft Order

1 Detroit (0-16), 2 St. Louis (1-15), 3 Kansas City (2-14), 4 Seattle (2-14), 5 NY Jets (traded up, took Cleveland's pick), 6 Cincinnati (4-11-1), 7 Oakland (5-11)

2010 Draft Order

1 St. Louis (1-15), 2 Detroit (2-14), 3 Tampa Bay (3-13), 4 Washington (4-12), 5 Kansas City (4-12), 6 Seattle (5-11), 7 Cleveland (5-11), 8 Oakland (5-11)

Just looking at the teams picking at the top of the first round, it is a who's who of the worst football teams I've watched in my lifetime.

Miami (remember when we thought they would go 0-16?), Detroit (remember when they did go 0-16?), Atlanta (after Vick went to prison, they were horrible), Oakland (truly awful for about a 10-year stretch).

And, don't forget the Jets (before Rex Ryan, they were pathetic), Cincinnati (do I even need to say anything?) and the Redskins (even Daniel Snyder spending like a spoiled rich kid couldn't save them from being terrible).

But, a lot of those teams got it right with those first-round picks.

Detroit took Stafford (2009) and Suh (2010), and now it's one of the best young teams in the league.  Same for Tampa Bay, picking Freeman (2009) and McCoy (2010). 

Three teams climbed out of the basement by picking quarterbacks: Atlanta (Matt Ryan), the Jets (Mark Sanchez) and Baltimore (Joe Flacco) won't be picking in the top five anytime soon with those guys under center. 

Of course, the Rams didn't do terribly with their first-round picks either.

They picked Chris Long (2008), Jason Smith (2009) and Sam Bradford (2010).  Bradford looks like he is going to be a superstar.  Long has All Pro potential.  Jason Smith is the only one that has bust potential, but even Smith might turn out to be a solid starter at right tackle.

It isn't Devaney's first-round picks that are killing him, though.  The reason the Rams are light years behind other young teams like Detroit and Tampa Bay is because of the poor work Devaney did after the first round.

Warning: Reading any further might make Rams fans puke on their keyboard.

Here is a breakdown of every player Billy Devaney has drafted, what round they were drafted in and their role/potential with the Rams: 

Round 1: Chris Long (starter, All Pro potential), Round 2: Donnie Avery (cut), Round 3: John Greco (cut), Round 4: Justin King (role player), Round 4: Kennan Burton (cut), Round 5: Roy Schuening (cut), Round 7: Chris Chamberlain (role player), Round 7: David Vobora (cut)

Round 1: Jason Smith (starter, Bust potential), Round 2: James Laurinaitis (starter, All Pro potential), Round 3: Bradley Fletcher (starter, injured), Round 4: Darrell Scott (role player), Round 5: Brooks Foster (cut), Round 6: Keith Null (cut), Round 7: Chris Ogbonnaya (cut)

Round 1: Sam Bradford (starter, MVP potential), Round 2: Roger Saffold (starter), Round 3: Jerome Murphy (starter, injured), Round 4: Mardy Gilyard (cut), Round 5: Michael Hoomanawanui (role player, often injured), Round 5: Hall Davis (cut), Round 6: Fendi Onobun (cut), Round 6: Eugene Sims (role player, good potential), Round 7: George Selvie (cut), Round 7: Josh Hull (cut)

So, add that up. We have cut a second-round pick, a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick. 

That is totally unacceptable. 

We have received zero production from our third-round picks and very little production from our fourth-round picks.

And what about Rounds 5-7?  Do we have even one impact player from those rounds?  Maybe Eugene Sims?  Maybe?

So while the Rams are striking out in the draft, other teams are busy building rosters through the draft.  Look no further than the Rams' most recent opponent, the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Green Bay Packers.

Here is a rundown of the Packers' draft picks from 2008 to 2011 that are currently on the Green Bay Roster:

Derek Sherrod, Randall Cobb, Bryan Baluga, Mike Neal, Marshall Newhouse (fifth round), James Starks (sixth round), CJ Wilson (seventh round), BJ Raji, Clay Matthews, TJ Lang (fourth round), Jarius Wynn (sixth round), Brandon Underwood (sixth round), Brad Jones (seventh round), Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley, Jeremy Thompson (fourth round), Josh Sitton (fourth round)

I might have missed one or two players, but you get the point.

The Packers' roster is loaded with impact players that were drafted by the Packers! 

Meanwhile, the Rams just can't seem to get it right when it comes to the draft.  Sure, some of it is bad luck (injuries), but there is a reason the Rams will be picking in the top five of the NFL draft this April.

Billy Devaney hasn't delivered in the "money rounds," the mid to late rounds of the draft.

With the recent Brandon Lloyd trade, some Rams fans got really upset that we traded a conditional sixth-round draft pick.  I just had to laugh and shake my head. 

Really?  You are upset?

Let Denver make that pick instead.  Surely they will have better luck than Billy Devaney.