St. Louis Rams Must Draft a Wide Receiver in First Round of 2012 NFL Draft

The St. Louis Rams have many holes that need to be filled this off-season.

Although the team has some room to work with in terms of draft picks and cap space, it'll be two or three years until St. Louis is a finished product and the Rams return to respectability.

The future of St. Louis rests on the shoulders of Sam Bradford.

The young, third-year quarterback has been badly bruised and beaten in his career and regressed last season as a result. But, despite calls to give up on him, Bradford's potential is still there. And a great No.1 receiver is just the thing needed to bring it out.

Mark Clayton, Donnie Avery, Brandon Gibson, Laurent Robinson, Danny Amendola, Greg Salas, Nick Miller.

These are some of the receivers that the Rams have had in recent years. And most are injury-prone, busts, disappointments or just inadequate.

This is what Sam Bradford has had to deal with during his career. Not to say that these guys are horrible—Clayton could be decent if healthy, and Amendola has some promise as a slot man—but they're not really what you look for in a receiving corps.

At best, the Rams have a lot of No. 3 and a few No. 2 wideouts.

Last season, the St. Louis offense ranked at the bottom of the league in points scored, yardage per game and passing yardage per game. Steven Jackson can carry the running game for the next few years, but getting Bradford a go-to guy is key to improving the offense. 

It might not be the return of the Greatest Show on Turf, but Justin Blackmon would go a long way to help improve those offensive rankings. After watching his eight catch, 186 yard, three TD Fiesta Bowl performance, the fact that Blackmon is a true game breaker is undeniable.

The Rams would be getting a rookie who would demand a double team from the moment he steps on the field.

Michael Floyd of Notre Dame, another WR prospect, would bring a skill set similar to that of Blackmon. But an intriguing prospect for the Rams should be Kendall Wright out of Baylor.

He is a speed demon, who also has the hands and route running to play all over the field. Both would most likely come at a lesser cost than Blackmon, while bringing No.1-receiver talent to the team.

O-lineman is also a major need for the team, and as the Rams are probably going to trade down from the No. 2 spot anyways. Let's assume, for argument's sake, that they are able to trade out for two lower first-round picks this year.

This would allow the Rams to take one of the higher rated, certainly franchise-quality left tackles, while still getting a first-round talent at wide receiver. 

If it ends up that St.Louis only has one first round pick in the end, the need for a No.1 receiver is still greater and will demand that one be selected in the first round. This is illustrated by the differences between the positional depth of the WR and OL pools.

There is a much greater amount of quality blockers in this year's draft class than pass-catchers. After the first round and the trio of Blackmon, Wright and Floyd are off the board, the receivers below them lack true No.1 talent, and their ability to be immediate contributors decreases as quickly as the rounds they're drafted in.

Another reason why getting a game breaker at WR to improve the offense is so important, is because the defense will need some support eventually to be able to keep improving. 

Chris Long and Co. played pretty well last season, considering the injuries they dealt with and the fact that they were almost always playing from behind. They can still get a lot better, but the offense needs to give them more leads to protect, rather than just putting the pressure on the defense to keep the team in the game.

It's just like in baseball, where the pitcher can only do so much, a complete gem of a game is worthless without some offensive run support behind him.

The Rams' defense can only do so much. When they're on the field for seemingly most of the game after quick three and outs, sooner or later, they'll break, making the need for an offense that can match point with opposing teams of increased importance.

Great QB-WR combos in NFL history ended up changing and affecting their eras in myriad ways. From Unitas and Berry, to Aikman and Irvin, to Montana and Rice, often a great quarterback finds that higher level when he connects with an equally great receiver. 

Brandon Lloyd is not that transcending receiver anymore.

But Bradford to (insert Floyd, Blackmon, or Wright here), could be. Just look at how having a target like Calvin Johnson makes Matthew Stafford that much better, and you'll see how getting a No.1 receiver could put Bradford in famed, and prolific company.

In the end, the Rams will go as far as Sam Bradford takes them. Their fate depends on how much he grows and improves as a quarterback in the next few years.

Of all the ways they could help him—and, by extension, help the team—getting a top-flight pass-catcher would be the most positive move.