2012 NFL Draft: 5 Picks the St. Louis Rams Must Make to Start New Era off Right

The most important step to building a winning team is getting the core players who will be there for a long time, to make it happen. 

The Rams have guys like that in James Laurinaitis, Chris Long, and Sam Bradford. And now Les Snead's job as the new general manager is get players to complement them.

The organization's track record in adding players the last few years hasn't been horrible, but there have been too many misses and busts that have held the team back.

Here is a look at the positions St. Louis needs to fix, upgrade and get right in the coming draft.

Offensive Lineman

Sam Bradford was on the ground more often than not last season, mainly because of an extremely porous offensive line that allowed him to be sacked an alarming 36 times.

Despite running behind the same O-line, somehow Steven Jackson managed another 1000+ yard season, but his touchdown number was abysmally low considering his talent.

This is one of the most important needs to be addressed, as the Rams have struck out on most of their O-line additions in recent years. We could see new faces at guard and center, as well as tackle.

Possible Candidates:

Ben Jones- Center, 6-3, 304 pounds, Georgia

Mitchell Schwartz- Left/Right Tackle, 6-5, 310 pounds, Cal

Kevin Zeitler- Right Guard, 6-4, 318 pounds, Wisconsin

Riley Reiff- Left Tackle, 6-6, 300 pounds, Iowa

Defensive Tackle

The Rams gave up the most rushing yards of any team last season, at a pace of 152 yards per game. The defensive line lacks someone who can occupy blockers and clog up the middle of the field, as well as an interior complement to developing bookend rushers in Long and Quinn.

All of the defensive tackles on the team are old and ineffective, and the Rams would be best served by starting over at the position. Plus, upgrades on the line will take some pressure off the rest of the defense.

 Possible Candidates:

Fletcher Cox- 6-4, 295 pounds, Mississippi State. Skill set similar to that of Nick Fairley, high effort and character. 

Kheeston Randall- 6-5, 305 pounds, Texas. Developmental pick, very experienced, good run stopper, high upside.

Marcus Forston- 6-3, 300 pounds, Miami. Has the physical tools, good pass rusher as well as anchor against the run, significant injury concerns

Jerel Worthy- 6-3, 310 pounds, Michigan State. Strong, explosive, plays both the run and pass well.

Linebacker

This is another position that the Rams have mainly bungled. There are no starting caliber linebackers to pair with Laurinaitis, and both the ILB and OLB positions lack athleticism.

Last season was full of role players and no name guys like Zac Diles and Bryan Kehl. However, that will start to change as a speedy outside linebacker will be one of the needs addressed in the 2012 draft, and insurance behind Laurinaitis will also be added.

Possible Candidates:

Sean Spence- OLB, 5-11, 224 pounds, Miami. A little undersized, but smart, fast, explosive hitter, some pass rushing potential

Travis Lewis- OLB, 6-2, 228 pounds, Oklahoma. Another smart player, reliable tackler, four year starter with high character

Audie Cole- ILB, 6-4, 239 pounds, North Carolina State. Has the versatility to play both inside and outside linebacker, good in coverage as well as run defense

Chris Galippo- ILB, 6-2, 250 pounds, USC. Solid all-around game, high effort player, but lacks the athleticism and speed to be a starter.

Wide Receiver

I have advocated for the drafting of Justin Blackmon, but any of the other top three receivers in Jeffery, Floyd, and Wright would be acceptable picks.

The Rams have a lot of No. 3 receivers, and a few No. 2's. This has held back the development of Sam Bradford and been a major reason that the offense is at the bottom of the league in points scored and yardage per game.

It's important that the team take one of the top four receivers in the draft, because after them, the talent level and game breaking ability starts to spiral quickly. Along with OL, wideout is one of the positions where St.Louis can least afford to bust.

Possible Candidates:

Justin Blackmon- 6-1, 215 pounds, Oklahoma State. Great all around skill set, awesome route runner, has drawn comparisons to Terrell Owens talent but also a class act.

Kendall Wright- 5-10, 190 pounds, Baylor. Top flight speed and acceleration, very impressive body control, high effort and competitive fire.

Juron Criner- 6-4, 215 pounds, Arizona. Looking like a possession receiver, but with some upside. Physical player with good hands and route running, red zone threat, may be drafted higher if 40 time is good.

Runningback

Steven Jackson has a few good years left in him, but it's time to start looking at some replacements, or at least add some versatility to the backfield. 

This could go either way: Getting the every down running back who can start, or the third down/big play threat who can line up in the backfield as well as in the slot.

Possible Candidates:

Bernard Pierce- 6-0, 218 pounds, Temple. Physical runner, patient with good cuts both inside and out, has quickness and elusive moves but lacks breakaway speed, highly productive in college.

Chris Rainey- 5-8, 178 pounds, Florida. Perhaps the most explosive and fastest prospect in the draft. Extremely agile, figures to be a Percy Harvin-type of player at the next level. Could contribute from the backfield, in the slot and as a return man on special teams. 

Isaiah Pead- 5-10, 193 pounds, Cincinnati. Great speed, good receiver, can run inside but will be most successful outside stretching the defense, could bulk up some more.