Aaron Curry a Draft-Day Gift for St. Louis Rams?

That's the question I'm pondering as I sift through the standard Mel Kiper and Todd McShay draft projections.

Granted, I'm not a nationally recognized "authority",however, I have been an NFL fan since 1968 and a Rams' fan for the same time period. This at least qualifies me to have a marginally educated opinion.

Our Rams have fallen upon dark days in recent memory, and a large part of the problem has been on the defensive side of the ball. The current edition of the defense has more holes than a pair of fishnet stockings. They have no "marquee"defensive players, save for a "long in the tooth" Leonard Little and perhaps emerging star Chris Long.

Most of the mock drafts have the Rams using the second pick on Baylors' Jason Smith or Virginias' Eugene Monroe to replace released OT Orlando Pace. I would like to present the Rams' front office with another option.

I believe the No. 2 pick should be used on Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry whom even the experts proclaim is a "Can't Miss" pick. Currys' combination of size, speed, and athleticism would almost certainly bolster the porous Rams' defense. If the Rams, as expected, want to be a ground attack based team, they will require a staunch defense to stay in games.

The Rams, with picks No. 35 and No. 66 could still get the tackle they need by selecting Mississippis' Mike Oher or Arizonas' Eben Britton. With a little luck, they could also go after Kansas St. QB Josh Freeman (6'5", 248) an intriguing prospect to be the quarterback of the future.

With so many holes on both sides of the ball,the front office needs to draft well and become an active participant in the free agent market in order to avoid another 2-14 season.