NFL St Louis Rams

2015 NFL Draft: Too-Early St. Louis Rams 7-Round Mock

2015 NFL Draft: Super Early St. Louis Rams 7-Round Mock

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Over the past decade, the highlight of the St. Louis Rams’ season has generally occurred during the league’s annual selection festivity formally known as the NFL Draft. It may have been another lackluster season record-wise in St. Louis, but there is plenty of reason to think the Rams are just a consistent quarterback away from contender status. Here is an early seven-round mock to see just how they can make the leap in 2015.

Round 1 --- Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Round 1 --- Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s probably a bit optimistic to expect Jameis Winston to slip this far down the board, but the Rams would be ecstatic to land the most pro-ready QB prospect in this year’s draft class. He comes equipped with an NFL arm from a pro-style offense making throws into tight windows on a regular basis. There are plenty of attitude questions with Winston, but there is absolutely no doubting him in terms of wins and losses or natural ability.

Round 2 --- Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Round 2 --- Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The failure of Brian Quick to develop combined with the unexpected mid-season release of Austin Pettis leaves the Rams a bit thin at wideout. This combination of factors would make a potential selection of Sammie Coates the ideal pick given the lack of size in the Rams’ current receiving corps. At 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, Coates plays much bigger with terrific leaping ability, and he would make an instant impact for a lackluster offense.

Round 3 --- Arie Kouandjio, OG, Alabama

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Round 3 --- Arie Kouandjio, OG, Alabama

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Interior line play has been a bit of an issue for the Rams over the past few seasons, and an addition like Arie Kouandjio would rectify that problem immediately. At a powerful yet athletic 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, Kouandjio is a devastating run blocker who showed some real improvement with his pass blocking this season. The Rams could plug him in as a starter immediately with Greg Robinson likely assuming the left tackle duties in 2015.

Rounds 4 and 6 --- Traded For Mark Barron

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Rounds 4 and 6 --- Traded For Mark Barron

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

These picks were packaged as a part of the deadline deal that brought former No. 7 overall pick Mark Barron to the Rams from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Barron didn’t exactly wow since the deal, transitioning midseason to a completely different defensive philosophy isn’t ideal for any player. Hopefully he can become a valuable complement to T.J. McDonald and give the Rams a solid safety pairing moving forward.

Round 5 --- B.J. Finney, C, Kansas State

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Round 5 --- B.J. Finney, C, Kansas State

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

It seems clear that Barrett Jones hasn’t panned out the way the Rams would have hoped with him being on the inactive list more than he’s a part of the active roster on Sundays. That factor combined with Scott Wells’ increasing age and injury issues would make B.J. Finney a terrific heir apparent selection. His 6-foot-4, 303-pound frame has room to add some strength, but this former walk-on has the tools and skills to thrive at the next level.

Round 7 --- Aaron Davis, OLB, Colorado State

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

Round 7 --- Aaron Davis, OLB, Colorado State

2015 NFL Draft St. Louis Rams
Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

With a similar build to 2013 first-round pick Alec Ogletree, the 6-foot, 220-pound Aaron Davis would be a great addition as a depth linebacker to the Rams’ defense. His numbers at Colorado State climbed substantially during the course of his career, and that type of productivity speaks more than any shortcomings as far as his size is concerned. This type of pick could turn out to be a great value with Jo-Lonn Dunbar unlikely to be re-signed.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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