Rams not showing hand but needs are OL, safety

ST. LOUIS -- The multitude of mock drafts available these days is something of a research source for the St. Louis Rams. At least the information offers a bit of insight into who other teams will be picking.

This year reflects only uncertainty, because Rams general manager Charley Armey has counted 46 players in various mock-ups as first-rounders in Saturday's draft.

"The range is huge," Armey said. "Everybody sees it different."

That makes the task tougher for the Rams, who have the 19th pick after sneaking into the playoffs with an 8-8 record.

The Rams' major holes are at safety, especially after plans to move outside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa to that position were abandoned. They also need depth at defensive end after losing Bryce Fisher, who led the team in sacks last year, who took a free agent deal with the Seahawks.

"You guys know what are needs are as well as I do," Armey said. "If nothing happens that we don't expect, at 19 we'll get a player -- not the player -- but a player that we really want. And we'll really address some of our needs."

Adam Archuleta is the only incumbent at safety, and he underwent offseason back surgery. Antuan Edwards left as a free agent and Aeneas Williams, who missed most of the season, likely will retire.

The top replacement possibility is 230-pound safety/weakside linebacker Thomas Davis of Georgia, projected as a safety by the team.

"He can play either position," Armey said. "He's an unusual talent. We don't see anything he can't do that he needs to do at either position to be a really topflight player."

Or, the Rams could take any of three offensive tackles -- Alex Barron of Florida State, Khalif Barnes of Washington or Jammal Brown of Oklahoma. Armey said the 6-foot-7, 320-pound Barron is a "carbon copy of Orlando Pace, and Barnes is a lot like that" while Brown is a more physical player.

Barron or Barnes might both be off the board by the time the Rams pick, however.

The Rams struggled all season to fill a vacancy at right tackle after Kyle Turley was sidelined with a recurrence of a back injury early in training camp. Blaine Saipaia, the most effective player at that position last year, might be best suited for guard.

"If you took Pace and Barnes and Barron and put them together and watched them on tape and didn't put a number on, you'd see pretty much the same player," Armey said "Brown has that same type athletically, but is much, much more physical."

St. Louis gambled a bit taking Pace with the first overall pick of the 1997 draft, but it's paid off given that Pace is a six-time Pro Bowl player. Armey said any of the three conceivably could play right away.

"There's always a huge learning curve for any offensive lineman, but Orlando came in and did it pretty quickly," Armey said. "By the fourth or fifth game he was up to speed.

"You don't know the learning curve until you get them here. It's almost an impossible question to answer: How much can they handle? How much can they digest?"

Beyond the first pick, the Rams will be busy with 12 selections in the seven rounds. They have three of the first 66 choices, including the Dolphins' third-rounder from a deal for running back Lamar Gordon, plus an NFL-high four compensatory selections in the fourth, sixth and seventh rounds.

That means room to gamble. The Rams are interested in former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett as a possible second-day pick, sending an investigator to his high school for a background check.

"We have not taken him off the draft board, and we will not take him off the draft board," Armey said. "I think the risk-reward is very good at this point. I would guess somebody's going to draft him."