The Los Angeles Rams have a lot of holes to fill in the 2017 NFL Draft, to be sure, but the sanity of both Jared Goff and Todd Gurley need a No. 1 wide receiver among them.
The Rams don’t have a first-round pick, which makes their first selection on Day 2 of the draft in the second round with the No. 37 overall that much more vital.
Ramblinfan.com suggests that Los Angeles’ first pick should reflect its considerable investment in Goff, the first overall selection in the 2016 draft:
But facts are facts: they NEED someone who can be a go-to, legitimate pass catching threat. The pick at 37 is as much about solving that one issue as it is validating the selection of a true junior, not ready for prime time quarterback with the number one overall pick in 2016.
While that assessment is valid, that NEED goes beyond Goff. The MMQB 10 Things podcast recently detailed Gurley’s struggles in Year 2 after earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2015. In it, podcast hosts Gary Gramling and Andy Benoit talk about the fact that Gurley’s lack of faith in the offensive line’s ability to create holes early in the season made him alter his running so that he was as much to blame for his struggles in the second half of the season as the line.
Another report from Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole indicated that the Rams’ former coaching staff blamed Gurley for his issues in 2016, saying that the offense was the same as it was in 2015 and that Gurley missed a lot of the team’s offseason program to hang out with Jay Z, whose agency represents him.
The fact is that teams were starting to limit Gurley’s productivity in 2015 once they realized he was their only true breakaway weapon. But the fact that Gurley now is facing questions about his commitment make his need for a No. 1 wide receiver clearer.
Both Goff and Gurley have a lot to prove in 2017. Drafting a wide receiver that can become a No. 1 pass-catching threat quickly will allow each to answer the questions about him.
That’s why both Goff and Gurley need the Rams to find that guy.
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