What should the Rams do with a top draft pick?

Coming off of a season where they finished 1-15, the St. Louis Rams need much more than a No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

                But what do they need most? For starters, defense. The Rams ranked No. 29 in total defense and No. 31 in points allowed per game. Sadly, their only win came against the 2-14 Detroit Lions, who are dead last in the NFL in points allowed per game. St. Louis still could only muster two touchdowns and a field goal in a seven point win.

Running back Steven Jackson rushed for 1,416 yards and 4 touchdowns on 324 carries in 2009 (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images).

                Its hard to blame a 1-15 season on just defense, especially when the Rams offense only averaged 10 points a game, dead last in the NFL. So how about a quarterback? Marc Bulger was limited to just nine games last year due to injuries. Running back Steven Jackson was the main contributor to the Rams offense last year and only scored four touchdowns, his lowest total since 2004.

                Let’s look at the 2006 NFL Draft. The Houston Texans surpassed on Reggie Bush and took defensive lineman Mario Williams with the first pick. They improved from 2-14 to 6-10, 8-8, and this year, 9-7, one win away from their first playoff appearance.

                Let’s face it; St. Louis won’t go from worst to first in one year. It is possible though, since Miami just did it last year. The Dolphins finished 1-15 during the 07-08 season, and improved to 11-5 the next year, winning the AFC East Division.

                Defensive linemen, Ndamukong Suh has gotten the most talk about the No. 1 pick. The star Nebraska Cornhusker took home four awards last year as one of the most dominant defensive tackles in history. However, Gerald McCoy has made a lot of noise since the end of his Oklahoma career, and is being considered a smarter choice for St. Louis.

                As for a quarterback, who better than Sam Bradford? Bradford won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore at Oklahoma two years ago. Last year, his season was cut short after reinjuring his shoulder against Texas. On the other hand, Jimmy Clausen, junior from Notre Dame, worked under Head Coach Charlie Weiss, a former offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. Many believe he is a smart choice because of working under a pro-style offense.

                Last year, the Detroit Lions took quarterback Matthew Stafford as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft. They improved from a historic worst, 0-16, to a more exciting 2-14. However, Detroit doesn’t have the potential running game that the Rams have.

                 It is up in the air for the Rams, who could use two picks like middle school dodgeball. However, they just get one. They were near the bottom rung of the ladder in many of both offensive and defensive categories. It is obviously a rebuilding period, and a top draft pick isn’t the only thing they need.