Every Friday, Anthony Stalter and I are going to pose the week’s most pressing question and each pick a side. With the NFL Draft coming up tomorrow, we were going to argue about who the Miami Dolphins should take with the first overall pick, but since they’ve already made their choice (tackle Jake Long), we’ll move on to #2. Who should the Rams select? Glenn Dorsey or Chris Long? Or should they thumb their nose at Stephen Jackson or Marc Bulger and take Darren McFadden or Matt Ryan? Here’s our take…
John Paulsen: This we know… Glenn Dorsey is a monster. He is super-quick for his size (6’2”, 297 lbs) and demands a double-team. He’s more of a pass-rushing DT, which is why he makes sense for the Rams. The team drafted Adam Carriker in the first round last season, and moved him from DE to DT, but he’s capable of playing on the outside as a run-stopper. Put the two players on the same side of the defense and the Rams D – with Leonard Little on the opposite side – will create some serious havoc. With Bulger and Jackson on the roster, the debate is between Dorsey and Long, so the question is what to do with Carriker. If the team thinks he can be effective on the outside, Dorsey is the right choice.
Anthony Stalter: The Rams weren’t enamored with Carriker’s speed on the edge, so they made him a defensive tackle. Word is that if the Rams take Glenn Dorsey, Carriker would move back to the end position, but why? Why teach him a new position at the pro level and let him get comfortable only to move him back to the position he played in college? I understand the learning curve probably won’t be that high since he’s already familiar at end, but at 6’6, 303-pounds, he’s more suited to play inside. Long is a true end that can play the run, rush the passer and is incredibly relentless. Dorsey would be a fantastic pick, but taking Long allows Carriker to stay inside and keep developing at a single position.
So who should the Rams take? We’ll discuss the draft in further detail during our live Happy Hour chat at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT. We’ll also be blogging the Draft starting tomorrow at 3 PM ET.
