ESPN mock draft / Jake Long

Todd McShay's first mock draft for espn.com is out. The top five projected picks:

1. Miami, Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
2. New England (from the Idiot Whiners), Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas.*
3. NY Jets, James Laurinaitis, ILB, The Ohio State University.
4. Atlanta, Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville.
5. RAMS, Jake Long, RT, Michigan.

Scouts Inc. says the Rams' top need areas are OL, CB and DE.

Quoting McShay: "The season-ending injury to Orlando Pace and the Rams' overall poor play along the offensive line this season make Long a real possibility with this pick. He is unquestionably the most dominant offensive-line prospect in the 2008 class."

Must not be much of a class, then, if you ask the War Room. "Michigan OT Jake Long is playing like a late first- or early second-round pick after looking slow and stiff early this season. He's moving his feet much better and blocking with much better knee bend and leverage."

So, is he the most dominant OL prospect in the draft, or a guy who's had to improve to get into the first round?

The clear pick in this scenario as far as I'm concerned is Chris Long of Virginia. McShay, as I suspect a lot of mock drafters who value poetic license over accurate analysis will do, has Chris going to Oakland two picks later; of course, that's his dad Howie's old team.

But for the Rams, it's certainly more crucial to develop a pass rush that doesn't require blitzing on every play, which is currently the case, than it is to acquire a third tackle. Yes, the Ram offensive line has had an awful season on the field, and if Jake Long were indeed a top-5 quality pick, which appears to be far from the consensus right now, he might be a no-brainer. But it isn't like this is the Rams' first-string failing. It's not even the SECOND-string. Milford Brown, Nick Leckey, Brandon Gorin, Rod Pettiti et al. are third-stringers at best. Odds are good none of them will make next year's team, because the line will be healthier. Orlando Pace will be back next year to start at LT. Richie Incognito and Mark Setterstrom will return to start at the guards. It'll be the line that dominated down the stretch of the 2006 season, except PLUS Pace.

Alex Barron is competent enough at RT that the Rams shouldn't cough up a top-5 pick to replace him. If you bring Long in, it's to replace him, as if that wouldn't be awkward in the locker room. And what if Long doesn't beat Barron out? You've used your top-5 pick on A BACKUP?

The Rams clearly need to improve their depth across the offensive line. But their starters are fine. Though personally I'm fine if the Ram draft goes: DE, WR, OL, OL, OL, OL, OL, OL, OL..., the one pick they don't need to use on the o-line is their first one. Between the 2nd-day picks and veteran free agency, the team ought to be able to put together the nucleus of a young, deep, capable offensive front.

* If that pick pans out, it'll rival the greatest draft steals in NFL history, which include Dallas giving up chump change in 1977 for Seattle's #1 overall pick, which became Tony Dorsett, and the Houston Oilers pulling a similar stunt in 1978 to get Tampa Bay's #1 pick, using it on Earl Campbell. It'll also likely add 10 years to the length of the Patriot dynasty of cheating and whining. Hoo boy.