Earlier this morning, the Los Angeles Rams made a blockbuster trade to acquire the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft from the Tennessee Titans. The deal saw the Rams swap the No. 15 overall pick this year, in addition to giving up their two second-rounders and a third in 2016. The Rams also gave the Titans their first- and third-round picks in 2017. Wow. Take a moment to digest all of that.
The Rams, now armed with the first pick, have their choice of quarterbacks. While Cal's Jared Goff and North Dakota State's Carson Wentz aren't as highly touted as Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were coming out of college last year, they remain this year's top two prospects at the position. Los Angeles, still with two weeks to go before the draft, reportedly already has a favorite in mind.
According to a recent report, the Rams are "targeting" Wentz with the top overall selection. This comes as a bit of a surprise, as Goff has long been considered the safer pick. But Wentz's upside and potential may be too much for the Rams to pass up on.
Wentz has enticing size for the position (6-foot-5, 223 pounds), as well as a rare combination of athleticism and speed. He's a true dual threat QB, rushing for more than 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Goff is more of a prototypical pocket passer, but Los Angeles may prefer the physical attributes Wentz brings to the table.
The young QB missed time due to injury last year, but he still managed to complete 62.5 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,651 yards with 17 touchdowns against just four interceptions in seven games. In 2014, his lone full season as a starter, he completed 63.7 percent while throwing for 3,111 yards with 25 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
Critics point to the lack of quality competition that Wentz faced in the relative safety of the FCS. Still, if the report is to be believed, the Rams are banking on his high ceiling and swinging for the fences. Clearly, the team's long-standing position that Case Keenum was the undisputed starter was nothing more than a smokescreen.
We'll find out which player the Rams ultimately prefer when the 2016 NFL Draft begins on April 28.
