The St. Louis Rams went offense, offense and more offense in the 2015 NFL Draft, taking seven consecutive offensive players before finally taking linebacker Bryce Hager in the seventh round.
NFL depth chart 2015: Rams running backs will battle for carries
There’s a strong stable of running backs in St. Louis and the addition of Todd Gurley means there won’t be many extra carries to go around.
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The class features four offensive lineman, including offensive tackles in rounds two, three and four, but the crown jewel is running back Todd Gurley, who was taken with the 10th overall selection. After tearing an ACL in his final season at Georgia, Gurley's chances at starting Week 1 for the Rams are in doubt, but if he manages to stay healthy during his career in St. Louis, there is a high ceiling for success.
Regardless, the addition of new offensive talent makes for interesting training camp battles for the Rams and a depth chart that needs to be shaken out.
Running back
If the Rams never drafted Gurley, they likely would’ve been just fine at running back. While Tre Mason wasn’t stellar as a rookie, he certainly showed enough in nine starts to warrant some confidence at the position. He tallied 765 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 179 carries to lead the team in rushing.
The team's running back group is undoubtedly better with Gurley in and Zac Stacy out, though, after Stacy was traded to the New York Jets. Now the question will be: How many snaps does Mason get and will players like Benny Cunningham or Isaiah Pead get any touches at all?
Quarterback
There were plenty of rumors and rumblings that the Rams would address the quarterback position, but Sean Mannion in the third round doesn't really represent the type of day one competition that could keep the team from starting Nick Foles. Instead it will likely be the former Eagles quarterback starting for the Rams in Week 1 after he was acquired in a trade that shipped former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford out of St. Louis.
Given the amount of activity the Rams had at quarterback and the selection of Mannion, there doesn’t appear to be a ton of confidence in Foles, but no player on the roster brings more starting experience or success as a starter.
The battle behind him could be a very close one, though. Mannion will have to prove himself against Austin Davis and Case Keenum, each of whom have starting experience. Only one can earn the primary backup role and the most realistic scenario is that one of the three players gets released.
Right tackle
Greg Robinson is a sure thing at left tackle for the Rams one year after he was taken with the second overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft. The battle will be on the opposite side where multiple players have a chance to contribute early in their careers.
Of course, it's still possible that Joe Barksdale could return to the Rams, making the battle at right tackle even more convoluted. For now, the favorite to grab the spot is the team's second-round pick Rob Havenstein, who Jeff Fisher spoke glowingly about as a potential starter.
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