1 week Ago By Rams Wire
The NFL draft is a franchise’s best shot at securing its future. Every team has gone through the hit-or-miss scenario, from selecting perennial All-Pros to first-round busts. For the Rams, not every first-round pick has panned out as expected.
While the team has hit big on stars like Aaron Donald and Orlando Pace, it’s also swung and missed on players who were supposed to be cornerstones. Some first-rounders never came close to living up to the hype, whether due to injuries, poor performance, or off-field issues. Here’s a look at the five worst first-round picks in Rams history.
2003: Jimmy Kennedy, DTFollowing an All-American career at Penn State, the Rams drafted Jimmy Kennedy 12th overall in 2003. He played four years with the team and didn't record a sack until his third season. Despite not panning out, Kennedy had a lengthy 10-year career and earned a Super Bowl ring in 2011 with the New York Giants.
Some notable players drafted following Kennedy included Troy Polamalu, Dallas Clark, and Willis McGahee.2000: Trung Canidate, RBDespite already having an elite running back in Marshall Faulk, the Rams were intrigued by Trung Canidate's quickness and speed following an All-American career at Arizona. As a result, they selected him 31st overall in the 2000 NFL Draft.
Canidate spent just three seasons with the team, during which he started only three games. In a total of 35 appearances for the Rams, he rushed for just 495 yards and recorded six touchdowns. Canidate later played one more season in 2003 with the Washington Redskins before being released in 2004 after the team traded star cornerback Champ Bailey for Pro Bowl running back Clinton Portis.
2009: Jason Smith, OTAfter the Rams allowed 45 sacks in 2008, the fifth-most of any team, they used the third overall pick on a promising 6-foot-5, 308-pound Jason Smith, an All-American and All-Big 12 selection at Baylor. Unfortunately for the Rams, he suffered a concussion that caused him to miss the second half of his rookie season and he lasted just three seasons with the team. The Rams traded Smith to the Jets in 2012 where he played one season.
Following the 2013 campaign, he never played a down in the league.2014: Greg Robinson, OTYears after selecting Smith, the Rams tried their hand at another top-tier tackle prospect in Auburn's Greg Robinson. He lasted just three seasons (2014-2016), appearing in 30 games with 26 starts, and was reportedly overweight during the 2016 training camp.
The team signed All-Pro Andrew Whitworth in 2017 and moved the former second overall pick to right tackle. Robinson was later traded to the Lions where he didn't last a full season and played just two more seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Luckily for the Rams, they selected Aaron Donald 11 picks later in that 2014 draft.
1996: Lawrence Phillips, RBPlacing eighth on NFL Networks' Top 10 Draft Busts, the Rams drafted Lawrence Phillips sixth overall in 1996. After just a season and a half, he bounced around the league due to off-field issues that carried over from his national championship career at Nebraska to the NFL. He rushed for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns between 1996 and 1997.
The Rams traded him to the Dolphins where he played just two games. He would have brief stints in NFL Europe, the Canadian Football League and with the San Francisco 49ers. Lawrence's issues off the field continued to worsen following his playing days.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL draft: Rams' 5 biggest first-round busts ever.
