Passing on Ray Lewis: Rams Biggest Draft Regret?

A look at the Rams 1996 draft and what could have been.

With the NFL Draft upon us, it is that time of the year for historical redrafts, as fans and experts alike look at the past to see what could have been done differently and how it would have affected respective franchises. 

That is no different for Sporting News, who recently looked at each teams biggest draft regret. While it is obvious to look at these picks in hindsight and wonder what could have been, it is still interesting to look at potential alternate timelines and how they would have impacted the league. 

The original pick: Running back, Lawrence Phillips

For the Rams biggest draft regret, one would have to go back 26 years to the 1996 NFL Draft. With the sixth overall pick in the 1996 draft, the Rams would select running back Lawrence Phillips out of the University of Nebraska. 

Lawrence Phillips

Lawrence Phillips

Lawrence Phillips

Phillips, in his final season at Nebraska, put up 547 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, which may seem like pedestrian numbers for a top 10 first round pick. However, the season before in 1994 Phillips was practically unstoppable, rushing for an impressive 1,722 yards and 16 touchdowns. 

As a result of drafting Phillips, who the Rams believed could elevate their offense, the Rams traded Jerome Bettis to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unfortunately for the Rams, Phillips would not last two full seasons with the team as he would be released in November of 1997. 

The right pick: Linebacker, Ray Lewis

Simply put, Ray Lewis is one of the best defensive players to ever step on an NFL field. That he fell all the way to 26th pick in the 1996 draft is criminal in and of itself. For the Rams to ignore Lewis at the sixth pick, though, at an area of a need was a bad look. 

Especially when you consider the fact that they had Jerome Bettis already holding down the running back position, a running back was simply a bad pick at sixth overall. Bettis would go on to have a Hall of Fame career for the Steelers, including six straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons. 

Lewis, meanwhile, had a Hall of Fame career himself in Baltimore, as he would become the anchor to some of the best defenses of the early 2000s. The Rams could have sorely used Lewis in 1996, as their defense in 1995 was not good, allowing 5,118 total yards of offense to their opponents on the season. 

Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis

While there is no guarantee that either of these moves would have resulted in a Super Bowl victory for the Rams, there is no doubt that maintaining Bettis and drafting Lewis would have drastically altered the outlook for the Rams in 1996 and beyond. 

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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