With the NFL Draft coming up, I thought I’d take this space to address the situation the St. Louis Rams find themselves in and what I think they should do with their No. 1 overall pick.

The Rams have six wins in the last three seasons. There are many reasons as to why that is. Among the factors: a beat-up and broken down quarterback Marc Bulger; aging wide receivers Torry Holt and Issac Bruce; the non-existent offensive line; a defense with more holes than Swiss cheese; and a rotating coaching staff.

So, as is to be expected, after riding high just 10 years ago as world champions, the Rams have lost a majority of their fan base, struggle week after week to put people in the seats, which in turn affects whether or not the game can be locally televised, and it means less revenue to rehab a dilapidated Edward Jones Dome.

The Rams can’t fix all of that with one swoop of the pen, but on Thursday they can take a giant step toward prominence with the drafting of Oklahoma Sooner Sam Bradford.

Let me first address the concerns about Bradford’s shoulder. You’ll remember that the quarterback suffered a major injury in the Sooner’s first game of the season last year and then reinjured the shoulder in October. When Bradford went down, so did his stock; how could a kid who sat his entire junior year possibly go in the first round, let alone No. 1 overall?

Well, Bradford kept his head up and worked his butt off in rehab, and here we are six months later and every major national sports outlet is forecasting the Rams selecting him with their first pick. It’s quite a turnaround for the young man.

The honest truth about this soon-to-be marriage is that the Rams need Bradford more than he needs them. The kid is very good; his Pro Days, along with leaked details from several of his private team workouts, indicate that the strength and accuracy has returned. Mark it: Bradford will be a great quarterback for any club.

But for the Rams, they need a franchise quarterback to build a new team, and a fan base, around. They need a player that will put on a show, put points on the board, and, again, put fans in their seat. That’s why, if I’m Billy Devaney, I’m taking Bradford over Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen or Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh. There’s no doubt about Suh’s ability as a defensive tackle, and yes, the Rams need defensive help also, but Suh won’t check off as many “to do’s” as would Bradford.

Needless to say, I’m pleased the Rams have come to their senses and will be taking a wonderful player in Bradford on Thursday. I cannot wait to buy his jersey and watch him play in the fall. Surely, Bradford alone will not get the Rams into the post-season, but it’s a major step in that direction.