Sam Bradford Selected No. 1 Overall by Rams

Originally Published: Apr 22, 2010 4:27 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

NEW YORK CITY – The St. Louis Rams selected Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft Thursday, making him the third OU product to be picked first overall.

Bradford joins Lee Roy Selmon and Billy Sims as the only Sooners to be selected with the top pick. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made Selmon the first draft pick in their franchise’s history in their expansion year in 1976, and the Detroit Lions picked Sims first four years later.

The Rams’ selection of Bradford has been rumored for weeks, but the two sides still have not agreed on a final contract. The lack of a contract agreement caused rumors to swirl that the Rams were looking to trade the top pick, but that did not happen.

After years of being known as “The Greatest Show on Turf,” the St. Louis offense has struggled for years. The Rams’ passing attack was ranked in the bottom five of the NFL last season, registering just 168 passing yards per game.

St. Louis has had opportunities to draft big-name quarterbacks for the last few years, but passed on the likes of Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan, both of whom have developed into legitimate quarterbacks at the pro level. The Rams could not afford to pass on another potential franchise quarterback.

Bradford’s selection marks just the second time in history that one school has produced the top pick in consecutive NBA and NFL Drafts. The Los Angeles Clippers picked OU standout Blake Griffin No. 1 in last year’s NBA Draft.