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Worst. Draft. Ever.

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The 2009 NFL Draft still haunts the St. Louis Rams ... and just about everyone else in the league.

Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

The worst draft of the century? The St. Louis Rams have a lot to choose from. There was that stretch when the Jay Zygmunt-Tony Softli brain trust was pulling gems like Tye Hill and Brian Leonard out of the draft. But the worst draft in recent memory could easily be 2009.

Dan Kadar of Mocking the Draft has a piece out today calling 2009 the worst NFL Draft of the century. (Remember can't miss Aaron Curry?) Go read it.

You remember the 2009 NFL Draft. That was the one where the Rams drafted a can't-miss offensive tackle out of Baylor named Jason Smith. He was supposed to be the long-term replacement for Alex Barron who was supposed to be the long-term replacement for Orlando Pace. It didn't work out, and the Rams offensive line continued to be terrible, really until 2013.

But 2009 wasn't a total loss for the Rams. They did find a starter in James Laurinaitis with their second-round pick. Third-round pick Bradley Fletcher was a serviceable starting cornerback, but couldn't stay healthy. And that was about it as far as contributors from that class.

As Rams drafts go, you could probably make the case that 2006 was the franchise's worst draft effort, but those mid-decade drafts were all pretty terrible.