Rams select Jared Goff with No. 1 pick in NFL draft to kickstart new era

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Jared Goff became the first pick of the Los Angeles Rams 2.0.

Two weeks after the Rams' bold move to acquire the 2016 NFL draft's No. 1 pick from the Tennessee Titans, they selected the Cal product product Thursday night in hopes he'll solve the franchise's long-standing problems under center.

Goff is the second quarterback the Rams have selected first overall in the past six years but steps into a much better situation than Sam Bradford did in 2010. Coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead have built a near-ideal framework to plug a rookie quarterback into.

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The team's 2015 first rounder, tailback Todd Gurley, won offensive rookie of the year honors and looks like he'll be the team's offensive engine until Goff proves ready to assume more than a game manager-type role. The Rams have also drafted seven offensive linemen in their previous two drafts and are excited about the strides their blocking has made in recent seasons. Finally, the team's talent-laden defense has the potential to be one of the league's best if paired with an offense that can prove even average (the Rams have not ranked better than 23rd offensively in the past nine seasons).

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Though expectations will surely dictate that Goff is the starter for the opener and again in Week 2, when the Rams play their first regular-season home game in L.A. since 1994, veteran passer Case Keenum remains on the roster to serve as a bridge to the rookie if need be. Keenum won three of his five starts in 2015 and has consistently been praised by Fisher and Snead throughout the offseason.

Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.