It might have been 14 years since Dick Vermeil was involved in an NFL draft, but he certainly didn't seem out of touch.

The St. Louis Rams' coach stole the first pick in what was considered a one-man draft with the equivalent of a few trinkets and beads -- a fourth-round pick, a fifth-round pick and a seventh-round pick -- and then got the cornerback he wanted and traded down for a sixth-round pick in the process.

In fact, Trader Dick was wheeling and dealing through most of the draft. The Rams either traded up, traded down or traded for more draft choices with their first five picks in the draft.

By getting Orlando Pace with the first pick, the Rams obtained a cornerstone for reconstructing their biggest weakness -- their offensive line.

"We go from a weakness to maybe a strength because we add a real man," Vermeil said.

The Rams also added a cornerback who is capable of playing bump-and-run, man-to-man coverage: Clemson's Dexter McCleon.

They also picked up a sixth-round choice from the Chicago Bears by trading down two spots in the second round.

Vermeil's only gamble was drafting Texas Christian center Ryan Tucker in the fourth round. Not only is Tucker coming off reconstructive knee surgery, his troubled background makes him look a lot like running back Lawrence Phillips.

Tucker has been involved in several barroom brawls, including one that sent a man to intensive care with a fractured skull.

"I think he is a potential Pro Bowl football player," Vermeil said of Tucker.

As for Tucker's character, Vermeil said, "Character guys get in fights from time to time, especially when they don't start it. I like the guys who don't start it, but finish it. I like those kind of guys. This is a physical kind of game."

ROUND-BY-ROUND ANALYSIS

Round 1/1 -- Orlando Pace, OT, Ohio State

The Rams think Pace will become a fixture at left tackle for the next 10 years. John Becker, the Rams' director of player personnel, said Pace could be better than both Tony Boselli and Jonathan Ogden.

"What I've seen him do more than those other people is just flat dominate you in the run game," Becker said. "They are all very, very good pass protectors. But, I think this guy shows on a more consistent basis the ability to flat dominate his opponent."

The most difficult part of the transition from college to the NFL for Pace could find living up to expectations.

"How you handle all the pressure of being No. 1, No. 1?" Vermeil said. "The best way to handle all the pressure, everything, is play like hell. Then you don't have to answer many questions. They won't have to ask him how he's playing. All they have to do is watch."

Round 2/40 -- Dexter McCleon, CB, Clemson

The Rams liked McCleon so much they had him rated 23rd overall on their draft board. Vermeil said has run the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds.

"It's not Shawn Springs, it's not (Bryant) Westbrook, but in getting Dexter McCleon, we felt like we got the third best corner in our evaluation process," Vermeil said.

Round 4/121 -- Ryan Tucker, C, Texas Christian

The Rams actually tried to trade up to the third round for Tucker, who has a background of barroom fighting and could miss his entire rookie season because he's still recovering from reconstructive knee surgery.

Even though he's tall (6-5) for a center, Vermeil said he is able to maintain a low center of gravity on his blocking.

Round 5/158 -- Taje Allen, CB, Texas

Allen played well in college despite being under the gun every week because he played opposite Westbrook, who opposing teams tried to avoid.

"We had rated him as a fourth-round draft choice and we got him in the sixth, so we feel like we got a bargain," Vermeil said. "He's obviously not Westbrook, but he has a lot of upside to him. He has good speed, good work habits, and he's smart."

Round 6/179 -- Muadianvita Kazadi, OLB, Tulsa

Kaz, the nickname this native of Zaire, Africa, goes by, was Tulsa's leading tackle the past three years. He is a ferocious hitter. The knock against him is that he's only 6-foot.

"I don't think any of those running backs that he knocked on their backs ever got up and said, `How tall are you,' " Vermeil said. He is expected to make an immediate impact on special teams.

Round 7/215 -- Cedric White, DT, North Carolina A&T

The Rams were planning to bring White into training camp as an undrafted free-agent, but then decided not to risk him being drafted later in the seventh round. The Rams were looking for a run-stopper, and White is considered strong against the run.