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The NFL draft is essential for teams looking to restock their rosters and upgrade their level of talent.

Free agency offers some relief when teams must fill an immediate need, but generally speaking, great teams and perennial playoff contenders are built almost exclusively through the draft.

There's nothing more vital to an NFL franchise than a competent front office capable of nailing draft picks year after year.

And fortunately for the St. Louis Rams, few teams were able to outshine GM Les Snead during the 2012 NFL Draft.

The Rams accumulated four starters (Michael Brockers, Janoris Jenkins, Chris Givens, Greg Zuerlein) and two role players (Trumaine Johnson, Daryl Richardson) with their 10 picks.

Additionally, the Rams acquired Washington's 2013 and 2014 first-round picks as part of the trade for the No. 2 pick used on Robert Griffin III.

Snead's savvy draft-day tactics undoubtedly played a key role in the team's turnaround this season—a turnaround that featured a 7-8-1 record after going 2-14 in 2011.

Now the Rams must continue to fortify what is shaping up to be a young and extremely talented roster.

Another slam-dunk offseason can put the Rams over the edge and turn them into a playoff-caliber team for the first time in nearly a decade.

With that said, here are five positions the Rams are surely looking to upgrade this April.