Any chance Marc Bulger had to play his way into the Rams' quarterback picture in 2010 may have vanished with an MRI result early Monday evening. While such a statement may be premature, Bulger's fractured left shin bone certainly didn't lessen the team's needs to examine every possible option at quarterback in the upcoming draft.

With six games still to play in '09, Bulger's replacement — Kyle Boller — could play his way into the mix based on what he does the rest of the season. Rookie Keith Null? Probably not. He's unlikely to play barring injury or mop-up duty.

So while recognizing that the landscape can change quickly, it seems a foregone conclusion that the Rams will draft a quarterback next April. But will it be with their first-round pick? At 1-9 entering Sunday's home game with Seattle, the Rams are staring at a top five pick in the draft for the third consecutive season. Or do the Rams look for a QB in later rounds?

What looked like a strong quarterback class at the start of the college season now is muddled. Oklahoma's Sam Bradford suffered a season-ending injury in his throwing shoulder. Florida's Tim Tebow was rocked by a concussion, and the Gators' offense hasn't been nearly as explosive.

Whereas last year at this time it was already clear that Georgia's Matthew Stafford was at the head of the pre-draft quarterback class, the picture is cloudy this time around. Or is it?

"McCoy, 1; Bradford 2, Tebow 3," says Gil Brandt, matter-of-factly ticking off his ranking of the top three draft-eligible quarterbacks.

McCoy, of course, being University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.

"He was a scrawny kid coming out of high school," says Brandt, the longtime Dallas Cowboys personnel executive and current draft guru for NFL.com. "I'm really impressed with how he's worked to build up his body to the point where he now looks like an NFL quarterback. Now, do I wish he was two inches taller? Sure."

At 6-2, 212, McCoy still may not have the prototype NFL size. And some detractors feel he doesn't have the prototype NFL arm.

"Everybody looks for the prototype, but when it comes down to it, you've got to take the best guy," said longtime NFL scout Dave Razzano.

And when it comes to the "best guy," Razzano is in agreement with Brandt: It's McCoy.

"He looks like a bigger, stronger Drew Brees," said Razzano, a veteran of 21 NFL seasons as a scout, most recently with the Arizona Cardinals. "People are knocking Colt McCoy, and the first thing I hear is arm strength. Tony Romo, Kurt Warner, they don't have a cannon. It's not about that. It's about timing, touch. And he throws a lot of deep balls. It's not a nickel-and-dime offense like some people make it out to be."

One of McCoy's assets is his quick release. "He just snaps it out so quick, and he can get out of trouble," Razzano said. "Hell, he had a 65-yard TD run Thursday night (against Texas A&M). He's mobile. He's a great leader. He's got fire in his belly."

Keep in mind, Warner measured in at 6-1 ½, 211 pounds coming out of Northern Iowa, and no one regards him as a small quarterback. Warner is heavier now, but most quarterbacks gain a little weight once they enter the NFL.

Were it not for his shoulder injury and subsequent surgery, OU's Bradford might be ahead of McCoy in the eyes of NFL draft evaluators.

"I talk to his dad about once a week, and I'm told it was a good surgery," Brandt said.

But because of the surgery, Bradford isn't expected to be able to throw for scouts until March. Will that be enough time to ease any concerns about the shoulder? And even if he looks good throwing the ball at that time, is it worth risking $50 million, $60 million, $70 million on him as a top-five pick?

In addition, there are some who wonder if Bradford has put in the time while at Oklahoma to build up his body to withstand the rigors — and the pounding — of NFL football.

Which brings us to Tebow, who really doesn't fit the NFL prototype because of his running ways and unorthodox throwing release.

"He's a better passer than people think ... I think he'll be a good NFL quarterback," Brandt said.

"Too many people say he's not a quarterback, but they were saying that about Vince Young a few weeks ago," Razzano said. "Now they're probably changing their tune on (Young)."

The Tennessee Titans have won their last four games since Young replaced Kerry Collins at quarterback. Like Brandt, Razzano feels Tebow is under-appreciated as a passer, particularly as a deep passer.

"He's accurate going down the field," Razzano said. "He throws it in tight spots. He throws it low and away; that's why he doesn't throw a lot of picks. The guy makes pretty good decisions."

Even if Washington's Jake Locker and Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen turn pro early, they are unlikely to dislodge McCoy, Bradford and Tebow from the top three spots in the draft.

It's still w-a-y early in the draft evaluation process. So early that Rams general manager Billy Devaney did everything but run away from a reporter seeking to quiz him on the quarterback Class of 2010.

"We're not even close to prioritizing our draft needs," Devaney said, emphasizing that the Rams scouting department is still in the information-gathering mode.