MI_Buckeye
05-17-2011, 12:02 AM
San Diego Chargers coming up
St. Louis Rams
Where did the franchise stand before the draft:
The St. Louis Rams are coming off their best season in years. Of course, that only means they weren't picking in the top two this year.
After a highly successful draft last season in which the Rams found their QB and LT of the future, St. Louis did the unthinkable and went from one win in 2009 to one win away from the NFC West championship in 2010. However, that achievement is not nearly as great as it sounds as the champion Seattle Seahawks still finished 7-9.
It is probably safe to say that the overall talent level on the Rams roster remains in the bottom third of the league. Going into this offseason, the Rams desperately needed to upgrade their WR corps, DL and LBs, as well as improving their depth in general. Also, RB Steven Jackson has taken a lot of hits for a losing franchise, and even if he is good to go for another few years, the offense definitely misses several beats without him.
On the plus side, the core of the team on the roster is among the youngest in the league. As the Rams grow together, they could possibly develop into the perennial leaders of the divison. Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona all have huge holes at QB for the time being. St. Louis does not after Sam Bradford's outstanding rookie season. However, if Bradford is to take the next logical step in his progression as a franchise QB, he is going to need some franchise type weapons.
The Picks
Round One, Pick 14: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
The Rams got perhaps the best value in the entire first round by taking one of the best players in the draft at No. 14. It was widely speculated that the Rams would either trade up for WRs A.J. Green or Julio Jones if one of them slid to the end of the top ten or sit at 14 and take the best available defensive linemen. The consensus seemed to be that the Rams had a more pressing need inside than outside, but you can't argue with taking Quinn here, nobody thought he would still be available.
Quinn may have been suspended last year because of an infraction with an agent, but his character hasn't been in question through the entire draft process. Quinn is an athletic freak who Coach Steve Spagnuolo will use liberally across the line and posibly even as a stand-up edge rusher. Quinn has elite burst off the edge and maintains supreme balance when bending around the edge. A three-time state wrestling champion in high school Quinn knows how to use his hands plays with good leverage.
Still 20 years old, Quinn is a pick for the future. He needs to get stronger against the run, but that will most certainly come with time. He has two quality veterans to work behind in Chris Long and James Hall, and he can work in a rotation initially to alleviate his burden in the run game.
Make no mistake about it, this was an absolute steal. It was probably best for the Rams that they weren't able to trade up for one of the top two WRs. Quinn will be more valuable in the long run.
Round Two, Pick 47: Lance Kendricks, TE, Wisconsin
While I personally think Kendricks might have been a slight reach in the second round, the Rams needed a TE badly and this year's class nas next to no depth, so the pick makes sense here.
Billy Bajema and Daniel Fells are marginal at best, and while Michael Hoomanawanui shows promise, his best fit is as an in-line blocker. The undersized Kendricks, though he tested very badly in Indy, is a much better athlete than any of the guys on their roster. Kendricks was used in a variety of ways at Wisconsin, playing in an offense that asks more out of their TEs than any in the country, and he handled all his responsibilities well. He rarely drops a pass, runs excellent routes and is ultra-tough in traffic. He also made a living creating after the catch.
Kendricks is not a good blocker, but he is willing. It will be kind of a surprise if he is often asked to line up in-line; he is an H-back and one that new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels should make great use of.
Round Three, Pick 78: Austin Pettis, WR, Boise State
I must be the president of the Austin Pettis fan club. While most of the national pundits and draftnicks seem skeptical of this pick at best; I absolutely love Austin Pettis, and think he will end up with a starting job by the end of the year.
Not the fastest, Pettis is silk smooth with great flexibility and burst out of his breaks. He tracks and catches poorly thrown balls almost as well as A.J. Green. What I love most about Pettis is his intelligence and competitiveness. He was used in a wide variety of ways in Boise's wide-open offenses, including running reverses and throwing WR passes. In the red zone, he was Kellen Moore's go to guy, and he almost always delivered.
Pettis may need to get a little stronger to handle the punishment of being a possession receiver in the NFL, but he can do it. Where a lot of people are saying the Rams reached on a fifth round prospect here, I am thinking they stole a second-round guy.
Round Four, Pick 112: Greg Salas, WR, Hawaii
An interesting pick since he is so much like Pettis, a sure-handed physical possession receiver. Most like Salas better, but his production and skill were augmented by the most pass-heavy system in the country. Salas is clean in and out of his breaks, but we will see how much of that translates now that he will be asked to run a much fuller route tree under McDaniels.
Salas is a pure hands-catcher and rarely lets the ball into his body. He is highly regarded as a team leader and tough guy. With his solid frame, he might turn into a very good blocker.
Round Five, Pick 158: Jermale Hines, S, Ohio State
A very productive three-year starter, Hines is not quite the prospect he might appear to be if you just watched Ohio State on TV and heard his name a lot. Hines is very strong for his position and an excellent tackler.
The closer to the line of scrimmage he plays the better he does. Hines can make plays in zone coverage when he is able to look into the backfield, but he does get exposed in man coverage and when asked to play center field. Might push for a starting job over James Butler and Craig Dahl, but should at least be a core special teams player.
Round Seven, Pick 216: Mikail Baker, CB, Baylor
Didn't recognize the name when I saw it. Apparently played WR two years ago and missed more time in college than he played. Someone must see something they like.
Round Seven, Pick 228 (from Baltimore): Jabara Williams, LB, Stephen F. Austin
I actually saw bits of the Lumberjacks when they played Texas A&M and Villanova last year, and this guy really stood out. Really speedy LB who looked woefully undersized. He will probably have to make the squad on special teams, but he is a good long-shot investment.
Round Seven, Pick 229 (from Atlanta): Jonathan Nelson, CB, Oklahoma
A decent press corner who adds depth. Nothing more. Was not a great player in college.
All in all
Well, I would say that worked out pretty well for the Rams. They got a stud pass rusher to go along with the stud pass rusher they already had, and supplied their franchise QB with weapons he badly needed. Outside of Quinn, there is probably nobody you can expect be a perennial Pro Bowler, but what can you expect.
The Rams place a high value on character and got hard workers at each point in the draft. The passing game should be much more effective this year, even if they don't have much of a big-play threat outside of Donnie Avery.
Going into free agency, the Rams still need to upgrade the interior of their D line, but I give them a lot of credit for not reaching on someone like Corey Liuget when Quinn was still on the board. With drafts like this, it is easy to see why Billy Devaney has turned around this franchise in such short order.
Overall draft grade: A-
St. Louis Rams
Where did the franchise stand before the draft:
The St. Louis Rams are coming off their best season in years. Of course, that only means they weren't picking in the top two this year.
After a highly successful draft last season in which the Rams found their QB and LT of the future, St. Louis did the unthinkable and went from one win in 2009 to one win away from the NFC West championship in 2010. However, that achievement is not nearly as great as it sounds as the champion Seattle Seahawks still finished 7-9.
It is probably safe to say that the overall talent level on the Rams roster remains in the bottom third of the league. Going into this offseason, the Rams desperately needed to upgrade their WR corps, DL and LBs, as well as improving their depth in general. Also, RB Steven Jackson has taken a lot of hits for a losing franchise, and even if he is good to go for another few years, the offense definitely misses several beats without him.
On the plus side, the core of the team on the roster is among the youngest in the league. As the Rams grow together, they could possibly develop into the perennial leaders of the divison. Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona all have huge holes at QB for the time being. St. Louis does not after Sam Bradford's outstanding rookie season. However, if Bradford is to take the next logical step in his progression as a franchise QB, he is going to need some franchise type weapons.
The Picks
Round One, Pick 14: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
The Rams got perhaps the best value in the entire first round by taking one of the best players in the draft at No. 14. It was widely speculated that the Rams would either trade up for WRs A.J. Green or Julio Jones if one of them slid to the end of the top ten or sit at 14 and take the best available defensive linemen. The consensus seemed to be that the Rams had a more pressing need inside than outside, but you can't argue with taking Quinn here, nobody thought he would still be available.
Quinn may have been suspended last year because of an infraction with an agent, but his character hasn't been in question through the entire draft process. Quinn is an athletic freak who Coach Steve Spagnuolo will use liberally across the line and posibly even as a stand-up edge rusher. Quinn has elite burst off the edge and maintains supreme balance when bending around the edge. A three-time state wrestling champion in high school Quinn knows how to use his hands plays with good leverage.
Still 20 years old, Quinn is a pick for the future. He needs to get stronger against the run, but that will most certainly come with time. He has two quality veterans to work behind in Chris Long and James Hall, and he can work in a rotation initially to alleviate his burden in the run game.
Make no mistake about it, this was an absolute steal. It was probably best for the Rams that they weren't able to trade up for one of the top two WRs. Quinn will be more valuable in the long run.
Round Two, Pick 47: Lance Kendricks, TE, Wisconsin
While I personally think Kendricks might have been a slight reach in the second round, the Rams needed a TE badly and this year's class nas next to no depth, so the pick makes sense here.
Billy Bajema and Daniel Fells are marginal at best, and while Michael Hoomanawanui shows promise, his best fit is as an in-line blocker. The undersized Kendricks, though he tested very badly in Indy, is a much better athlete than any of the guys on their roster. Kendricks was used in a variety of ways at Wisconsin, playing in an offense that asks more out of their TEs than any in the country, and he handled all his responsibilities well. He rarely drops a pass, runs excellent routes and is ultra-tough in traffic. He also made a living creating after the catch.
Kendricks is not a good blocker, but he is willing. It will be kind of a surprise if he is often asked to line up in-line; he is an H-back and one that new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels should make great use of.
Round Three, Pick 78: Austin Pettis, WR, Boise State
I must be the president of the Austin Pettis fan club. While most of the national pundits and draftnicks seem skeptical of this pick at best; I absolutely love Austin Pettis, and think he will end up with a starting job by the end of the year.
Not the fastest, Pettis is silk smooth with great flexibility and burst out of his breaks. He tracks and catches poorly thrown balls almost as well as A.J. Green. What I love most about Pettis is his intelligence and competitiveness. He was used in a wide variety of ways in Boise's wide-open offenses, including running reverses and throwing WR passes. In the red zone, he was Kellen Moore's go to guy, and he almost always delivered.
Pettis may need to get a little stronger to handle the punishment of being a possession receiver in the NFL, but he can do it. Where a lot of people are saying the Rams reached on a fifth round prospect here, I am thinking they stole a second-round guy.
Round Four, Pick 112: Greg Salas, WR, Hawaii
An interesting pick since he is so much like Pettis, a sure-handed physical possession receiver. Most like Salas better, but his production and skill were augmented by the most pass-heavy system in the country. Salas is clean in and out of his breaks, but we will see how much of that translates now that he will be asked to run a much fuller route tree under McDaniels.
Salas is a pure hands-catcher and rarely lets the ball into his body. He is highly regarded as a team leader and tough guy. With his solid frame, he might turn into a very good blocker.
Round Five, Pick 158: Jermale Hines, S, Ohio State
A very productive three-year starter, Hines is not quite the prospect he might appear to be if you just watched Ohio State on TV and heard his name a lot. Hines is very strong for his position and an excellent tackler.
The closer to the line of scrimmage he plays the better he does. Hines can make plays in zone coverage when he is able to look into the backfield, but he does get exposed in man coverage and when asked to play center field. Might push for a starting job over James Butler and Craig Dahl, but should at least be a core special teams player.
Round Seven, Pick 216: Mikail Baker, CB, Baylor
Didn't recognize the name when I saw it. Apparently played WR two years ago and missed more time in college than he played. Someone must see something they like.
Round Seven, Pick 228 (from Baltimore): Jabara Williams, LB, Stephen F. Austin
I actually saw bits of the Lumberjacks when they played Texas A&M and Villanova last year, and this guy really stood out. Really speedy LB who looked woefully undersized. He will probably have to make the squad on special teams, but he is a good long-shot investment.
Round Seven, Pick 229 (from Atlanta): Jonathan Nelson, CB, Oklahoma
A decent press corner who adds depth. Nothing more. Was not a great player in college.
All in all
Well, I would say that worked out pretty well for the Rams. They got a stud pass rusher to go along with the stud pass rusher they already had, and supplied their franchise QB with weapons he badly needed. Outside of Quinn, there is probably nobody you can expect be a perennial Pro Bowler, but what can you expect.
The Rams place a high value on character and got hard workers at each point in the draft. The passing game should be much more effective this year, even if they don't have much of a big-play threat outside of Donnie Avery.
Going into free agency, the Rams still need to upgrade the interior of their D line, but I give them a lot of credit for not reaching on someone like Corey Liuget when Quinn was still on the board. With drafts like this, it is easy to see why Billy Devaney has turned around this franchise in such short order.
Overall draft grade: A-