Round 1 - DT Michael Brockers
Round 2 - WR Brian Quick
- CB Janoris Jenkins
- RB Isaiah Pead
Round 3 - CB Trumaine Johnson
Round 4 - WR Chris Givens
Round 5 - OG Rokevious Watkins
Round 6 - K Greg Zuerlein
Round 7 - OLB Aaron Brown
- RB Daryl Richardson
The Rams came into the draft with needs at nearly every position. These holes in the roster necessitated some wheeling and dealing. Starting by trading away the second overall pick, they were able acquire three first round picks and a second rounder as well. That was just to move down four spots. With the sixth pick they were presumably targeting Justin Blackmon this year's top receiver. However, when the Jaguars traded up to draft Blackmon just ahead of St. Louis, Jeff Fisher and Les Snead pulled the trigger to move down to fourteen overall while picking up a extra second rounder. They finally made their pick at fourteen when they drafted Michael Brockers, the defensive tackle from LSU. Raw, coming out as a redshirt sophomore, his potential to be an absolute monster on that already talented defensive line was all the Rams needed to select him. As stated before, he will need to develop to turn those raw physical tools into production on the field. Already an adept run defender, Brockers can still expand his pass rush moves. Also, more time in the weight room will translate into his improving even more in the run game.
Another project, Brian Quick hails from a small school. Never facing elite competition dictates a steep learning curve. He provides the quarterback with a big target and a large catch radius, but he doesn't separate from defenders very well. Quick can move his breaks in the route sharply, and he does show buildup speed downfield; however, it will take a few years before we know how good he can be.
Serious character concerns induced Janoris Jenkins' fall from the first round. If St. Louis can keep him in line, they will receive deserved praise for drafting him, as he can shut down elite receivers like he did in college. Although a shorter corner at 5'10", his aggressiveness, speed and quickness counteract those disadvantages. He also offers pretty good return skills as well.
With Steven Jackson aging after unbelievable wear and tear, Fisher believes that Isaiah Pead can eventually replace him as a the lead back. That remains debatable, but he explodes in his cuts and changes of direction. That makes him a prototypical third down or change-of-pace back. Nonetheless, Pead can improve on running between the tackles and showing a more physical running style.
The opposite body type of Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson possesses a 6'2" frame. This suggests that he can play well in press coverage, but he has almost no experience doing so, coming from a small school. Seemingly a theme in this draft class, his potential upside caused St. Louis to take him. Johnson might have been drafted higher if not for some character concerns.
By picking Chris Givens out of Wake Forest, they gave Sam Bradford a downfield weapon with the ability to create yards after the catch. Aside from having the ability to run fast, Givens is also polished as a route runner, making quick cuts. He joins a loaded receiving corps lacking a true go-to outside receiver.
Massive and naturally powerful, Rokevious Watkins shows starting ability but needs to clean up certain aspects of his game. Most critical is his balance in both run and pass blocking. Nevertheless, with the help of offensive line coach Paul T. Boudreau, Watkins could end up as an excellent fifth round selection.
Seen by most as the best kicker in the draft, Greg Zuerlein was brought in to replace Josh Brown who struggled some last year with his accuracy and distance on kickoffs. He has a cannon for a leg, and they have put their trust in him as their starter.
With their first seventh round pick, they selected Aaron Brown who played linebacker at Hawaii. He will need to make his money on special teams if he makes the squad.
The cousin of Bengals' running back Bernard Scott, Daryl Richardson's game resembles his cousin's closely, which is built on speed. Although not a special talent, his aggressive running style could result in the occasional big play. He's a late round flier that will hopefully pan out.
Drafting Brockers really solidifies that defensive line unit, and adding Jenkins and Johnson while also signing Cortland Finnegan assures that the secondary remains deep and talented. Although they won't be contributing much this year, Quick and Givens do have nice potential for the future and give Bradford diverse receiving options. Pead should give Jackson a backfield partner with explosion and the ability to possibly replace him. Even a couple of their late round picks have potential to make impacts on the team.While many would assert that St. Louis traded quality for quantity, the players they took were very talented. However, most of these rookies have character concerns or are undeveloped. This means that down the line this draft class will either be seen as spectacular or an utter failure depending on whether these players can develop and stay out of trouble.
The Rams came into the draft with needs at nearly every position. These holes in the roster necessitated some wheeling and dealing. Starting by trading away the second overall pick, they were able acquire three first round picks and a second rounder as well. That was just to move down four spots. With the sixth pick they were presumably targeting Justin Blackmon this year's top receiver. However, when the Jaguars traded up to draft Blackmon just ahead of St. Louis, Jeff Fisher and Les Snead pulled the trigger to move down to fourteen overall while picking up a extra second rounder. They finally made their pick at fourteen when they drafted Michael Brockers, the defensive tackle from LSU. Raw, coming out as a redshirt sophomore, his potential to be an absolute monster on that already talented defensive line was all the Rams needed to select him. As stated before, he will need to develop to turn those raw physical tools into production on the field. Already an adept run defender, Brockers can still expand his pass rush moves. Also, more time in the weight room will translate into his improving even more in the run game.
Another project, Brian Quick hails from a small school. Never facing elite competition dictates a steep learning curve. He provides the quarterback with a big target and a large catch radius, but he doesn't separate from defenders very well. Quick can move his breaks in the route sharply, and he does show buildup speed downfield; however, it will take a few years before we know how good he can be.
Serious character concerns induced Janoris Jenkins' fall from the first round. If St. Louis can keep him in line, they will receive deserved praise for drafting him, as he can shut down elite receivers like he did in college. Although a shorter corner at 5'10", his aggressiveness, speed and quickness counteract those disadvantages. He also offers pretty good return skills as well.
With Steven Jackson aging after unbelievable wear and tear, Fisher believes that Isaiah Pead can eventually replace him as a the lead back. That remains debatable, but he explodes in his cuts and changes of direction. That makes him a prototypical third down or change-of-pace back. Nonetheless, Pead can improve on running between the tackles and showing a more physical running style.
The opposite body type of Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson possesses a 6'2" frame. This suggests that he can play well in press coverage, but he has almost no experience doing so, coming from a small school. Seemingly a theme in this draft class, his potential upside caused St. Louis to take him. Johnson might have been drafted higher if not for some character concerns.
By picking Chris Givens out of Wake Forest, they gave Sam Bradford a downfield weapon with the ability to create yards after the catch. Aside from having the ability to run fast, Givens is also polished as a route runner, making quick cuts. He joins a loaded receiving corps lacking a true go-to outside receiver.
Massive and naturally powerful, Rokevious Watkins shows starting ability but needs to clean up certain aspects of his game. Most critical is his balance in both run and pass blocking. Nevertheless, with the help of offensive line coach Paul T. Boudreau, Watkins could end up as an excellent fifth round selection.
Seen by most as the best kicker in the draft, Greg Zuerlein was brought in to replace Josh Brown who struggled some last year with his accuracy and distance on kickoffs. He has a cannon for a leg, and they have put their trust in him as their starter.
With their first seventh round pick, they selected Aaron Brown who played linebacker at Hawaii. He will need to make his money on special teams if he makes the squad.
The cousin of Bengals' running back Bernard Scott, Daryl Richardson's game resembles his cousin's closely, which is built on speed. Although not a special talent, his aggressive running style could result in the occasional big play. He's a late round flier that will hopefully pan out.
Drafting Brockers really solidifies that defensive line unit, and adding Jenkins and Johnson while also signing Cortland Finnegan assures that the secondary remains deep and talented. Although they won't be contributing much this year, Quick and Givens do have nice potential for the future and give Bradford diverse receiving options. Pead should give Jackson a backfield partner with explosion and the ability to possibly replace him. Even a couple of their late round picks have potential to make impacts on the team.While many would assert that St. Louis traded quality for quantity, the players they took were very talented. However, most of these rookies have character concerns or are undeveloped. This means that down the line this draft class will either be seen as spectacular or an utter failure depending on whether these players can develop and stay out of trouble.
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