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Exploring Rams' Day 2 possibilities
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/18026/exploring-rams-day-2-possibilities-2
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams sent a strong message about what kind of offense they want to have Thursday night when they drafted Georgia running back Todd Gurley with the 10th overall selection.
So as we head into day two, the question now becomes just how committed to continuing to build a power run game around Gurley the Rams will be in rounds two and three? With that in mind, here's a breakdown of some positions and players to watch on Friday night:
Offensive line: As we discussed earlier Friday, there's no doubt this is the area that still requires the most attention. The Rams missed out on some of the linemen they liked best in round one and were particularly disappointed when Duke guard Laken Tomlinson came off the board late in the first round. But there are still plenty of linemen left in whom the Rams have showed interest.
In fact, there are seven linemen still on the board who visited St. Louis in the pre-draft process. Those players are South Carolina guard A.J. Cann, Pittsburgh tackle T.J. Clemmings, Louisville guard Jamon Brown, LSU tackle La'el Collins, Arizona State guard Jamil Douglas, Florida State guard Tre Jackson and Hobart guard Ali Marpet. The team also showed interest in Wisconsin's Rob Havenstein and Missouri's Mitch Morse.
Other linemen who also rate highly and are still available include Oregon tackle Jake Fisher, Colorado State's Ty Sambrailo and Penn State tackle Donovan Smith, among others.
Not all of those players figure to go on day two and some are better suited for round two than round three. Collins is the best of the lot but also comes with the most questions simply because of the unknowns surrounding his situation. He'd be an outstanding value, in theory, but it's hard to spend a pick on a player when you don't know his status moving forward.
Clemmings is considered one of the highest upside players in the draft but is a major project and there's a belief that he has a foot injury that may need some attention. Cann is polished and ready to plug in right away, but it's unclear if the 41st pick would be too early for him. Fisher is also expected to go in round two and could be a fit.
Brown, Douglas, Jackson, Marpet, Havenstein and Morse are more likely round three options though some could sneak into the second. Don't be surprised if the Rams double down here on day two.
Quarterback: As expected, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were the only quarterbacks to go in the first round Thursday night. Which means if the Rams want to draft the No. 3 prospect in the draft, they could find themselves staring at their pick of the litter.
The Rams had private workouts with UCLA's Brett Hundley, Baylor's Bryce Petty, Colorado State's Garrett Grayson and Oregon State's Sean Mannion in the pre-draft process. Rumblings around Rams Park are that the Rams aren't as high on Hundley as the other three with Petty, Grayson and Mannion -- possibly in that order -- all possibilities. Of course, that doesn't mean everybody is down on Hundley.
If St. Louis goes with Petty, they'd likely have to do it in the second round and the same might be true of Grayson, though he could slip to round three. Mannion is likely to remain on the board in the third round and might even slip beyond that depending on how other pieces fall.
Wide receiver: The Rams passed on a dominant receiver class last year. Will they do the same with a deep and talented group this time? It's possible, but they also could find themselves in position to land one. They have known interest in Oklahoma's Dorial Green-Beckham though he comes with a lot of risk off the field and playing near home is likely a proposition the Rams don't want to pursue.
Ohio State's Devin Smith, Michigan's Devin Funchess, Arizona State's Jaelen Strong and Auburn's Sammie Coates also remain on the board and should garner second-round consideration. Smith could be the perfect fit as a deep ball specialist on play action for the Rams while Funchess offers undeniable size, Strong provides a solid all around option, and Coates brings explosive athleticism.
It's not a super pressing need for the Rams but it wouldn't surprise if the value of a wideout in round two or three became too much for the Rams to ignore.
A curveball: It's the Rams. It would be extremely naive to ignore the possibility that they'll ignore need and come with a surprise. There are a few players on the board here who could fit the bill. Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory heads the list. He's a dynamic pass rusher but has off-field red flags that make it difficult to project him. LSU cornerback Jalen Collins also has some issues but is considered by some to be a first-round talent. And the Rams have also showed interest in bolstering the linebacker group, which means Mississippi State's Benardrick McKinney could also be a name to watch.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/18026/exploring-rams-day-2-possibilities-2
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams sent a strong message about what kind of offense they want to have Thursday night when they drafted Georgia running back Todd Gurley with the 10th overall selection.
So as we head into day two, the question now becomes just how committed to continuing to build a power run game around Gurley the Rams will be in rounds two and three? With that in mind, here's a breakdown of some positions and players to watch on Friday night:
Offensive line: As we discussed earlier Friday, there's no doubt this is the area that still requires the most attention. The Rams missed out on some of the linemen they liked best in round one and were particularly disappointed when Duke guard Laken Tomlinson came off the board late in the first round. But there are still plenty of linemen left in whom the Rams have showed interest.
In fact, there are seven linemen still on the board who visited St. Louis in the pre-draft process. Those players are South Carolina guard A.J. Cann, Pittsburgh tackle T.J. Clemmings, Louisville guard Jamon Brown, LSU tackle La'el Collins, Arizona State guard Jamil Douglas, Florida State guard Tre Jackson and Hobart guard Ali Marpet. The team also showed interest in Wisconsin's Rob Havenstein and Missouri's Mitch Morse.
Other linemen who also rate highly and are still available include Oregon tackle Jake Fisher, Colorado State's Ty Sambrailo and Penn State tackle Donovan Smith, among others.
Not all of those players figure to go on day two and some are better suited for round two than round three. Collins is the best of the lot but also comes with the most questions simply because of the unknowns surrounding his situation. He'd be an outstanding value, in theory, but it's hard to spend a pick on a player when you don't know his status moving forward.
Clemmings is considered one of the highest upside players in the draft but is a major project and there's a belief that he has a foot injury that may need some attention. Cann is polished and ready to plug in right away, but it's unclear if the 41st pick would be too early for him. Fisher is also expected to go in round two and could be a fit.
Brown, Douglas, Jackson, Marpet, Havenstein and Morse are more likely round three options though some could sneak into the second. Don't be surprised if the Rams double down here on day two.
Quarterback: As expected, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were the only quarterbacks to go in the first round Thursday night. Which means if the Rams want to draft the No. 3 prospect in the draft, they could find themselves staring at their pick of the litter.
The Rams had private workouts with UCLA's Brett Hundley, Baylor's Bryce Petty, Colorado State's Garrett Grayson and Oregon State's Sean Mannion in the pre-draft process. Rumblings around Rams Park are that the Rams aren't as high on Hundley as the other three with Petty, Grayson and Mannion -- possibly in that order -- all possibilities. Of course, that doesn't mean everybody is down on Hundley.
If St. Louis goes with Petty, they'd likely have to do it in the second round and the same might be true of Grayson, though he could slip to round three. Mannion is likely to remain on the board in the third round and might even slip beyond that depending on how other pieces fall.
Wide receiver: The Rams passed on a dominant receiver class last year. Will they do the same with a deep and talented group this time? It's possible, but they also could find themselves in position to land one. They have known interest in Oklahoma's Dorial Green-Beckham though he comes with a lot of risk off the field and playing near home is likely a proposition the Rams don't want to pursue.
Ohio State's Devin Smith, Michigan's Devin Funchess, Arizona State's Jaelen Strong and Auburn's Sammie Coates also remain on the board and should garner second-round consideration. Smith could be the perfect fit as a deep ball specialist on play action for the Rams while Funchess offers undeniable size, Strong provides a solid all around option, and Coates brings explosive athleticism.
It's not a super pressing need for the Rams but it wouldn't surprise if the value of a wideout in round two or three became too much for the Rams to ignore.
A curveball: It's the Rams. It would be extremely naive to ignore the possibility that they'll ignore need and come with a surprise. There are a few players on the board here who could fit the bill. Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory heads the list. He's a dynamic pass rusher but has off-field red flags that make it difficult to project him. LSU cornerback Jalen Collins also has some issues but is considered by some to be a first-round talent. And the Rams have also showed interest in bolstering the linebacker group, which means Mississippi State's Benardrick McKinney could also be a name to watch.