St Louis Rams Draft Review

1st Round, Pick #14: Robert Quinn (DE North Carolina)

Tremendous pick by the Rams, and I believe the best pick of round 1. I truly believe had Robert Quinn played last year that he would have been in serious consideration for the #1 overall pick, and I have no doubts he will emerge as the classes top pass rusher. Robert Quinn is the perfect 4-3 DE prospect, he has the ideal size, phenomenal athleticism and explosion, and is hard worker and great guy. Excellent job by St Louis picking up the drafts top pass rusher at pick #14.

Grade- A+

2nd Round, Pick #47: Lance Kendricks (TE Wisconsin)

I like Lance Kendricks, and I definitely think he will help their offense out, but for my taste, this was a little early for him. St Louis desperately needs to get some weapons to help out Sam Bradford, and I would have preferred them take a guy like Torrey Smith or Leonard Hankerson. Kendricks is a good player, but he will never be a Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates caliber tight end. He has average size, but holds his own as a blocker. He has excellent hands, is a great route runner, and has the athleticism to get open and make things happen. Kendricks will help this team out, but at this pick, I think there were other players that would have helped out a lot more.

Grade- C

3rd Round, Pick #78: Austin Pettis (WR Boise State)

This pick I like a lot, as I feel Austin Pettis is a very underrated prospect. Pettis doesn't have the flashy speed or agility that other receivers have, but Pettis is just a Baller. Anytime Boise needed a big play, they were always looking Pettis' way, and he always came through in the clutch. Pettis for my money, also has the best hands of anybody in this draft class, I don't think I've ever seen a ball hit him in the hands that he didn't pull down. He knows how to get open, reads defenses well, and is a great safety blanket for any QB.

Grade- A

4th Round, Pick #112: Greg Salas (WR Hawaii)

Obviously the Rams believe that either Donnie Avery or Mark Clayton is going to come back and have a big impact, because none of the 3 receivers the Rams have just drafted have any speed. Greg Salas was extremely productive in college, but I just don't see him being able to transition to the next level well. Salas is just not athletic enough for me. He doesn't have the speed to get separation and beat corners 1-on-1, and he isn't quick or agile enough to be a Wes Welker type player. Salas will probably stick around for a while, but I don't see him ever making much of an impact.

Grade- D

5th Round, Pick #158: Jermale Hines (Safety Ohio State)

St Louis has some big issues in their secondary, but Jermale Hines is not going to fix them. Hines is an average player who will be a career backup, and special teamer in the league. He has good size and is pretty solid in run support, but is a liability in coverage and is just not athletic enough to play on a regular basis at the next level. He is an average player who is good enough to hang around, but never will be a regular starter.

Grade- D

7th Round, Pick #216: Mikail Baker (Cornerback Baylor)

In the 7th round here the Rams are going for those 1 in 100 type players who has the talent but nothing much besides that. Mikail Baker came to Baylor as a receiver, but before his Junior season they moved him over to cornerback where his skills project better. He showed potential, but is obviously nowhere near ready to be a reliable starter. He also has been hurt with a knee injury, and that is an issue as well. I have no issue with a pick like this in the 7th, if he works out great, he will be special, but if he doesn't, which is likely, nothing lost.

Grade- B

7th Round, Pick #228: Jabara Williams (OLB Stephen F Austin)

Another high risk-low reward pick here for the Rams, as Jabara Williams is a talented athlete who was potential. He has the build of a Safety, but was big enough at the FCS level to play linebacker, which he did very well. Williams was dominant in Division 2 where he was a superior athlete, and even at only 210 pounds, he was a big guy. At the next level, he will obviously have to put on a good deal of muscle to be in the rotation at linebacker, but at the very least he should be a good special teams player.

Grade- B+

7th Round, Pick #229: Jonathan Nelson (CB Oklahoma)

I like what St Louis did in the 7th round here, taking guys who have legitimate shots to make an impact at the next level. Of course, there were a few guys out there that I would have preferred they grab, but once again, Jonathan Nelson has a good chance to contribute in the NFL. He was a full time starter at Oklahoma, and while he is nothing special, he is a solid, reliable player who has the ability to make an NFL roster.

Grade- B