St. Louis Rams 2011 Draft Class Review
By Editorial Staff
Led by Sam Bradford, the Rams exceeded most everyone’s expectations last year when they pressed to win the admittedly awful NFC West, coming up one win short to the Seattle Seahawks. They came into last April’s draft with a plethora of needs, most notably at wide receiver. I think that they were able to do a pretty good job adding depth and giving themselves a chance to win their division outright next year.
1st Round, 14th overall pick: Robert Quinn, DE, UNC
Quinn is a steal even this early in the draft. He was projected as a top 10 pick by many experts, and fell mainly because of picks like Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder in the early rush on quarterbacks. Quinn should challenge James Hall for the starting job, though he will definitely suffer more than other rookies from the lockout. Quinn was one of the UNC players that was deemed ineligible and didn’t play last year, and he’ll be more than a little rusty due to his time away from the field. Nevertheless, this was a good pick that should pay big dividends, as the Rams could have a dynamic pair of rushing ends by pairing Quinn with Chris Long. Disclaimer: the Rams are becoming a good team on both sides of the ball, and if Sam Bradford has a year that’s even close to what I think is in store, the Rams will run away with the NFC West.
2nd round, 47th overall pick: Lance Kendricks, TE, Wisconsin
The Rams add a well-rounded tight end with Kendricks, who also played wide receiver at Wisconsin. This gets them up to four tight ends on the roster, but Kendricks still may make an impact immediately. Adding Kendricks gives Sam Bradford another weapon, but this is a curious choice. As a firsthand participant to Josh McDaniels offense, I can say that McD doesn’t really see tight ends too fondly, so this pick is a little weird. Keep in mind McDaniels selected Richard Quinn in the second round a few years ago, and he hasn’t done anything so far in his career. Who knows, maybe this time he’s altered his offense to include tight ends.
3rd round, 78th overall pick: Austin Pettis, WR, Boise St.
St. Louis gets a good wide receiver to add to their injury stricken plateau of wide outs. Pettis runs routes well and has good hands, but lacks explosiveness and top end speed, running a 4.61 40 yard dash. He does have good size at 6’3” and has the potential to add weight to his frame at just over 200 lbs. He should translate into a good #2 receiver who will make his name as a possession receiver.
4th round, 112nd overall pick: Greg Salas, WR, Hawaii
The Rams, obviously starved for receivers, grab an intriguing talent in the middle round in Salas, who becomes the second athlete currently in St. Louis with that surname. Salas is not that different from Pettis in terms of size and speed, weighing in a little smaller but clocked a little faster. He does have experience playing in the slot position at Hawaii, but with Danny Amendola the closest thing the Rams have to a consistent receiver, he may struggle to get playing time his first few years.
5th round, 158th overall pick: Jermaine Hines, DB, Ohio St.
Hines is a pretty good pick later in the draft, as he could potentially start his rookie year. He has good size and decent speed, which seem to be recurring themes these last three rounds. He could start at free safety over Craig Dahl, who, while filling the coveted role of “scrappy white player”, is generally ineffective and on the whole, a mediocre talent.
7th round, 216th overall pick: Mikail Baker, DB, Baylor
Baker came into Baylor as a wide receiver, but switched to defense after his junior year. He has suffered a few injuries that derailed his college career (torn ACL, partially torn MCL). He has blazing speed, running under 4.4 in his 40, and has a lot of strength for his size. He also has experience returning kickoffs, which could very well be what gets him a roster spot.
7th round, 228th overall pick: Jabara Williams, LB, Stephen F. Austin
To be honest I had no idea Stephen F. Austin had a football team, but they do, and they also have a linebacker named Jabara Williams, who has above average speed and decent size and strength (sigh). He also spent some time as a running back during his time at SFA and is most highly noted for his exceptional character, being a leader on a team that had some seniors quit halfway during the season. He should garner a spot on the practice squad and provide good depth.
7th round, 229th overall pick: Jonathan Nelson, S, Oklahoma
The Rams grab another safety late in the draft. Nelson is a hard hitter who really wants to make big hits. He’s pretty small for a SS, but he could be part of the race for Dahl’s job as the Rams decision makers obviously saw something they liked in him. He shows a lot of hustle and has the kind of work ethic that will lead him to find a spot somewhere on the roster, most likely on the practice squad.
Overview
The Rams got excellent depth in this draft, especially at wide receiver and in the secondary. Robert Quinn has star potential, and the combination of Lance Kendricks and Mike Hoomanawanui is a scary prospect. If either Pettis or Salas is able to work his way into the starting line up as a 2 or slot receiver, this team could suddenly be threatening through the air again. Outside of Mikail Baker, none of the draftees show burst, as the name of the game here seems to be consistency.