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****OFFICIAL**** St. Louis Rams Draft Thread (1 Viewer)

MrPhoenix

Ron Paul Soldier
Picks:

1st (15th overall) CB Tye Hill, Clemsom

2nd (46th overall) TE Joe Klopfenstein, Colorado

3rd (68th overall) DT Claude Wroten, LSU

3rd (77th overall) OLB Jon Alston, Stanford

3rd (93rd overall) TE Dominique Byrd, USC

4th (116th overall) DE Victor Adeyanju, Indiana

Trades involving draft picks:

Rams trade 1st (11th overall- QB Jay Cutler, Vandy) to Broncos for 1st (15th overall- CB Tye Hill, Clemson) and 3rd (77th overall- OLB Jon Alston, Standford)- :thumbup:

Rams trade TE Brandon Manumaleuna to Chargers for 4th (113th overall- DE Victor Adeyanju) :thumbup:

Rams trade 4th and 6th rounders (not sure which picks) to Packers for 3rd (93rd overall- TE Dominique Byrd, USC) :thumbup:

Analysis:

Trading the 11th for a few spots down AND a 3rd was a very, very smart move. Cutler would have been a sexy pick, but I think Linehan is content to give Bulger one year to show what he's got. Bulger's proven to be a competent NFL QB and I think Linehan knows that and saw no reason to shake up Bulger's mojo.

Tye Hill should pay immediate dividends to the Rams secondary in desperate need of playmakers. Wasn't too high on him at the beginning of the draft as he's not the physical specimen, say, Cromartie and Jimmy Williams were, but he's a proven performer and was probably the best (and safest) move they could have made at that point.

Joe Klopfenstein should also pay immediate dividends as well. Keep in mind, Linehan's offense will emphasize TE's a lot more than Martz's offense ever dreamed of. Linehan has said to look for a lot of two-TE sets this year. With Manumaleuna not participaing in the offseason workout program and gaining the apparent ire of Linehan, this move made sense as Klop is a competent blocker and has good hands.

Claude Wroten was a steal in the 3rd. He was projected as a solid 2nd round prospect, but because of some legal trouble (busted for pot possession in Jan 2006) and the fact he's a smidge undersized, I guess that led him to falling into the 3rd. Look for Wroten to contribute a lot in his 1st year in a Rams uniform.

Jon Alston was a guy in which I said "who?" at first, but I'm fairly satisfied with the pick after reading up on him. He's vastly undersized for LB at 6' 223lbs and some could say he'd be a better SS if he could learn some cover skills. He'll need to add some bulk if he wants to contribue on the defense right away, but his speed and athleticism are something head coaches lust after at the LB position, and if nothing else, he should be a force on special teams right away.

Trading a 4th and 6th for Green Bay's 3rd was a good move, IMO. Not sure how much the jump was from their 4th pick to the Packer's 3rd, but they only get rid of a 6th, so no big loss there.

Dominique Byrd makes me giddy. Ideal size for a TE, though a little short (6'2, 255), fantastic hands, decent blocker, polished route runner. Academics and durability helped him slip from being a sure-fire 2nd rounder into a very-late 3rd. In my opinion, if he stays healthy, he could be a star in this league, maybe even outperforming 2nd round pick Klopfenstein in the long run.

And after getting two TE's in the 1st day and after he refused to show up at offseason workouts, I think it was pretty apparent Brandon Manumalefatass was on his way out. And boy howdy, am I ever grateful the Chargers saw enough in this piece of garbage to hand over a 4th rounder for him. Thanks San Diego!

Victor Adeyanju was a fantastic steal in the 4th round. He's got good size for a DE (6'4, 274) with room for more bulk. The guy has proven that he has the athletic ability AND natural football instincts to suggest he could be a great NFL contributor. Not a born pass-rusher as he does his best work in traffic and space, but it's something that could develop over time. I like this guy's future.

 
Serious question....Are you worried at all about Hill's lack of height?
According to Stltoday.com, one of the things that Linehan liked about his was a game where Clemson faced Georgia Tech. The 5-9 Tye Hill was paired with 6-4 Calvin Johnson and pretty much shut Johnson down. Don't forget: Hill had a 39-inch vertical at the combine. So am I concerned about his size? As evidenced by his success with bigger recievers in the past and his vertical, I'm not overly concerned.

 
Loved the Tye Hill pick. A+

Kinda eh on the Klopfenstein pick.

Wroten is a solid pick. Good one-dimensional DT, which is all you can hope for in the 3rd round.

The Adenyanju pick is real cool. Lots of upside for a 4th rounder.

Overall, I'd give the Rams a B-/C+ with potential for B+ depending on how Wroten and Adenyanju pan out.

 

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