Rams 2nd round pick: Brian Leonard, RB, Rutgers

(4/28/07)

Brian Leonard 6'1.5" 226 4.54
PFW's #1-ranked fullback, #53 player overall. Their top 3 available were Ryan Kalil, Marcus McCauley, Tim Crowder. Leonard top-rated RB left.
Sporting News tabbed him as a third-rounder, #5 RB overall, 2nd best available after Antonio Pittman.
scout.com had him as the 2nd-best player left, #34 overall behind Charles Johnson.
Rick Gosselin only has him at #81 overall, but Pittman appears to be the only RB ahead of him.

Draft guide notes:
PFW: Great versatility; can run, catch and block. Good power, leg drive and
balance to break tackles, and is surprisingly quick-footed and can dodge defenders.
Very good athlete, sees cutbacks well, can push the pile, effective in short
yardage. Soft hands, runs good pass routes. Great character, work habits
and smarts. Led RBs at Combine with 28 bench presses and ran a sub-4.5.
Can be effective as a single back or a fullback and showed at Senior Bowl
that he can block. Versatile, could have immediate impact for team that knows
how to use him. Good player and person who will represent a team well.

TSN: Runs through arm tackles. Can take hard hits and stay on his feet.
Won't be a dominant lead blocker, but good enough to start at fullback.
Good toughness, strength, athleticism, competitiveness. Better hands and
pass-catching skills than most NFL RBs. Has rare abilities.

Scout: 4-year starter; 3-time all-Big East. Led Rutgers in receiving last year.
Tough and determined player with a complete game. Has speed to turn the
corner. Looks to hit as many opponents as he can when blocking. Controls
opponents as a lead blocker. Tackle-breaker. Solid receiver.... Has watched
weight fluctuate and isn't big enough to be a true fullback. Does not run to
daylight in the open field. Tremendous worker, who's excelled as a rusher,
blocker and receiver. Terrific upside and can be productive as a rookie.

With all the good CBs on the board, and a couple of DEs I liked, I wasn't originally
thrilled that the Rams took an RB here. It looked like they panicked because Henry
came off the board early. But there's almost nothing bad to find about Brian Leonard.
He sounds like a very special player. How'd you like to be a defender having to stop
Steven Jackson 10-15 times, then you get slugged by this guy? I think it's too high
a pick for an RB with the Rams' defensive needs, but having decided to go RB, they
took the right guy. Thumbs up.