Rams draft Maurice Alexander

The Rams' 4th-round pick is a big, hard-hitting safety from Utah State and a St. Louis-area native, Maurice Alexander. Alexander served 45 days in jail in 2012 for aggravated assault and was kicked off the football team, but knuckled down, graduated early, got a second chance from the team and had a good senior year on the field. He used to be a janitor at the Edward Jones Dome and is a really good story and a player we'll really root for around here. (And Snead/Fisher fulfill their annual rap sheet quota.)

Alexander is a much better athlete than you'll usually see as an in-the-box safety, but I think the Rams really reached here, especially with a clear need for another QB and needs at WR, o-line depth and LB depth that could have been filled at #110 at better value. Most of the time you can find a good in-the-box safety late in the draft or in free agency. And there's no scouting report that thinks Alexander can cover anybody, at least right off. He'll fit well in the Fisher/Williams defense, but I think the pick is a reach.

-$-