Rams draft profile (1st round): Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

ESPN

Todd Gurley, 6'0.5" 222
RB, Georgia

Rankings
NFLDraftScout: #11 player overall, #1 running back. First-round grade.
Nawrocki: #7 player overall, #1 RB guard. Grade: 6.60, sure-fire first rounder who should make an immediate impact.
Mayock: #19 player overall, #2 RB.
Kiper: #10 player overall, #1 RB.
Draft Countdown: #4 player overall, #1 RB. First-round grade.
Sports Illustrated: #16 player overall, #1 RB.
Scouts Inc: #8 player overall, #1 RB. Grade: 92, rare prospect.

Biography/Honors
2014: Voted offensive team MVP. Played in six games, starting five. 123-911 rushing (7.4 ypc) with 9 TDs. 12-57 receiving (4.8 ypc). 4 kickoff returns (44.8 ypr) with a TD. Also threw a 50-yard TD. Second in school history in TDs, rushing yards and all-purpose yards, trailing only Herschel Walker.

Suspended four games for taking over $3,000 for autographed memorabilia.

2013: Second team all-SEC. Started 10 games. 165-989 rushing (6.0 ypc) with 10 TDs. 37-441 receiving (11.9 ypc) with 5 TDs.
2012: All-freshman SEC team and second team all-conference. Started 12 of 14 games. 222-1,385 rushing (6.2 ypc) with 17 TDs. 16-117 receiving (7.3 ypc). 7 kickoff returns (34.7 ypr) with a TD. First true freshman to rush for 1,000 yards since Herschel Walker in 1980.

Academics: Pre-business major. Left school with a year of eligibility remaining
Twitter: @TG3II

Injuries

2014: Tore left ACL in mid-November game against Auburn and missed final three games.
2013: Missed three games due to sprained ankle. Missed parts of two other games with hip and ankle injuries.
  
Combine/Pro Day
No offseason workouts; recovering from ACL injury

Scouting Report
Pluses: Big, strong, physical and explosive. Looks every bit the NFL RB, can run around defenders as easily as he runs over them. Runs through arm tackles, wears down defenses and gets better the more carries he gets. Runs with great balance and has exceptional speed and bend around the corner for a big back. Has alarming speed and acceleration to the edge. Does not go down easy. Has exceptional body control, balance after contact and leg drive. Regularly breaks losses for big gains (he'll have to). Bounces off tackles and throws a mean stiffarm. Finishes his runs and won't run out of bounds. 62% of his yards last season came after initial contact. Has the speed and suddenness to score from anywhere on the field. Doesn't dance; hits the hole hard. Presses the line of scrimmage to set up cutback runs. Gets downhill with good forward lean and knee bend and makes himself small in the hole. Keeps the ball high and tight as a runner and a receiver. Averaged 6.4 yards a carry for his career and fumbled only 3 times in 586 touches. Catches well and is dangerous on screen passes. Soft hands and adjusts to throws well. Makes sharp cuts in the open field. Alert in pass pro. Added value as a kick returner. Said to be ahead of schedule in his injury rehab. ACL clouds his near future, but taking only 40% of snaps 2014-15 means there's plenty of tread on his tires. (Nawrocki) True workhorse back who can carry an offense and has the potential to be a perennial all-pro; a top-five player.

Minuses: Durability has to be questioned. May not be at full health for his rookie season. May not get his original speed back. Takes some heavy hits. Field vision is iffy. Will cut back out of runs when he has a nice gain right in front of him. Can be more elusive in the open field and picking through traffic. Has to run with more patience. Needs to refine hand placement and positioning as a pass protector. The Miami Herald reports that he's at 80%, has not been doing lateral movements and is likely to start his rookie season on the PUP list.

Compares to: Here comes the hype. NFL.com says Marshawn Lynch; Sports Illustrated says Adrian Peterson. I'll throw in Herschel Walker.

Fun Facts
Todd played on three straight North Carolina state football championship teams. He ran hurdles on Georgia's track team and represented team USA at the World Youth Championships in Athletics in France in 2011. He has run the 60-meter hurdles in 8.12 seconds.

RamView
Todd Gurley is the stud RB of this draft and one of the best RBs of the past several drafts. I see a player with every bit the potential to become one of the NFL's elite players. He and Tre Mason should become quite a 1-2 running punch and Gurley restores the Steven Jackson element the Rams have been missing in their backfield. Everything I see about Gurley says he can do it all. He's an excellent value where he was taken and is an outstanding pick. Rams fans can get excited about this pick. It could transform the franchise. One thumb up. The other thumb's down. For a team that's 20-28 in three years under Fisher and Snead, if Gurley's truly unable to contribute until well into the 2015 season, he's a luxury pick for a team with gaping holes in its offensive line and a receiving corps that's still pedestrian. I think this pick has a good chance of becoming a great one, but it wasn't made with winning games in St. Louis in 2015 in mind. Fisher and Snead owe us more urgency than that, and without rushing back another player too soon off an ACL injury and messing up his future, either.

Sources: Georgia Athletics, NFL.com, Wikipedia

Rams first-round pick: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia.

Let's see... trade away a QB with two blown ACLs, draft a RB YOU DON'T FREAKING NEED with one blown ACL. Well, we're up an ACL.

Where is Gurley going to go with no blockers in front of him? I get that he could very well grade out as the best player on the board, I get he and Tre Mason could form a potent 1-2 punch (Zac who?) but what the hell are the Rams doing taking him? Unless he is trade bait, I really can't make a lot of sense out of this pick.

RUNNING BACK WAS THE RAMS' BIGGEST NEED IN THE DRAFT?

Let me project the rest of this draft.
2nd round, Ameer Abdullah
3rd round, T.J. Yelden
4th round, Cameron Artis-Payne OF AUBURN
6th round, Zack Zenner
7th round, Malcolm Agnew

Can't have enough running backs!

-$-

Last last-minute mock draft

1. Tampa, Jameis Winston
2. Tennessee, Marcus Mariota
3. Jacksonville, Amari Cooper
4. Oakland, Leonard Williams
5. Washington, Kevin White
6. Jets, Todd Gurley
7. Chicago, Trae Waynes
8. Atlanta, Dante Fowler
9. NY Giants, Vic Beasley
10. Rams, Brandon Scherff

Winston and Mariota are my top 2 players at any position. Tennessee has no business going with Mettenberger. Jags need a WR worse than they need defense. Raiders can use the pass rush. With Washington, I'd go with a big WR that I don't think RG3 really has vs. a pass rusher who's not a scheme fit. About the same thing with the Jets. RB's the one place they don't look strong enough. Well, QB, but. Pass defense was a horror show in Chicago last year. Pass rusher for Atlanta, BPA for the Giants plus a possible Robert Quinn-type for new DC Steve Spagnuolo.

I'll get to work on profiles for Scherff and Kevin White, even though neither may ever hit the blog. With the top two QBs and top two WRs gone, the Rams have no business looking anywhere but offensive line. I will cut them some slack on DaVante Parker but would be very surprised. I'll downplay the official confirmation that the Rams did not have a top-30 visit or an on-campus workout with Scherff. He's the best o-lineman in the draft, he's more physical and guard-versatile than Peat or Flowers would be, and the Rams need a lineman. Plus, I think they're close enough to having Barksdale back to not have to worry about taking a pure tackle.

Take a defensive lineman, especially one with a rich history of marijuana transgressions, neither of whom would even be a scheme fit in St. Louis, and let's just say it's going to be a long night here at RamView.

-$-

Last-minute draft thoughts

RamView's going to have to bail on the mock draft this year. After an hour, I still hadn't made it past #6. I'll replace it instead with a bunch of dumb draft night predictions:

1. QBs go 1-2. Yes, that means you, Tennessee. I can't decide if "We want to see what we have in Zach Mettenberger" is the dumbest smokescreen ever or the dumbest offensive plan ever.

2. Most mocks have picks 3 and 4 reversed. I think the Jagwires are hurting a lot more at WR than they are on defense. 32nd in scoring, 31st in passing, their QBs were sacked 71 times, and they don't even have Cecil F. Shorts coming back. They'd better take Amari Cooper or Kevin White if they don't want Julius Thomas triple-teamed every week, or if they want Blake Bortles to outlast Sam Bradford. Derek Carr needs targets in Oakland, but they're pretty old and very unproductive up front on D. Think they'd better pounce on Leonard Williams if he falls to their pick.

3. A big reason my mock draft stalled was because I couldn't figure out defensive scheme fits. Lots of mocks have 4-3 guys like Vic Beasley and Dante Fowler going to 3-4 teams like the Jets and Redskins. Unfortunately for those teams, the best 3-4 pass rushers usually left to them are Randy Gregory and Shane Ray. Let's see if one of them trades down.

4. Chicago could go three or four logical ways with their pick. I'm figuring they take one of the top two WRs. Either would be BPA and fill a need.

That will also save a significant long scream from a few miles east of St. Louis. On NFL Network the last two nights, mock drafters have had Amari Cooper available at #10, then Cooper AND Marcus Mariota available at #10, and projected the Rams to take an offensive lineman. For the record, Winston, Mariota, Cooper or White should trump all needs the Rams have on offensive lines if their "war room" has anyone in it with any brains.

5. Allow me to make one correct prediction... a pass rusher to Atlanta. Next?

6. The Giants are very intriguing at #9. Lots of folks say o-line/Brandon Scherff to them, but I thought their o-line had rounded into shape pretty nicely by the end of last season. Just ask Sack City. Their reputation is that they consistently take the BPA, but would they really take a QB or WR at #9? My sleeper pick there is Trae Waynes; the Rams would have made last December's game a real shootout if they'd had a QB who could throw a decent deep ball. Ram receivers were getting behind that secondary, but Shaun Hill cost them a good 3 TDs.

7. 25% the Rams have a shot at one of the top two WRs, 75% the pick's an offensive lineman, if they stay here. My guess is still that they are close enough to having Barksdale signed that they can plan on having him at RT. I think that rules out Andrus Peat and probably Ereck Flowers. And La'el Collins picked exactly the wrong time to be caught up in a murder investigation. Even though there's no report he visited Rams Park or the Rams worked him out, I'm starting to think I need to whip up a Brandon Scherff profile for tomorrow night.

8. Giving me until Friday night to whip up a profile for Bryce Petty.

All I'll really be trying to do this weekend is get profiles up here for the players the Rams do pick. Enjoy the madness!

-$-

RamView draft profile: Tre Jackson, G, Florida State

Florida State University

Tre Jackson, 6'4" 330
G, Florida State

Rankings
NFLDraftScout: #76 player overall, #4 guard. Second-third round grade.
Nawrocki: #53 player overall, #5 guard. Grade: 5.66, likely second-rounder with immediate starter potential.
Mayock: TBA
Kiper: TBA
Draft Countdown: #84 player overall, #3 guard. 2nd-3rd round grade.
Sports Illustrated: #53 player overall, #3 guard.
Scouts Inc: #66 player overall, #2 guard. Grade: 78, solid prospect.

Biography/Honors
2014: Unanimous first team all-America. First team all-ACC. Senior Bowl South Team MVP. Started all 14 games at right guard. Final season grade was 87.1%, leading FSU linemen. Highest-graded FSU lineman in 12 out of 14 games. Was ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week three times.
2013: First team all-ACC. Started 13 games at right guard. Season grade of 80.2%. FSU ran for 5.6 yards per carry and 42 TDs, averaged over 500 total yards per game and set at least 7 school single-season offensive records.
2012: Second team all-ACC. Started all 14 games at right guard, with 22 knockdown blocks and a season grade of 84.7%.
2011: Appeared in 8 games, mostly on special teams and at guard, starting one. Made first career start at right guard in bowl game vs. Notre Dame and did not allow a pressure or a sack.


Academics: Florida State does not list its football players' majors.
Twitter: @TreJackson54

Injuries

2013: Missed one game due to right ankle injury.
2011: Missed first five games due to groin injury.
2009: Missed entire junior season in high school due to torn left ACL.
  
Combine/Pro Day Stats
(2015 NFL Combine averages for guards in parentheses)

40-yard dash: 5.52 (Tied for 2nd-slowest among guards. Average was 5.36)
10-yard split: 1.88
Vertical: 25" (3rd-worst guard. Average was 27")
Broad: 8'0" (3rd-worst guard. Average was 8'3")
3-cone: DNP (8.00)
Shuttle*: 5.27 (Would have been worst time for a guard at the Combine. Average was 4.79)
Bench*: 20 (Would have tied for last. Average was 26)

* Pro day; Jackson chose to skip these drills at the Combine.

Scouting Report
Pluses: Big, strong, wide body. Exceptional size and very good anchor strength to handle power rushers. Very big hands; controls defenders with very strong grip. Can short set and stop an oncoming rusher cold. Gathers well and can re-establish the line of scrimmage. In pass pro, has powerful punch, good initial quickness and mirrors adequately. Pretty much can't be bull-rushed. Doesn't stand around if not engaged, he looks for somebody to hit. Dominated in 1-on-1 drills at the Senior Bowl. Has the size and strength to excel in a power scheme. Plays with an edge and tries to put the defender on his back. Hard worker and very competitive. Has also worked out at center. No off-field issues.

Minuses: Heavier and shorter-armed than ideal. Needs to lose weight and improve conditioning. Clumsy feet. Best in a phone booth. Not suited for a zone scheme. Does not change directions well in space and doesn't have arm length to make up for it against quicker interior rushers. Athleticism is average at best. Showed better lower-body drive and explosion his junior year. Lets his hands get wide. Tends to stop moving his feet, so he'll lose balance at the point of contact or fail to drive-block to the second level. Slow getting to the second level. Recognizes simple blitzes but struggles with line games and more complicated blitzes. Doesn't recover well when he over-extends.
 
Compares to: Justin Blalock

Fun Facts
Among the other offensive linemen in Seminole history who have been consensus all-Americans: NFL Network's Jamie Dukes, current Raiders center Rodney Hudson, and... wait for it... wait for it... Alex Barron. He was a consensus all-American TWICE.

RamView
Maybe this is why the Rams haven't signed Jason Blalock as has been rumored; they've got a good shot at drafting a similar player in the second round anyway. I much prefer A.J. Cann. It sounds to me like Jackson let his conditioning slip as a senior. He got by because he has the technique and athleticism to make it in the pros, but the team that drafts him is going to have to work him back into shape. Jackson could be the top guard to come from this draft, but only if he gets into elite shape and stay there.

Sources: Florida State Athletics, NFL.com, Wikipedia

RamView draft profile: A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina

CBS Sports

A.J. Cann, 6'3" 313
G, South Carolina

Rankings
NFLDraftScout: #58 player overall, #2 guard. Second-round grade.
Nawrocki: #42 player overall, #3 guard. Grade: 5.75, likely second-rounder with immediate starter potential.
Mayock: TBA
Kiper: TBA
Draft Countdown: #47 player overall, #1 guard. 2nd-3rd round grade.
Sports Illustrated: #51 player overall, #2 guard.
Scouts Inc: #73 player overall, #3 guard. Grade: 77, solid prospect.

Biography/Honors
2014: Second team all-America and second team all-SEC. Team captain. Started all 13 games at left guard. Ranks second in school history with 51 career starts.
2013: Started all 13 games at left guard. Voted permanent team captain.
2012: Started 12 of 13 games at left guard.
2011: Started all 13 games at left guard.
2010: Redshirted. 

Academics: Graduated December 2013 with a degree in African-American studies. Three-time member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Twitter: @AJCann_50

Injuries

2015: Did not play in Senior Bowl due to knee injury. Missed on-field workouts at Combine due to calf injury. Did not complete all drills at pro day due to a hamstring pull during his first 40.
  
Combine/Pro Day Stats
(2015 NFL Combine averages for guards in parentheses)

40-yard dash*: 5.46 (5.36)
10-yard split: n/a
Vertical*: 32.5" (Would have been best by a guard at the Combine. Average was 27")
Broad*: 9'1" (Would have been 2nd-best by a guard at the Combine. Average was 8'3")
3-cone: DNP (8.00)
Shuttle: DNP (4.79)
Bench: 26 (26)

* Pro day; A.J. only benched at the Combine due to a calf injury.

Scouting Report
Pluses: Strong player with strong lower body and natural knee bend. Controls the line of scrimmage. Plays with solid technique and good leverage. Understands leverage and positioning. Keeps his pads low and takes pride in it. Has excellent hand placement. Pins defenders effectively as a down-blocker. Has strength and leverage to drive defenders off the ball, and power and knee bend to absorb bull rushes. Agile enough to get to second level. Anchors well as a pass protector but still shows good agility. Has a strong punch. Had no problem blocking Gabe Wright in Auburn game. Rarely penalized. Four-year SEC starter who also played center in high school and impressed working out at center at his pro day. NFL-ready. Very durable player with great intangibles. A leader on the line and positive influence in the locker room. Smart player and hard worker with no off-field issues. Nawrocki expects him to contribute immediately, lift the play of his teammates and be a 10-year starter in the league.

Minuses: Shorter than ideal and arm length is just average. Best in a phone booth. Lumbers off the snap. Is not explosive off the ball. Could finish his blocks better. Has struggled against power. Is slow out of his stance. Slow laterally and vulnerable to spin moves. Can be late finding defenders on the move. Man-blocker only. Footwork nowhere near good enough to suit him to zone schemes. Needs pass pro refinement. Needs to punch more, lean less and keep his feet underneath him better.
 
Compares to: Larry Warford, Justin Blalock, Ben Grubbs

Fun Facts
A.J. participated in a 10-day mission to Israel after his junior year and taught football. He and teammate Dylan Thompson put on six camps in six days. A.J. played on both lines in high school and was also on the track team.

RamView
Those comparable guards tell us why the Rams have shown interest in Cann. They nearly drafted Larry Warford a couple of years ago and have shown interest in free agent Blalock this year. Cann's scheme fit,  guard/center versatility, proficient run-blocking and impressive character would make him a superb pick for the Rams in the second round, if he's still available at #41.

Sources: South Carolina Athletics, Kansas City Star

Rams 2015 pre-draft visits

updated April 26

Every year NFL teams are allowed to bring up to 30 prospects in the upcoming draft to their facility for face-to-face meetings. April 22nd was the last day for player visits. Here's the a list of players who have made pre-draft visits to Rams Park...

Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson
Jamon Brown, T, Louisville 
A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina
T.J. Clemmings, T, Pitt
La'el Collins, OL, LSU
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Jamil Douglas, G, Arizona State
Bud Dupree, DE/LB, Kentucky
Cameron Erving, C, Florida State
Ereck Flowers, T, Miami
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Mizzou, Oklahoma
Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska 
D.J. Humphries, T, Florida
Tre Jackson, G, Florida State
Ali Marpet, C/G, Hobart
Bernardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State 
Deiontrez Mount, LB, Louisville
DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
Andrus Peat, T, Stanford
Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor (according to CBSSports.com)
Shane Ray, DE, Mizzou
Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke
Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State 
Ramik Wilson, LB, Georgia (according to CBSSports.com)

As Jim Thomas noted, of the 24 players confirmed to have made pre-draft visits, a whopping 12 of them are offensive lineman. I would say we can expect the Rams to have a lineman-heavy draft. (As they should, with three gaping holes on the current line.) Very curious by his absence from the list, though, is Iowa lineman Brandon Scherff, who's rated by most as the best offensive lineman prospect in the draft. I'm unaware of a visit by him or a Rams workout at Iowa. Teams can still make campus visits up until the day before the draft. The Rams have made such visits with many QBs: Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Brett Hundley, Garrett Grayson, Bryce Petty and Sean Mannion, and also Wisconsin tackle Rob Havenstein and Florida LB Neiron Ball.

Reliable sources say the Rams have interest in TCU LB Paul Dawson, and West Virginia WR Kevin White said in a Sirius XM that he had a St. Louis visit scheduled, but we have no report that either has visited Rams Park.

Again, the Rams have stuck very closely to this guest list on recent draft nights. It's an o-lineman-heavy list, and I'd expect an o-lineman-heavy draft, though I think we can project they won't be afraid to draft a QB, WR, LB or even a DE if the value's right.


Teams are permitted to workout players considered local to their territory prior to the draft, and these players do not count against the 30-visit limit:
Charles Brooks, TE, Kansas, Findlay
Jimmy Hunt, WR, Mizzou
Travis Manning, CB, NW Missouri
MyCole Pruitt, TE, SIU

-$-

RamView Accu-Draft 2015: draft notes by position

QB

Rams outlook: The Rams bid farewell to the past in trading former face of the franchise Sam Bradford, but the future is right on their tails because replacement Nick Foles, like Bradford, is in the final year of his contract. They (unjustly, I believe) trust Austin Davis so little at QB2 that they actually traded a draft pick next year to get Case Keenum back from Houston. Why didn't they care enough to prevent Houston from claiming Keenum off the practice squad by promoting him to the main roster last year? This team has been in crying need of a developmental QB the whole Fisher era and it hasn't changed.

Sleeper: Even with Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, this is one of the worst QB draft classes I've ever seen, so I won't go sleeper here, I'll go food coma and say Georgia QB Hutson Mason. He's not projected to be drafted, but at the Shrine Game, his deep ball was pretty and he showed good accuracy on all his other throws and eluded the rush well in the pocket. He's got more game than a lot of the QBs ranked ahead of him.

Please avoid: I'm not a Bryce Petty fan, but the QB I'm going to say to avoid is Sean Mannion of Oregon State. I'm just not that impressed with his accuracy, consistency or ability to throw on the move.

Favorite names: Gary Nova, Rutgers, though it seems like he should have played at a different school; Andrew Hendrix, Miami, who I hope will be picked up by a purple team.

RB

Rams outlook: The Rams should be set at RB. Tre Mason emerged as a score-from-anywhere weapon as a rookie and Benny Cunningham developed into close to a top-flight third-down back, to the point that Zac Stacy, who nearly ran for 1,000 yards as a rookie two years ago, found it near impossible to get any snaps. They have a special teams specialist here, too, Chase Reynolds. What they need to do, ahem, is trim down (read a little further).

Sleepers: It's a deep draft at RB. Lots of draftniks love big David Johnson of Northern Iowa and David Cobb of Minnesota. I liked Shrine Game star Dominique Brown (Louisville), another big back. Really upright runner but he didn't go down on first contact and showed some nice cutback ability.

Please avoid: Drafting a RB when you don't need one, and keeping a RB, Isaiah Pead, who you don't need and is only going to take reps away that the other young RBs need.

Favorite name: Zach Zenner, South Dakota State. How can you not like those initials? And he's even ZZ-topped by Penn State's Zack Zwinak.

WR

Rams outlook: The Rams could stand to add a legitimate deep threat or a big slot receiver in the draft but aren't likely to unless Amari Cooper or Kevin White slips to #10. They re-signed Kenny Britt, should have Brian Quick back from his devastating shoulder injury last year and will count on Frank Cignetti to make better use of Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey than Brian Schottenheimer could. Rams fans and Nick Foles alike will have to hope that's enough.

Sleepers: 2015's receiver class is nearly as good as 2014's. It's criminal as it is probable that the Rams are going to avoid drafting any receiver from either class. After the first round, I think Nelson Agholor (USC) can be every bit as productive as Cooper. The Rams don't need any more small receivers but I really like Tyler Lockett of Kansas State. For his size, he's strong against physical coverage and he has great moves to escape press coverage, very reminiscent of Steve Smith. Justin Hardy of East Carolina could be a poor man's Agholor, with deep speed, good hands and a wide catching range.

Please avoid: You probably already guessed Dorial Green-Beckham of Mizzou. But how can it be a good idea for the Rams to select him? He didn't play last year. He has two marijuana-related arrests and a domestic violence arrest on his rap sheet. He gets compared to Brandon Marshall and Plaxico Burress when I think the most apropos comparable player is Danario Alexander, who also benefited statistically from Mizzou's spread offense. The Rams can't afford a high-round draft miss in 2015, and DGB presents a lot of opportunity for just that.

Favorite name: DeAndre Smelter, Georgia Tech. Helter Smelter!

TE

Rams outlook: I'm not sure why they went to the trouble, but the Rams made sure to re-sign Lance Kendricks and keep the most disappointing TE group in the league together. Doubtful they make a move here.

Sleepers: SIU's MyCole Pruitt worked out for the Rams after “winning” the Combine at TE and is a very good receiver. Devin Mahina (BYU) would be a good cheap pickup for those looking for a blocking TE.

Please avoid: Blake Bell, Oklahoma. Another of those converted-QB projects.

Worst name: No offense to Jesse James of Penn State, but that name brings back some old bad Rams drafting memories. Also, “Maxx” Williams? That's a spelling I'd expect from a stripper.

OL

Rams outlook: Bleak. The Rams have two returning starters and a bunch of gaping holes to their right. Erstwhile starting center Tim Barnes has done nothing in the NFL but get pushed backward. Erstwhile starting guard Barrett Jones has done nothing in the NFL but be injured. Garrett Reynolds, who I guess would be the erstwhile starting tackle, has done little in the NFL but get beaten. I kind of think they have Joe Barksdale in the fold but are keeping it under their hat to keep teams confused. And he hasn't been much to be excited about at RT. The Rams NEED to draft at least two o-linemen and wouldn't bother me if they drafted six. Pick them early and pick them often.

Sleepers: Max Garcia, Florida. Projects anywhere on the line and held his own against Danny Shelton at the Senior Bowl. Shaq Mason, Georgia Tech. A classic mauler in the Rams' supposed mode. Nick Easton, Harvard. Best player at the (admittedly low-rent) NFLPA game. Arie Kouandjio, Alabama. Took coaching really well at the Senior Bowl. Looked like a dominant player 1-on-1 by the end of the week and was a major run-mauler 11-on-11. Jamon Miller, Louisville. Blocked so well at the Shrine Game that it was noticeable when he was off the field.

Please avoid: Senior Bowl week on TV, all I noticed of Reese Dismukes was him getting blown off the ball at center like he's Tim Barnes. But he played at AUBURN, so he's probably the top center on Les Snead's board. All I noticed of B.J. Finney (Kansas State) at the Shrine Game was how he sprayed shotgun snaps around like Scott Wells. The Rams need to IMPROVE on what they had at center last year, not repeat it. Pitt tackle T.J. Clemmings looked an absolute mess during practice week at Mobile. He is much too raw for the Rams to draft and expect to make into a starter quickly. He's said to be an outstanding athlete, so he'll cost a high pick. The Rams can't afford it.

Favorite name: I don't know what's more awesome about Oregon center Hroniss Grasu, his name, or that his father was a stuntman.

DL

Rams outlook: Sack City got even richer before the draft. The Rams should have Chris Long back at full health and upgraded their tackle rotation by signing Nick Fairley to replace Kendall Langford. By simplifying the stupidly over-complicated defense from last season, Gregg Williams should have this unit primed in 2015 to live up to the reputation it had coming into 2014. If any team in the NFL can afford to stand pat at any unit, you'd think the Rams defensive line would be the one.

Sleepers: Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn. Strong and explosive, though I'm not sure if the big push he's getting from the NFL Network analysts is a good thing. Leterrius Walton, DT, Central Michigan. Very good get-off that I'm sure has drawn him some Aaron Donald comparisons. Henry Anderson, DE, Stanford. At 6'6”, you figure he'd knock down passes for you, and he showed decent inside rush ability at the Senior Bowl. Lynden Trail of Norfolk State could be a very intriguing player in a Ram uniform, an athletic freak who worked out in Mobile at DE, LB AND TE.

Please avoid: Can we avoid drafting anyone who plays defensive line? Seriously? With the Rams' paltry six picks and an offensive line they couldn't seriously field for a game right now, they can't afford to mess around with shiny pass-rushing toys who wouldn't even start. Besides, this staff has been pretty brilliant at turning undrafted free agents into quality pass rushers. Sign someone like Zack Wagenmann of Montana or Marcus Rush of Michigan State and see what Mike Waufle, Frank Bush and Gregg Williams can do with him.

Favorite name: We've got the makings for a decent classic rock tour with Steve Miller (Ohio State) and Christian Ringo (La-Lafayette). But let's not overlook Konrad Zagzebski (Wisconsin) or Beau Yapp (Hawaii), and certainly not Shrine Game favorites Za'Darius Smith (Kentucky) and Anthony Chickillo (Miami).

LB

Rams outlook: The Rams seem plenty set at LB. James Laurinaitis and Alec Ogletree will get most of the reps. They've added free agent Akeem Ayers as an ostensible pass-rushing SLB and keep Jo-Lonn Dunbar as a run-defense specialist. They can probably add a player for depth here, but it's not like Daren Bates and Will Herring haven't been worth their roster spots on special teams.

Sleeper: Deiontrez Mount, Louisville. The draftnik in me was jacked to hear the Rams had Mount in for a top-30 visit. He looked flawless at the Shrine Game. He tackled well and set a good edge against the run, and in coverage, he glued himself to the TEs off the line and kept tight coverage downfield.

Please avoid: Hayes Pullard, USC. Very good straight-line speed but I thought he got faked out of his jock a lot Senior Bowl week.

Favorite name: How can you tell UCLA's Owa Odighizuwa is good? Every analyst I've heard has been very careful to pronounce his name correctly. But let's also throw some awesome name love to Jermauria Rasco (LSU), Hau'Oli Kikaha (Washington), Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil (Maryland), Chi Chi Ariguzo (Northwestern), and Mount, mainly because Nolan Nawrocki's 2015 Draft Preview lists him as “Mount Deiontrez”.

DB

Rams outlook: Besides T.J. McDonald and E.J. Gaines, the Ram secondary stunk on ice last season, and I really wish they would have done anything in free agency to add a steady veteran leader. Instead we've got PRO BOWL ALTERNATE Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, Mark Barron, Rodney McLeod and Lamarcus Joyner to fail to cover anybody and get burned repeatedly for long TDs. And the first two of those five are free agents after this season. Can this bunch of scatterbrains afford to get even younger? Can they afford not to?

Sleepers: Eric Rowe, CB, Utah; Ladarius Gunter, CB, Miami; Adrian Amos, SS, Penn State. For his size and speed alone, I'm surprised to see Rowe as far down the chart as he is. Smart player with really good patience. I thought Gunter's Senior Bowl drills on TV were terrific. He was almost unbeatable on end zone fade routes. Amos also had a strong week in Mobile, showing corner coverage skills at times. Read routes really well and stuck tight to receivers.

Please avoid: I've seen at least one mock draft send Marcus Peters to the Rams, probably because he had at least one failed drug test at Washington and a number of disciplinary run-ins before coach Chris Peterson finally kicked him off the team. Do the Rams really need to add that kind of element to their secondary? Has the risk paid off that big with Jenkins to repeat it? Also, is anybody else really suspicious of Byron Jones (Connecticut) having peaked as a football player with that insane Combine performance? That kind of thing seems to happen a lot, just saying.

Worst name: Jacorey Shepherd, Kansas. Again with the bad Rams drafting memories.

ST

Rams outlook: The Rams have a top-ten kick returner, a top-ten punt returner, a top-five punter and, if he keeps his head on straight, a weapon at placekicker. And they're all entering their third year in the league. Coverage units are also filled with really good young players. Special teams could well be the Rams' secret weapon in 2015. They don't need to do anything.

Sleepers: Marcus Murphy, Mizzou. SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, with 3 return TDs (7 career), would be a more-than-adequate replacement for Pead.

Please avoid: Once more with feeling, NEVER. DRAFT. A. KICKER.

Favorite name: Josh Lambo, Texas A&M. Really only one team he should play for. I mean Green Bay, wisenheimers.

The Bucs are on the clock!

-$-

RamView Accu-Draft 2015: 7-round Rams drafts

Fisher/Snead projection:

10 – trade down with San Diego, picking up their 1^st and 3^rd round picks. I'm imagining a move up for Todd Gurley. Pretty generous deal, huh? Hmm, why would E.S. Kroenke want to be nice to the Chargers?

17 – La'el Collins, G, LSU. Ereck Flowers if they don't have an agreement with Joe Barksdale, but I kind of think they do.

41 – Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA. They're much freer to make this move with Barksdale signed. If Nick Foles lights it up the first 8 weeks, I have little doubt they'll re-sign him, but Hundley can be the insurance policy and long-term plan. They'll rely on Chris Weinke, who's worked with several notable mobile QBs, to coach him up. Change this to mock draft favorite A.J. Cann if they don't have Barksdale.

72 – Ramik Wilson, LB, Georgia. I don't know where the heck they plan to put him, but the Rams are said to be interested in Wilson by a number of reliable sources. This'll have to be a QB if my Hundley idea falls through.

83 - (projected, from San Diego) Reese Dismukes, C, Auburn. Because he's from AUBURN, and Fisher/Snead are always reliable for picking players from my “Please avoid” list every year.

119 – Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn. Actually, the NFL Network guys love this guy, and I can't believe he's still there in the 4^th on the 7-round projections I'm using.

215 – Zack Wagenmann, DE/LB, Montana. The Fisher/Montana connection strikes again.

227 – Anthony Jefferson, SS, UCLA. Fisher can never have too many safeties, and Jefferson was credible in the NFLPA Collegiate All-Star Game.

RamView-as-GM projection:

10 – Andrus Peat, T, Stanford. For my projective purposes, the Rams do not re-sign Barksdale, so I take the most pro-ready tackle in the draft here.

41 – Ali Marpet, C, Hobart. This may be a reach to make Plasticman do a double-take, but the Rams really need to come away with a decent center, and the top three tend to project as gone by #72. If Cam Erving falls to here, the Rams should take about four seconds making up their mind on the pick. Marpet's already creeping into the top 50 in some projections anyway. He's got the athleticism and versatility you want from a 2nd-round pick and was considered the best offensive lineman at the Senior Bowl.

72 – Garrett Grayson, QB, Colorado State. Peter King has Grayson to Denver at 59, but I'll just gamble here that he's wrong. I'd be willing to trade up for Grayson, though. Very accurate, has a very nice deep ball and comes from a real, adult pro-style offense. Sorry, but I'd hate to get stuck taking Bryce Petty at 72. If the Rams can't get Grayson or Hundley, they might as well stick to the QB-of-the-future non-policy they've had the whole Fisher era.

119 – Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn. No, seriously. I can't believe he'd be available here.

215 – Andre Davis, WR, South Florida. I'm a big (yes, Auburn's) Sammy Coates fan and wanted to get the Rams another WR sooner, but I'll settle for the big kid who looked good at the Shrine Game here. 6'2” 210 and will remind you of Brian Quick on a good day.

227 – Nick Easton, C, Harvard. You know what they say? You can never have too many centers? Easton was probably the best player at the NFLPA game, he has credible size at 6'3” 303, and it may be a stereotype, but smart linemen do tend to last a long time in the league.

I didn't draft a guard, but Marpet could end up there, or the Rams can kick Barrett Jones or Demetrius Rhaney over, or (probably inadvisably) rely on Garrett Reynolds, or still sign Justin Blalock. I like a lot of the guards in this year's draft, and not drafting one in my projection is a flaw, but I doubt a fatal one.

Let's get the Bucs on the clock already!

-$-

RamView draft profile: Ereck Flowers, T, Miami

NFL.com

Ereck Flowers, 6'6" 329
T, Miami

Rankings
NFLDraftScout: #18 player overall, #3 tackle. First-round grade.
Nawrocki: #13 player overall, #3 tackle. Grade: 6.32, likely first-rounder capable of starting readily.
Mayock: TBA
Kiper: TBA
Draft Countdown: #19 player overall, #2 tackle. First-round grade.
Sports Illustrated: #37 player overall, #6 tackle.
Scouts Inc: #14 player overall, #3 tackle. Grade: 90, rare prospect.

Biography/Honors
2014: Started 11 games at left tackle. Miami ranked 22nd in the nation in yards per rush (5.3) and gave up 21 sacks in 13 games.
2013: Started all 13 games at left tackle.
2012: Played in all 12 games at right tackle, starting 4.

Academics: Leaving school with one year of eligibility remaining. Major not listed.
Twitter: @Eflow_74

Injuries

2014: Missed one game due to a torn meniscus.

NFL Combine Stats
(2015 averages for tackles in parentheses)

40-yard dash: 5.31 (5.27)
10-yard split: 1.90
Vertical*: 27" (29")
Broad*: 8'5" (8'6")
3-cone: DNP (7.86)
Shuttle: DNP (4.70)
Bench: 37 (Best at Combine at any position. Tackles averaged 25)

* Pro day; Ereck did not jump at the Combine and was limited at his pro day and the Combine by his knee injury.

Scouting Report
Pluses: Massive and plays with excellent leverage. Is always the low man. Matches up well against power. Consistently gets his man turned and sustains and finishes. Understands angles and position. Surprisingly light on his feet and gets to second level well. He collapses the line as a down-blocker and sets a wall at the second level. Locks out well and shows good balance and recovery as a pass protector. Has quick feet and mirrors well. Runs defenders past the pocket consistently. Has a nasty streak. Plays to the whistle and then some. Tough and instinctive. Plays through injuries. Motivated worker and leader, loves the game. No off-field issues. Against Nebraska, he dominated Randy Gregory in the running game and more than held his own in pass pro. Big, "long", powerful and experienced. Has the tools to stay with elite pass rushers on the left side but would be ideal as a right-side mauler.

Minuses: COMMITS A LOT OF PENALTIES, so he was born to play for the Rams. Needs much work in pass protection. Heavy-footed and labors when he kick-slides. Footwork is sloppy. Doesn't have good hand positioning (I believe Brian Baldinger calls him a "crab-grabber") and it leads to holding penalties. Doesn't have good recognition of line games. Can have trouble anchoring against power rushers and is prone to getting knocked off balance from the inside. Gets out-of-control on the move and will lunge and slip off blocks. Knee injury bears watching.
 
Compares to: Andrew Whitworth, Cordy Glenn

Fun Facts
Ereck was the only player at the Combine who did not hire an agent. Not only did he whip Gregory when they met at Nebraska last season, he also made an obscene gesture at Cornhusker fans. The team that drafts Flowers should also think about drafting RB Duke Johnson; Flowers has been blocking for him since high school.

RamView
Wow, are Flowers and La'el Collins ever similar players, but if you like Collins, I think you have to like Flowers a little better. They say Flowers mirrors well, and he's mirrored Collins' run up draft boards because when you line the two up, Flowers is a little younger, a little bigger and has quicker feet. Collins is probably ahead technique-wise, but not by a lot, and he has an extra year under his belt. That speaks well to Flowers' upside. He's a perfect fit for the Rams' offensive mindset and could well be the right tackle they're looking for. He's more a top-20 player than a top-10 player, though, so if he is the Rams' #1 lineman, ideally they'd pick him up after trading down a little.

Sources: University of Miami athletics, NFL.com

Mock draft-a-palooza! 2015

Befitting of the "expertise" of your typical professional mock drafter, there is very little consensus on which player the Rams will select with the #10 pick overall next Thursday night. In this year's mock draft roundup, we've got the Rams taking four different wide receivers, four different offensive linemen, or maybe a QB.

ESPN:
Mel Kiper: Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida
Todd McShay: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia

Winston, Mariota, White, Cooper AND Scherff are all off the board before the Rams pick in Kiper's most recent mock. He doesn't have a second offensive lineman picked until 23 (La'el Collins) and Andrus Peat's barely a first-rounder, picked at 29. That's the nightmare scenario for Rams fans, Jeff Fisher staring at a bunch of defensive linemen at #10.

NFL Network / NFL.com:
Bucky Brooks: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Charles Davis: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
Daniel Jeremiah: Brandon Scherff, G, Iowa
Lance Zeirlein: Andrus Peat, T, Stanford

NFL.com 7-round mock:
10 - Peat
41 - Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor.  I much prefer Garrett Grayson or Brett Hundley.
72 - Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
119 - Jamon Brown, G, Louisville
215 - Gavin Lutman, WR, Pittsburg State
227 - Josh Harper, WR, Fresno State

CBSSports.com:
Will Brinson: Brandon Scherff
Dane Brugler: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Pete Prisco: DeVante Parker
Rob Rang: Ereck Flowers, T, Miami

FoxSports.com:
Peter Schrager has the Rams trading up to #4 to draft Mariota, then take Utah CB Eric Rowe at 41. Good thing they don't need any blockers or anything! 

STLToday: Jim Thomas has the Rams drafting Peat.

Ourlads: Amari Cooper
Sporting News: Cooper

Sports Illustrated draft preview issue
10 - La'el Collins, T, LSU
41 - A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina

SI writer Chris Burke really bothers me calling #10 a choice between La'el Collins and... Alabama safety Landon Collins?!?!? What in the blue hell gives him that idea? The top 2 QBs, top 3 WRs and Scherff all go in his top 9.

DraftCountdown.com:
10 - Scherff
41 - Cann
72 - Petty

Walter Football 6-round mock:
10 - Flowers
41 - Marcus Peters, CB, Washington. Ugh
72 - Cann
119 - Ramik Wilson, LB, Georgia
215 - Titus Davis, WR, Central Michigan

Rotoworld 7-round mock:
10 - La'el Collins
41 - Bernardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State
72 - Kenny Bell, WR, Nebraska
119 - Garrett Grayson, QB, Colorado State
215 - Cedric Reed, DE/LB, Texas
227 - Trenton Brown, G, Florida 

Drafttek 7-round mock:
10 - Scherff
41 - Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
72 - Petty
119 - Marcus Hardison, DT, Arizona State
215 - Greg Mancz, C, Toledo
227 - Matt Jones, RB, Florida

RamView is on the mock clock!

-$- 

The draft night plan

One week till draft night - never too early to put out RamView's draft priorities.

Preferences at #10:
1. First and foremost, don't trade up. I don't see any need worth the draft pick expense in a year they're already short draft picks because they overpaid for Mark Barron.
2. Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston if either drops. Note to Les Snead: that would be a "quarterback of the future" opportunity, since you've apparently never heard of one. I have little doubt Tampa will draft one of the two, and little doubt that it's Winston. Tennessee, Washington, the Jets and even Chicago all have reasonably logical interest in a QB, and Cleveland is a prime candidate to trade up. I don't know who'll take Mariota, but he seems doubtful to get to #10. Just noting here that he shouldn't fall past it. I would have taken either had the Rams kept Sam Bradford; Nick Foles, (also) in his walk year, doesn't change my mind any.
3. Amari Cooper or Kevin White. Oakland is a strong candidate to take one. Many mock drafts have the other going to Chicago. If either falls to 10, the Rams have absolutely no excuse not to take him, even having signed Kenny Britt. Britt is not as effective as a big slot receiver as Cooper would be, and he's not the deep threat either Cooper or White would be. Thanks to last year's injury, we still have little idea what the Rams have in Brian Quick, though he looks promising. Cooper or White would give the Rams a legitimate deep threat and a quality big receiver who can play in the slot, allowing Frank Cignetti to really mix up his pass packages, going small with Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey and going large with Quick and the rookie, especially in the red zone.
4. Trade down. The Rams aren't so deep that they can complacently disregard the idea of accumulating picks. Heck, they're short next weekend because of the Barron trade anyway. They need three starting offensive linemen, probably depth at tackle beyond that, at least one quality receiver and a developmental QB. Plus, with next year's free agency in mind, defensive line depth and cornerback depth are on the shopping list, not like their bungling secondary exactly needs to get younger. A lot of folks say the Rams need to take quality over quantity, meaning don't trade down. I don't think their roster has the quality to make quantity a luxury.
5. Offensive line. Keeping in mind that preferences 1 thru 3 are very unlikely, Brandon Scherff and Andrus Peat would represent decent value at #10. I'm ignoring the scent of Jason Smith about Peat and saying he's my guy. Unlike Scherff, Peat's an NFL-ready tackle from day 1 and has a clean injury record. Unlike Jason Smith, Peat will enter the pros with experience in an actual pro-style offense. Scherff and La'el Collins sound like excellent fits, and the Rams were seconds from drafting Zack Martin from a similar draft position last year, so neither of them will be a surprise at all. But they need a true tackle, and you can get quality guards later in the draft.
6. Slap Jeff Fisher, because in this scenario, he'd be ignoring offensive line to take a defensive player who wouldn't even have a starting spot.

It won't bother me if the Rams use every pick on offensive linemen next weekend. Two of their first three picks could be and probably should be o-line. They've obviously worked out some QBs, the top WRs and some front-seven players on defense as well, but I wouldn't break up the big ugly train unless an outstanding value lands in their lap. Which has been known to happen on draft night.

-$-

RamView draft profile: Brandon Scherff, T, Iowa

Sports Illustrated

Brandon Scherff, 6'5" 319
T, Iowa

Rankings
NFLDraftScout: #8 player overall, #1 tackle. First-round grade.
Nawrocki: #9 player overall, #1 tackle. Grade: 6.52, sure-fire first-rounder who should make an immediate impact.
Mayock: TBA
Kiper: TBA
Draft Countdown: #5 player overall, #1 tackle. First-round grade.
Sports Illustrated: #8 player overall, #1 tackle.
Scouts Inc: #7 player overall, #1 tackle. Grade: 93, rare prospect.

Biography/Honors
2014: Outland Trophy winner (best lineman in the nation) and unanimous first team all-America. Won what should be called just the Pace Trophy as the best offensive lineman in the Big "Ten". First team all-Big "Ten". Was voted team MVP and permanent team captain. Started all 13 games at left tackle. Iowa had 400+ yards total offense in at least eight games and ran for over 300 against Illinois.
2013: First team all-Big "Ten". Started all 13 games at left tackle. Voted team's most valuable offensive player.
2012: Started 7 games at left tackle.
2011: Appeared in 10 games, starting 3, all at left guard.
2010: Redshirted.

Academics: Graduated with degree in leisure studies.
Twitter: @bscherff68

Injuries

2015: Pulled right hamstring running the 40 at the NFL Combine. Did not participate in any other on-field activities.
2014: Injured knee against Ball State but "had a procedure" on it the next day and did not miss the next game.
2012: Missed last five games due to a fractured right leg (fibula) and dislocated ankle. Started 2013 season on time with no issues.
2011: Missed two games due to stingers.

NFL Combine Stats
(2015 averages for tackles in parentheses)

40-yard dash: 5.05 (3rd-fastest time at tackle. Average was 5.27)
10-yard split: 1.80
Vertical*: 32.5" (would have tied him for 2nd at Combine. Average was 29")
Broad*: 8'11" (8'6")
3-cone*: 7.18 (would have been fastest tackle at Combine. Average was 7.86)
Shuttle*: 4.57 (4.70)
Bench: 23 (25)

* Pro day times. Brandon did not do these drills at the Combine due to a hamstring pull running the 40.

Scouting Report
Pluses: A born superathlete. Extremely powerful hips and lower body. Has very sturdy frame and huge hands, biggest at the Combine. Dominating run blocker known for nasty finishes. Will knock defenders on their butts or drive them clear to the sideline. Plays with excellent technique. Stance, balance, movement and punch are all textbook. Nice handwork, can knock a defender's hands down and then knock him down. Consistently gets push and rarely lets defenders set the edge. Very good pull blocker who takes good angles and locates his targets well. Excellent player in space, gets out well to second and third levels. Outstanding character on and off the field and has more than enough football IQ to learn a complex playbook. Good at recognizing line games and delayed blitzes. Can play in any blocking scheme. Comes from a program with a history of producing quality NFL linemen, especially guards. Team strength coach called him the most explosive player he's seen in 16 years there. Regarded as the best and toughest o-lineman in the draft by many scouts. Nawrocki believes he can be a Pro Bowl guard as a rookie. One of the best run-blockers to come out of college in a long time. Can't-miss pick.

Minuses: Shorter-than-ideal arm length may kick him inside to guard full-time in the NFL. May not have quick enough feet to keep up with NFL speed rushers. His lateral movement will also be a weakness in pass pro. Struggles at times to get outside and get leverage. Sets too high when pass protecting. Lets defenders get into him. Overreliant on his upper body strength at times. Has some lower body stiffness. Injury history is a concern.
 
Compares to: Scherff is very commonly compared to Zack Martin, which is much better than Sports Illustrated's unfortunate choice of Jake Long.

Fun Facts
Too bad Brandon isn't a more versatile athlete. Besides the sterling college football career, he was a two-way player in high school, playing offensive line, defensive line, receiver and (280-lb) QB. He also lettered in basketball (averaged a double-double). And he also pitched for the baseball team, clocking an 85-mph fastball. And won a state championship in the shot put and came in fifth in discus. Oh, and he also played tennis. Who wouldn't pay to watch a 320-pound dude play tennis?

RamView
Like the other 31 teams, the Rams love versatile offensive linemen, and as a top-quality guard who can credibly kick out to tackle in the NFL, Scherff would likely be on top of their o-lineman list. If he's even on the list. That's the big mystery right now - have the Rams met with Scherff, like they've met with most of the players they've drafted in the Jeff Fisher era? I'll bet we find out he paid a visit to Rams Park sometime after the Rams draft him at #10 to start at RG and really enhance the Rams' nastiness up front. Scherff's a perfect fit for what the Rams want to do. His injury history concerns me a lot, though, so I'd lean more toward Andrus Peat's clean medical record and superior footwork and quickness.

Sources: Iowa Athletics, NFL.com

RamView draft profile: Andrus Peat, T, Stanford

Stanford Daily

Andrus Peat, 6'7" 313
T, Stanford

Rankings
NFLDraftScout: #23 player overall, #4 tackle. First-round grade.
Nawrocki: #10 player overall, #2 tackle. Grade: 6.45, likely first-rounder capable of starting readily.
Mayock: TBA
Kiper: TBA
Draft Countdown: #28 player overall, #6 tackle. First-round grade.
Sports Illustrated: #19 player overall, #3 tackle.
Scouts Inc: #12 player overall, #2 tackle. Grade: 91, rare prospect.

Biography/Honors
2014: Second team all-America. First team all-Pac 12. Started all 13 games at left tackle. Won Morris Trophy for best offensive lineman in the conference, an honor voted on by the conference's defensive linemen.
2013: Second team all-Pac 12. Started all 14 games at left tackle. Stanford ranked 11th in nation in sacks allowed and 7th in tackles for loss allowed.
2012: Played in 13 games as part of a left tackle rotation, averaging 20 snaps per game. It's very rare for a freshman lineman to get significant playing time at Stanford.


Father Todd was an NFL offensive lineman for six seasons. 
Brother Todd Jr. played defensive tackle at Nebraska and Texas A&M-Commerce.

Academics: leaving school with a year of eligibility remaining. Majoring in psychology.
Twitter: @AndrusPeat

Injuries
2015: Did not lift at the NFL Combine due to an elbow injury.
2012: Missed one game due to a hand injury.

NFL Combine Stats
(2015 averages for tackles in parentheses)

40-yard dash: 5.18 (5.27)
10-yard split: 1.81
Vertical: 31" (29")
Broad: 8'9" (8'6")
3-cone: 8.01 (bottom five time; average was 7.86)
Shuttle: 4.62 (4.70)
Bench: DNP (25)

Scouting Report
Pluses: Built like a franchise tackle - tall, long-armed, in excellent shape. Has powerful lower body and brute strength. Flashes dominance as a run-blocker. Has violent hands and can jolt defenders to the ground with his punch. Strong down-blocker. Very quick off the snap with a quick first step. Moves and adjusts well in space. Consistently gets to the second and third levels. Plays with excellent balance and knee bend and is rarely on the ground. Doesn't get himself off-balance in pass pro. Covers ground well with kick-slide while not giving up balance. Very natural in his movements and mirrors well. Makes it look easy. Assignment sound, good at recognizing blitzes and line stunts. Smart player with no off-field issues. Doesn't have any flaws that aren't easy to correct. Comes from a pro-style offense. Nawrocki believes that with refined technique Peat can become a perennial Pro Bowler and that he is as gifted as any offensive lineman drafted in the past decade. Has a unique combination of power and foot quickness, the strength and attitude of a RT with the foot speed of a LT. One of the most pro-ready offensive linemen in the draft.

Minuses: Needs better upper-body strength. Not as dominating a run-blocker as you'd expect for his size. Settles for turning defenders inside instead of knocking them off the line. Heavy-legged, has trouble with speed rushes and inside countermoves. Gets caught lunging both run-blocking and in pass pro. Loses his technique against speed rushers. Doesn't take the best angles and doesn't have great change of direction. Plays a little soft. Doesn't maintain intensity through the whistle. Gets complacent and plays down to the level of his competition. Seems comfortable at times doing just enough to get his job done. Another year in college wouldn't have hurt him.

Compares to: D'Brickashaw Ferguson

Fun Facts
Andrus led his high school basketball team to an Arizona state title as a senior. His father was an offensive lineman for Arizona and Oakland. Andrus gets inspiration before games by looking at a photo of his father in action for the Raiders.

RamView
Peat would be an excellent fit for the Rams. He's occasionally mock-drafted to them at #10, and that's not too high a pick for a player with his physical attributes. And if he had La'el Collins' attacking mentality, the Rams would never have a shot at him. I believe he's a fit for their blocking scheme. They definitely can use his ability as a pass-blocker, and he's the most refined pass-blocker in the draft. They also love to down-block in the running game, and that's a strength of Peat's game. I'd even strongly consider starting him at LT and moving Greg Robinson to RT. That's one big question if the Rams do draft Peat; the other is how much do you trust Paul Boudreau to maximize his potential. I believe the Rams would get a very professional effort out of Peat and he wouldn't have any lack of motivation playing here.

Sources: Stanford Athletics, NFL.com, USA Today, San Jose Mercury News

Rams 2015 schedule

The Rams, who have done nothing but get off to slow starts in the Jeff Fisher era, will have their work cut out for them in 2015 even if they come out of the gate playing well. Four of their first five games will be against 2014 playoff teams. Here's the whole slate:

Sept 13: Seattle, home

Sept. 20: @ Washington
Sept. 27: Pittsburgh, home
Oct. 4: @ Arizona
Oct. 11: @ Green Bay
Oct. 18: Bye
Oct. 25: Cleveland, home
Nov. 1: San Francisco, home
Nov. 8: @ Minnesota
Nov. 15: Chicago, home
Nov. 22: @ Baltimore
Nov. 29: @ Cincinnati
Dec. 6: Arizona, home
Dec. 13: Detroit, home
Dec. 17: Tampa Bay, home
Dec. 27: @ Seattle
Jan. 3: @ San Francisco

The Rams don't end the season in Seattle for the millionth straight season! Yeah, they end it in Seattle AND San Francisco instead. And assuming the last home game is the Rams' last game in St. Louis, there's little reason the league couldn't have thrown us a bone and made Week 17 Cardinals at Rams. Instead, that potential final Rams game in St. Louis is against the Bucs on a fucking Thursday night. Screw you, NFL.

OK, there's some bright spots. The Rams get three straight home games in December, and if I read the league schedule right, will not play any team coming off a bye week. They'll also catch the Steelers while LeVeon Bell is still suspended (he gets three weeks to start the season), though I suppose that could be appealed. On the other hand, they'll have six home games for all intents and purposes; Pittsburgh and Chicago should be virtual road games. That Pittsburgh game could be a wild one, though. The Rams won't be able to defend those receivers for a minute, but Big Ben gets sacked a lot. I could see him getting sacked 7-8 times but still throw 6-7 TDs.

Sorry I let the preseason schedule slip by earlier this month; here's how that shapes up (some dates TBD):

Aug. 14-16: @ Oakland
Aug 23: @ Tennessee
Aug 28-30: Indianapolis, home
Sept. 3-4: Kansas City, home

For some reason, the Tennessee game will be nationally broadcast. America cares about Fisher returning to his old stomping grounds? That makes one of us. And, for the Rams' potential last season here, the NFL made sure to give us the most meaningless preseason game, the week 4 game, where no starter is likely to suit up for either side. Then again, the stakes may be very high that night; if St. Louis wins the heralded Governor's Cup over K.C. that night, I say we get to keep the thing forever.

-$-