Rams' fifth-round pick (#158 overall): Jermale Hines, SS/OLB, Ohio State

Jermale Hines 6'1" 219
SS-OLB, Ohio State

Rankings:
Pro Football Weekly: Not ranked in top 150 players. #9 strong safety, ranked behind four also available. Grade: 5.23, has a better-than-average chance to make an NFL roster.
NFLDraftScout.com: #174 player overall, #6 strong safety. Fifth- to sixth-round grade.
DraftCountdown.com: Not ranked in top 254 players. #21 safety. Late round-free agent grade.

Biography/Honors:
2010: First-team all-Big Ten or 11 or 12. Started 12 of 13 games at free safety. 66 tackles, 4 pass breakups, 1 INT, 2 tackles for loss, 1/2-sack.

2009: Started 11 of 13 games. 57 tackles, 1 pass breakup, 2 INTs, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack. Returned an INT for a 32-yard TD.

2008: 6 starts in 11 games, two at free safety, four as part of a three-safety formation. 31 tackles, 3 pass breakups and 2 tackles for loss. Returned a fumble for a 48-yard TD.

2007: Limited action in 7 games, missing 4 waiting for eligibility clearance from the NCAA. 3 tackles.

Uncle Joseph played on Penn State's 1983 national championship team.

Academics: Majored in African-American studies.

Injuries:

2009: Did not start two games due to a hyperextended right elbow and played with the injury the second half of the season.

2008: Missed two games due to hamstring injury.

NFL Combine Stats:
4.68 40-yard dash (barely beats Robert Quinn!)
31.0 vertical
(DNP) broad jump
6.90 3-cone drill
4.30 20-yard shuttle
19 bench press reps at 225 lbs
Wonderlic score (unconfirmed): 17


Positives
Is like having an extra coach on the field. Lays out receivers over the middle but also wraps up well. Long arms and good closing speed let him break up passes from behind without interfering. Agile and fast enough to stay with receivers on out routes. Forces fumbles with powerful hits and strong hands. Good hand-eye coordination and mental toughness. Prototypical strong safety build, with room to add bulk to his frame. Good movement skills. Reacts well to the run. Sheds blocks well with his quickmess and hands. Plays fast moving forward and is effective near the line. Very strong attacking run defense and coverage plays in front of him. Could develop into an outside linebacker.

Negatives
Has been charged for driving without a license three times. A bit overweight. Below-average timed speed with average suddenness. Inconsistent and does not make enough impact plays. Limited cover skills and range. Cannot stick with receivers outside a short area and will be outquicked by small receivers in close. Runs around blocks too often. Loses discipline at times and will get caught overplaying misdirection. Fish out of water on the deep side. Does not have coverage or ball skills teams hope for.

Compares to: Darnell Bing.

Fun Facts:
Jermale Hines' high school coach, at Glenville High in east Cleveland, was Ted Ginn, Sr. He calls Ted Ginn, Jr. one of his athletic heroes. Should probably shoot higher there. GHS's teams are known as the "Tarblooders". Jermale is already a star player. That's because Ohio State calls its fifth defensive back position the "star".

RamView:
The Rams have had pretty good success with a tweener in Chris Chamberlain, which earns them a little benefit of the doubt with Hines. The Buckeye hitter and defensive leader may have been drafted just for his special teams ability. Will have a way to go as an NFL safety, and doesn't seem to fill the Rams' need at FS, but he's not without tools to work with, as they say. Thumbs to the side.

Sources: Pro Football Weekly, NFLDraftScout.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), Ohio State Athletics, OhioStatevsMichiganFootball.com, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Wikipedia

Rams' fourth-round pick (#112 overall): Greg Salas, WR, Hawaii

Greg Salas 6'1" 210
WR, Hawaii

Biography/Honors:
2010: Led nation in receiving yards. 119 receptions for 1,889 yards (15.9 ypc) and 14 TDs. First-team all-WAC. Third-team All-America. Biletnikoff Award semifinalist. Led WAC (again) in receptions and set school records for receptions and yards. School career receiving yardage leader, too. 214-yard, 2-TD bowl game performance against Tulsa. TEN 100-yard games, 6 over 150, 3 over 190. Team captain and three-year starter.

2009: Third in the nation in receiving yards. First-team all-WAC. 106 receptions for 1,590 yards (15.0 ypc) and 8 TDs. Led WAC in receptions. 11.4 yard average on 5 punt returns. 16-catch, 196-yard game against New Mexico State. Six 100-yard games; three of them over 180.

2008: Started all 14 games. 57 receptions for 831 yards (14.6 ypc) and 3 TDs.

2007: Played in 8 games, 3 catches for 35 yards (11.7 ypc) and a TD.


Academics: Majored in sociology.

Rankings:
Pro Football Weekly: #99 player overall, #15 wide receiver. 3rd-highest-ranked left. Grade: 5.38, better-than-average chance to make an NFL roster. Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

NFLDraftScout.com: #103 player overall, #10 wide receiver. Third- to fourth-round grade.

DraftCountdown.com: #81 player overall, #11 wide receiver. "Mid-rounder" grade.

Not in Rick Gosselin's top 100.

Injuries:

2009: Did not start one game due to a sprained right ankle.

NFL Combine Stats:
4.56 40-yard dash
37.0 vertical
10'0" broad jump
6.65 3-cone drill (top ten time for wide receivers)
4.10 20-yard shuttle (top ten time for wide receivers)
15 bench press reps at 225 lbs
Wonderlic score (unconfirmed): 21


Positives
Outstanding production. Played in a prolific spread passing attack. Made a killing running speed outs, underneath routes and seam routes. Savvy zone beater. Thickly built with good size. Tall with long arms. Confident hands catcher who attacks the ball in the air. Reacts and adjusts to throws well. Looks ball into his hands. Good balance and body control to catch balls outside his frame or passes into a crowd. Catches well one-handed. Catches in stride and gets upfield quickly. Strong and nimble-footed after the catch. Has a nice second gear, sees the whole field and uses his blocks well. Willing to stick his nose in there and block. Smart, tough, durable, loves the game. June Jones product.

Negatives
Just ordinary speed and can't separate vertically. Played only from the slot. Struggles to separate from press coverage, which he didn't face a lot of. Not explosive off the line or quick to accelerate. Has to tidy up his footwork because he telegraphs his routes. Hawaii's system used a limited route tree. Pro system won't let him improvise as much as he did in college.

Compares to: PFW modestly says Jason Avant. I see a bigger version of Wes Welker; I feel Josh McDaniels will use him similarly. Successful with a lot of the routes Welker's successful with out of the slot, but has added size.

Fun Facts:
Greg's father Mark is a lifelong Rams fan, but isn't the Mark Salas who came up as a catcher with the Cardinals in the 80s. (That Mark is the White Sox bullpen coach.) Greg models his play after Charles Woodson.

RamView:
The Rams had the weakest receiving corps in the league last year, and are upgrading it with gusto this weekend. They're adding size, they're adding good hands, they're adding red zone weapons. What better way to beef up your passing game than by adding a tall receiver with about a million catches? Plus, it looks like he killed at a lot of the routes Wes Welker ran well for the Patriots for Josh McDaniels! I love this pick. Thumbs way up.


Sources: Pro Football Weekly, NFLDraftScout.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), University of Hawaii Athletics, Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Rams' third-round pick (#78 overall): Austin Pettis, WR, Boise State

Austin Pettis 6'2.5" 209
WR, Boise State

Biography/Honors:
2010: Holds school record for career receiving TDs (39) and receptions (229). 11 starts in 13 games at flanker. 71 receptions for 951 yards (13.4 ypc) and 10 TDs. Also threw two TD passes.

2009: Started all 13 games at flanker. 63 receptions for 855 yards (13.6 ypc) and a school-record 14 TDs.

2008: Two starts in 13 games played. 49 receptions for 567 yards (11.6 ypc) and 9 TDs.

2007: 7 starts in 13 games at flanker as true freshman. 46 receptions for 465 yards (10.1 ypc) and 6 TDs.

Good hands clearly run in the family; uncle is former major leaguer and Gold Glove outfielder Gary Pettis.


Academics: Majored in communications.

Rankings:
Pro Football Weekly: #76 player overall, #13 wide receiver, #6 available WR. Grade: 5.42, has a good chance to become a quality NFL player and contribute readily. Third- to fourth-round pick.

NFLDraftScout.com: #155 player overall, #16 wide receiver. Fifth-round grade.

Rick Gosselin (Dallas Morning News): Not in top 100, which listed at least 9 WRs.

DraftCountdown.com: #112 player overall, #15 wide receiver. "Mid-round" grade.


Injuries:

2009: Missed final game of season due to broken ankle and was limited in Boise State's bowl game.

NFL Combine Stats:
4.61 40-yard dash
35.0 vertical
10'0" broad jump
6.68 3-cone drill
3.88 20-yard shuttle (best by a WR)
14 bench press reps at 225 lbs
Wonderlic score (unconfirmed): 22
Shuttle time was the fastest at the Combine in recent years.


Positives
Reliable big possession receiver and red-zone weapon. Very good size. Big, strong hands, among the best in this year's class. Plays faster than his timed speed. Superb ball skills; has huge catching radius and catches balls outside his frame with ease. Attacks the ball. Tracks the ball well and will go all-out to make the catch. Has timing, great concentration and body control to consistently win in traffic. Shields the ball from defenders with his body. Deft route-runner who knows how to set up defenders and create separation. Good body control and balance. Good head-fake. Looked like one of the better route-runners at the Senior Bowl. Knows how to find the soft spots in zone coverage. Has strength to break tackles after the catch. Willing, long-armed blocker. Tough, confident, vocal leader.

Negatives
Slow timed speed. Slow acceleration. No second gear or burst in and out of his cuts. Not a threat to stretch the field. Gets caught from behind. Little suddenness or explosion. Can be jammed at the line and isn't strong or quick enough to beat it. Drifts in his routes. Just average after the catch and could be more physical as a blocker.

Compares to: Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly casts Pettis in the same mold as Marques Colston of the Saints.

Fun Facts:
Austin's uncle, Gary, was a major-league centerfielder who won five Gold Gloves, with the Angels, Tigers and Rangers. And he's not the only of Austin's uncles to appear on a baseball card. In 1985, the picture on the front of Gary's card was actually that of his younger brother, Stacey, who Topps' photographer mistook for Gary.

RamView:
For a team that has struggled in the end zone FOREVER, what could be better than a deadly red-zone weapon like Austin Pettis? None of the Ram receivers have shown they can be that guy that Sam Bradford can just put one up for down close. It's frequently said the Rams need to add a TD a game. Pettis caught nearly a TD a game in college! He and Bradford should probably start practicing fade routes right now. A pretty good fit, and a pretty more-polished WR than a lot of the others left at the time. Thumbs up.


Sources: Pro Football Weekly, NFLDraftScout.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), ESPN, Wikipedia, Idaho Statesman, baseball-reference.com

Rams' second-round pick (#47 overall): Lance Kendricks, TE, Wisconsin

Lance Kendricks 6'3" 243
TE, Wisconsin

Biography/Honors:
2010: First team All-American. First team All-Big Ten or 11 or 12. Team captain. Full-time starter with 11 official starts in 13 games. 43 receptions for 665 yards (15.4 ypc) and 3 TD. Led team in receiving.

2009: Started 9 of 13 games. 29 receptions for 356 yards (12.3 ypc) and 3 TDs. Also had 7 rushes for 102 yards (14.6 ypc).

2008: Six receptions for 141 yards (23.5 ypc) and no TDs in seven games. Was behind two tight ends currently in the NFL on the depth chart.


Academics: Majored in economics. Has already graduated and is working on a second degree.

Rankings:
Pro Football Weekly: #29 player overall, #2 tight end. Grade: 5.95, has a good chance to become a quality NFL player and contribute readily. Top-50 pick.

NFLDraftScout.com: #82 player overall, #2 tight end. Third-round grade.

Rick Gosselin (Dallas Morning News): #53 player overall, #2 tight end.

DraftCountdown.com: #59 player overall, #2 tight end. Second- to third-round grade.


Injuries:

2010: Missed part of one game due to an internal injury after landing hard on the football after a touchdown catch.

2008: Missed about half the season due to a broken fibula.

NFL Combine Stats:
4.75 40-yard dash
34.5 vertical
10'2" broad jump (2nd-best by a TE at the Combine)
6.94 3-cone drill
4.15 20-yard shuttle (2nd-best by a TE)
25 bench press reps at 225 lbs (tied for 3rd-best TE)
Wonderlic score (unconfirmed): 21


Positives
Sure-handed catcher. Attacks the ball and highpoints it in the air. Great spring in his legs and great body control. Outstanding athleticism and movement. Versatile; can line up anywhere,on the line, flexed, split wide, in the wing, fullback, and more. Can stretch the seam and escape LBs covering man-to-man. Linebackers can't stay with him. Has good field awareness and can run routes all over the field. Gets off the line in a hurry. Legitimate deep threat down the seam. Has good moves to free himself at the line of scrimmage. Has the hands of a wide receiver. Originally played WR at Wisconsin. Has enough speed and elusiveness to be used on reverses. Impressive weight-room strength translates to the field. Willing blocker who can create movement in the run game and connect on the second level. Finishes his blocks and decleats defenders when he has an angle. Very productive. Has a frame to grow into and upside to become a mismatch piece.

Negatives
Arrested in 2008 after driving a MOPED with a blood-alcohol level of .19. Underage drinking charge against him was dropped. Less than a month after that, was cited AGAIN for underage drinking while riding in the car of a suspected drunk driver. Lacks ideal bulk to handle defensive ends in the pros. Could stand to get stronger, especially in the lower body. Can be muscled at the point of attack. Smaller defenders knock his hands away and get around him. Crosses his feet blocking at times and will struggle to recover from that in the pros. Can sharpen his route-running. Not a creative runner after the catch.

Compares to: I'm going with Dustin Keller, or a slightly-smaller Jermaine Gresham. Kendricks is right there in terms of size, speed, running ability and ball skills.

Fun Facts:
Lance is an award-winning artist who won a regional award in Milwaukee for one of his drawings. This is the best link I have to any of his work.

RamView:
This pick has Josh McDaniels all over it and is not a bad pick at all at the tight end position. It looks like Kendricks will be a piece McDaniels can move all over the place in the passing game and get big-time mismatches. They must have REALLY wanted to make sure to get a tight end, because they deferred bigger needs (WR, RB, DT) with enticing players to get him. In McDaniels I trust, but I NEVER would have drafted a tight end this high. Thumbs to the side.


Sources: Pro Football Weekly, NFLDraftScout.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), NFL.com, Rotowire.com

Projecting pick #47

In USA Today's second-round mock draft posted this morning, Nate Davis has the Rams taking North Carolina WR Greg Little. So yes, that's TWO Tar Heels suspended all of last season for the Rams.

Little's got outstanding hands and size and would make a lot of sense there. I also get the vibe of a hot dog player and significant diva. And as I just mentioned, the Rams already have a player suspended from UNC last season (Yes, I KNOW the other player is Marvin Austin. I don't have to worry about him in this scenario; he's projected to Denver at 36.) I'd rather settle the Rams' major need at safety, in the highly unlikely event Aaron Williams slips to 50 as Davis projects.

Todd McShay's mock second round on ESPN.com gives the Rams GAAH! Torrey Smith. I'd sooner plunge needles into my eyes. In his scenario, Williams is gone; I'd take Mikel Leshoure, who McShay has going 57th, or Little (62), or almost any other receiver EXCEPT Torrey Smith.

Mel Kiper shows he hasn't done quite enough research by projecting Leonard Hankerson to the Rams at 47. The Rams don't like Hankerson. In his scenario, the Rams also have Little, and Leshoure to pick from. Also Ras-I Dowling, and the Rams NEVER pass up on a big corner, and, yes, Marvin Austin.

Every mock second round I've seen to date has Torrey Smith available at 47, so it looks like I'll be sweating out the second round tonight. Little's about the only receiver left I'd take at 47, and I don't even like him that much. But he'd be a far cry better than Darrius Heyward-Avery.

The Rams should either use their second-round pick on Leshoure, or get their safety situation squared away. Dark horse, Mason Foster for the hole at Will.

-$-

Update: Don Banks of Sports Illustrated is now projecting Torrey Smith to the Rams, with at least a half-dozen players on the board I would much rather have. Titus Young, Marcus Gilchrist, Mikel Leshoure, Greg Little, Randall Cobb, Ryan Williams, heck, even Leonard Hankerson.

It seems I am left with little choice. The only way to keep the Rams from drafting Torrey Smith is to prepare a draft page for him.

-$$-

Rams first-round pick (#14 overall): Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina

Robert Quinn 6'4" 265
DE, North Carolina

Rankings:
Pro Football Weekly: #8 player overall, #2 defensive end after Da'Quan Bowers. Grade: 6.45, should become a quality NFL player, near-Pro Bowl caliber.
NFLDraftScout.com: #5 player overall, #1 defensive end. First-round grade.
Rick Gosselin (Dallas Morning News): #9 player overall, #1 defensive end.

DraftCountdown.com: #5 player overall, #1 defensive end. First-round grade.


Biography/Honors:
2010: Did not play. Ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA for dealing with an agent.

2009: First-team all-ACC. Second team All-America. 13 starts at right end. 52 tackles, 19 for loss (2nd in ACC), 11 sacks (led ACC).

2008: As true freshman, started 12 times at right end in 13 games. 34 tackles, 6.5 for loss, 2 sacks, 1 pass batted down and two forced fumbles. Won ACC Brian Piccolo Award for most courageous player.


Academics: Major undecided.

Injuries:

2007: Required brain surgery his senior year of high school because a tumor blocked his spinal cavity and caused swelling in his brain. When surgery was performed, the tumor was determined to be benign, and Robert still has it. Reportedly Quinn was not cleared by doctors of three teams drafting in the top ten.


NFL Combine Stats:
4.70 40-yard dash (top ten for defensive linemen)
1.63 10-yard split time (unofficial, .03 off the fastest reported time)
34.0 vertical (top ten for defensive linemen)
9'8" broad jump
7.13 3-cone drill
4.43 20-yard shuttle
22 bench press reps at 225 lbs
Wonderlic score (unconfirmed): 26

Positives:
Three-time state wrestling champion, should understand leverage. Athletic build with long arms. Has frame to add another 10-15 pounds. Speed, agility and movement skills of a linebacker. Good tackling strength and balance. Forced eight fumbles in only two seasons. Dominant, explosive first step. Has good rip move and jab-step. Can explode off snap and fly by offensive tackles. Can dip and bend the corner with speed and has terrific finishing burst. Gave Anthony Costanzo fits in '09 game. Moves well laterally. Quick hands and feet. Can spin off blocks. Drops into zone with ease; Spagnuolo will love that. High upside and terrific work ethic. Stayed in top shape despite being suspended last year. Says he hasn't had a headache since his brain surgery in 2007 and gets an MRI every six months. Enticing athleticism and potential. Quality person and teammate.

Negatives:
Didn't play last year. Brain tumor is always going to be a concern. Plays too tall in run defense and is too light and weak at the point of attack. Slices inside too much against the run and loses gap integrity. Will sometimes miss tackles going for the strip. Not physical, getting by right now on instincts and awareness. Shows surprisingly little technique. Not a great finisher. Inconsistent off the snap. Is often the last man off the ball. Relies too much on speed and quickness. Needs to develop more moves. Doesn't sense pressure well or understand blocking schemes. Sack numbers inflated because he was unblocked, against an overmatched tight end or just inferior competition. Comes across as a bit of a hoosier. Bust factor is significant given his lack of polish and physicality against the run. That lack of physicality may limit him to being only a pass rush specialist.

Compares to: Leonard Little is a very tempting comparison. Very similar in size and I see a lot of Leonard in Quinn's scouting reports. Quinn and #7 pick Aldon Smith are very similar physically, but Quinn shows better burst, and bested Smith in most of the Combine activities.

Fun Facts:
Robert is a three-time South Carolina wrestling champion and says he'd like to guest star in the WWE someday. He'll probably go with his nickname "El Roy" as his ring name, though I'd recommend "Mighty Quinn." You'll not see nothing like the Mighty Quinn.


RamView:
Once considered a top-three player, Robert Quinn could be one of the steals of the draft. Bringing him to the Rams could be an ideal marriage of Quinn's raw ability and Steve Spagnuolo's ability to develop defensive ends. He should contribute in the pass rush rotation right away and eventually replace James Hall, and as a natural RDE, won't force Chris Long out of his favored left side. He clearly has rough edges to polish, but he can get bigger and stronger against the run and should fit what the Rams like to do on defense. Will keep our fingers crossed that his brain tumor remains relatively harmless - it hasn't bothered him since his operation - and give this pick a firm thumbs-up.


Sources: Pro Football Weekly, NFLDraftScout.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), Cleveland Plain Dealer, ESPN (Adam Schefter)

More mock madness

At ESPN, Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have joined Mike Mayock in projecting Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget to the Rams.

Aldon Smith, Cameron Jordan, Robert Quinn, and the WRs all off Kiper's board at 14, but Prince Amukamara was still there. Hard to believe the Rams wouldn't consider Prince a better BPA than a doughy d-lineman. But it's the second time today a highly-reputable draft guru has dropped him to pick #20 or beyond; is something up? Prince is almost an insta-pick to me otherwise.

Make that three; McShay also has Prince falling to Tampa at 20. He has the Rams taking Liuget over Prince and Cameron Jordan, among others, while having Aldon Smith go FIFTH to the Big Dead.

So, what's up with Prince Amukamara? Would the Rams consider him seriously at #14?

McShay's 7-round Rams mock:
1 - Corey Liuget. RamView has to seriously consider Amukamara here.
2 - Jon Baldwin. Tough to argue given the Rams' WR needs. Have to also consider Greg Little and Titus Young. Rams lose out on Mason Foster, Jaiquawn Jarrett and Marcus Gilchrist by the 3rd round. And Mikel Leshoure, who McShay ridiculously has going 58th.
3 - Johnny White, RB, North Carolina. I'm sorry, WHO? Problem here, is if you took Liuget first, the best 3rd-round values are DTs, like Jurrell Casey and Terrell McClain. I'd say the Rams would really reach a little for a CB like Brandon Burton in McShay's scenario.
4 - Rob Housler, TE, Florida Atlantic. YUCK. Do NOT draft a tight end this year, Rams, not from this crappy a class. I'd far prefer McShay's very next pick, OG David Arkin. But with the Rams lacking a safety or an OLB at this point, I'd have to go with Shiloh Keo of Idaho or Lawrence Wilson of UConn.
5 - K.J. Wright, OLB, Mississippi State. Not a terrible move. But Delone Carter, Alex Green, Stevan Ridley and RamView favorite Roy Helu are all still on the board, among others.
7a - Deunta Williams, S, North Carolina. OK enough if they don't have a safety yet.
7b - Ricky Moore, OG, Nebraska. Let's take Tennessee WR Denarius Moore instead.

Off to the Draft Cave!

-$-