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Daniel Sanders, 6'2" 316
C, Colorado
Rankings: Pro Football Weekly: 22nd-ranked center, graded as a free agent who has a chance to be in an NFL training camp.
Unranked by NFLDraftScout.com.
Biography/Honors:
Starter at center for three years, with 40 starts, the last 36 in a row.
2008: Honorable mention All-Big 12. 60.5 knockdown blocks, 6 touchdown blocks. Allowed only one sack; committed only one penalty. Graded over 80% in 11 games, 90% in 5.
2007: Led team with 88.5 knockdown blocks. Also had 5 touchdown blocks. One sack, five pressures, two penalties. Graded over 80% in 8 games.
2006: One sack, three pressures.
2005: Made All-Big 12 Freshman team. Four starts.
Major: Ethnic studies.
Injuries: Missed 2006 season opener with hamstring injury. Missed two games his freshman year with a partially torn hamstring and missed bowl game that year due to a sprained knee suffered in practice.
Pro Day Stats: (not invited to NFL Combine)
* 5.44 40.
* 21 benches.
Positives: Has size and skill to play at the next level. Dependable and durable. One of the more underrated centers in the draft. Solid technique, hands, body bend and positioning. Good strength and pop at the point of attack. Effective run and pass blocker. Can handle big pass rushers and bull rushes one-on-one.
Negatives: Had difficulties with shotgun snaps. Below-average quickness and agility. Not a dominant blocker who opens up the middle of the field. Only effective close to the line of scrimmage. Whiffs at LBs, struggles on pulls, late picking up stunts. Scouts have questioned his love for football.
Celebrity most resembling: Hurley from "Lost".
Fun Fact: Daniel's nickname is "Girthy".
RamView: The Rams don't have a full-time center backing up Jason Brown and hopefully won't wind up regretting their offseason decisions to let Brett Romberg and Nick Leckey go. I assume it will be Sanders and Mark Setterstrom having it out for the backup role behind Brown. But Setterstrom will have to battle back from his second straight season-ending injury, and Sanders, though he at least has a lot of college experience at center, will have to overcome a large athleticism deficit to contribute what's expected from a center at the NFL level. I don't like how this is shaping up here. Always-injured player vs. a rookie with a lot of flaws in his game. The Rams haven't done themselves any favors, and are going to regret it, if Brown doesn't play all 16 games. Thumbs down.
Sources: 2009 Pro Football Weekly Draft Preview, NFL.com, CBSSports.com, WalterFootball.com, War Room, CNNSI.com, CUBuffs.com, Longmont (Col.) Times-Call, KDKA.com
photo from CNNSI.com
Jerome Johnson, 6'0" 258
FB, Nevada
Rankings: not ranked by Pro Football Weekly or NFLDraftScout.com.
Biography/Honors:
Was a fullback at Oregon (highlights) as a freshman before transferring to Nevada, where he played inside/outside linebacker for three years.
2008: 48 tackles, 1 INT, 1 pass breakup, 2 passes defensed.
2007: 58 tackles, 6 pass breakups. Won the team's "Blackout Award" for big hits.
Major: communications.
Injuries: none reported.
Pro Day Stats: (not invited to NFL Combine)
Johnson's Pro Day highlights
Since Johnson is trying to make the pros as a fullback, (sarcasm)as unfair as it may be, I'll list his numbers side-by-side with the pre-draft stats of the most awesome fullback in NFL history(/sarcasm), Madison Hedgecock:
* 4.70 40 (Hedgecock: 4.87)
* 24 bench presses (29)
* 4.43 20-yard shuttle (4.26)
* 7.13 3-cone drill (7.42)
* 32-inch vertical (32.5)
Positives: Surprise hit at Nevada's pro day. Showed soft hands as a receiver and ran routes exceptionally well. Runs well for his size and has excellent speed for the position. Can get downfield and deliver a pop. Defenders he blocks stay blocked and he keeps them turned away from the flow of the play. Reliable pass-blocker, physical against blitzers and in double-teams. Handles classic passes to the fullback in the flat well. Looks ball in, catches with his hands, gets turned upfield well. Very good hands - can make the one-handed catch, can grab passes thrown behind him or outside his frame. Fullback is his natural position. Can also play as a move-type H-back. Hard to get around as a blocker, harder to bring down as a ball-carrier. Very big ball-hawking LB, always around the ball.
Negatives: Won't beat anybody one-on-one downfield as a receiver. Doesn't show much elusiveness when he has the ball. Doesn't look explosive. NFL rushers will call on him to do more as a blocker than deliver a big initial hit. Has not played the position in three years, and only appears to have ever played there the one year at Oregon. His highlight film appears to come from intrasquad practices so level of competition is a question.
Fun Facts: Jerome's brother Jeremiah, a tailback at Oregon, signed with the Texans as a free agent. The brothers graduated from Dorsey High in Los Angeles, same high school as Keyshawn Johnson. It's also the alma mater of Sparky Anderson. Jerome was considered one of the best LBs in Southern California as a high schooler.
RamView: The Rams have used high draft picks in the past strictly on the basis of players having great workouts, thinking especially of the third-rounder completely wasted on Anthony Hargrove in 2004. And they've used far too many draft picks on guys they want to play a different position than they mainly played in college. Like the third rounder completely wasted on Eric Crouch in 2002. So Jerome Johnson at least comes at the right price. I'll be eager to see him at full speed. He's got terrific hands, he's a willing hitter and he's got intriguing timed speed. If that translates to the playing field, and he can block NFL-quality defenders, he'll have a shot to surprise more people than just the scouts that saw him at pro day. Thumbs ok.
Sources: Wikipedia, The Nevada Sagebrush, Las Vegas Sun, youtube.com, NevadaWolfPack.com, nevada.rivals.com
photo from stlouisrams.com
Ian Campbell, 6'4" 265
DE, Kansas State
Rankings: Pro Football Weekly: 25th-ranked defensive end, with priority free agent grade, slightly better than a 50-50 chance of making a roster or practice squad.
NFLDraftScout.com: #22 DE, #247 player overall. Projected as a 7th-round pick.
Biography/Honors:
2008: All-Big 12 second team as a defensive lineman. Team captain. 47 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, 3 pass knockdowns, 3 blocked kicks.
2007: All-Big 12 first team as a LB. Switched to 3-4 outside linebacker from defensive line to begin season, returned to DE by end. 45 tackles, 4.5 sacks, team-leading 11 tackles for loss and 4 fumble recoveries.
2006: All-Big 12 first team and honorable mention All-American. Hendricks Award semifinalist. Tied school record with 11.5 sacks. Led team with 17.5 tackles for loss. 67 total tackles. 3 fumble recoveries. Recorded a sack in 9 of 13 games.
Major: Social science.
Injuries: Campbell did not appear to miss any games in his college career due to injuries but apparently played through hamstring and shoulder injuries his senior year that limited his NFL Combine participation.
NFL Combine / Pro Day Stats:
Campbell's NFL Combine participation was limited to broad jump, 3-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle due to a strained hamstring and a strained shoulder.
4.99 40 with 1.73 and 2.91 splits (Chris Long's 2008 Combine numbers: 4.75/1.53/2.71)
32 bench presses (Long did 34)
4.28 20-yard shuttle (Long: 4.21)
6.93 3-cone drill (Long: 7.02)
29-inch vertical leap (Long: 34)
9'1" broad jump (Long: 10'4")
Positives: Versatile player in a DE-OLB hybrid role. High-motor player who uses his height to his advantage. Good initial quickness to collapse the pocket. Above-average closing burst. Needs to be accounted for every play. Good hustle to chase runners downfield. Good open-field tackler who can hold up the OT and force runs inside. Maximum-effort player and team leader. Doesn't commit stupid penalties. May not be a better player in the draft to coach.
Negatives: A tweener who's not an elite athlete. Doesn't play with good leverage - height hurts him in that regard. Lack of bulk hurts him when he's double-teamed and really hurts him when he plays too upright. Doesn't have top speed to catch runners from behind. Stiff, doesn't have quick change of direction. Lacks a lot of pass-rush technique. Will only use outside rush move, and his speed out there is marginal for the NFL. Has good hands and strength, but does not use them well. Doesn't avoid or recover from cut blocks well. Often fooled by misdirection. Must get stronger. Often a step late to the ball.
Compares to: Jason Babin, who I'll note was a first-round draft pick.
Fun Fact: Befitting a kid who grew up near Dodge City, Ian's preferred footgear is cowboy boots. And the family is definitely on the side of the law: his father is a district attorney and his mother is a paralegal.
RamView: The big question for RamView regarding Ian Campbell: how specialized will the roles on Steve Spagnuolo's defense be? Campbell does one thing very well: get a step on his man and put a strong outside rush on the passer. He's also a darn good special teams player. Is that enough to make the 2009 Rams? Can he get strong enough in the weight room to take on added roles? Is he good enough at what he does to defeat offensive tackles in the NFL? I have a feeling Ian Campbell's going to have one of those preseason games like Matthew Rice once did, and we're all going to be cheering him and wondering, How could every team pass on that guy? But Campbell may not be athletically gifted enough to be anything more than Matthew Rice. He's still a good signing. He's an accomplished college player. Maybe that junior year move to OLB messed him up and the Ram coaching staff can fix him. And after the last couple of years, the Rams should be bringing in anyone they can find who can rush the QB. Thumbs ok. If Campbell can cause Spagnuolo some anguish when final cutdowns come around, he'll have done everything he could.
Sources: 2009 Pro Football Weekly Draft Preview, NFL.com, CBSSports.com, Wikipedia, KansasProfile.com, The Oklahoman
photo from SportsIllustrated.com
The cycle of shocking deaths we're experiencing lately doesn't seem to want to slow down. Former NFL MVP and three-time Pro Bowl QB Steve McNair was found shot to death in a Nashville apartment today. The former Oilers, Titans and Ravens QB was a far too young 36.Rams Nation and most of the rest of the world remember McNair best for the final drive of Super Bowl XXXIV. McNair and the Titans had rallied from a 16-0 deficit to tie the game with 2:12 left. Kurt Warner and Isaac Bruce then struck back just inside the 2:00 warning to put the Rams back up a TD. Challenged to tie the game another time, after the kickoff the Titans took over from their own 12.And Steve McNair went to work. He hit Derrick Mason wide open over the middle for 9. In the hurry-up, obviously, a quick pass to Frank Wycheck in the flat went for 7. An incompletion stopped the clock with 1:16 left. On 2nd-and-10, getting forever to throw, good coverage forced McNair to run, not always a good thing for opposing defenses. The left tackle had pushed Ram DE Jay Williams about ten yards downfield and left McNair a huge running lane on that side, so he took off, eluding a diving Williams downfield, outrunning a diving D'Marco Farr and crossing the 40, where Dre Bly managed to haul him down, but was flagged for a 15-yard face mask (should have been 5) in the process. That play gave McNair the Super Bowl record for rushing yards by a QB and put the Titans at the Ram 45. 1:05 left. The Titans next took a Rams offsides penalty instead of McNair's fine 7-yard pass in the flat to Wycheck again. Still getting all day to throw, McNair strung the next play outside, made a nifty move to make Kevin Carter whiff and got out of bounds with a 2-yard gain. Again calm in the pocket (again with no Ram near him), McNair found Kevin Dyson for 6. He was the picture of cool this drive as much as the Rams were the picture of exhaustion. A spike at the 32 stopped the clock at 0:31. Another Ram offsides put the Titans at the 27. That was on Carter, who legendarily was too gassed to line up onside and took himself off the field, much to Dick Vermeil's amazement. The Rams blitzed the next play, and McNair made the right decision in one of the highest-pressure situations of his career, dumping it off downfield for Eddie George, one-on-one downfield with Todd Lyght. George didn't make the adjustment, though, never looking for a ball that hit him harmlessly in the back.On 3rd-and-5 from the Ram 27 with 0:22 left, McNair kept the Titans very alive with the play of his career. The Rams rushed just three, but didn't give Steve anyone to throw to. He dropped back, then sprinted up in the pocket, but saw that Jeff Zgonina had him cut off. So, as only the NFL's greatest athletes can do, McNair dropped back a second time. But Jay Williams had him hemmed in, bearing down on him like a runaway train. McNair flushed right. Right to Carter, that is. The Rams were about to seal the game and sack McNair back at his 45.Nope. With Williams and Carter trying to drag him down by his shirttail, by the collar of his jersey, anything they could grab, McNair somehow danced free anyway. And a split second after doing that, he looked up, found a lonely Dyson at the 11, and stepped up and delivered a perfect pass on the run with 0:05 left. A miracle of a play by a miraculous player, who wouldn't give up on any play, any time, ever. Didn't know how.We know what happened next. The Titans made a good play, though I'll always contend their biggest mistake was not throwing into the end zone. You can't throw short on the last play of the game. The play had been set up by the earlier throws to Wycheck. McNair made a good throw to Dyson on a slant, who made a good catch.But Mike Jones made a better play.Head coach Jeff Fisher knelt with McNair right after that play and consoled him. He had done everything he could. He nearly carried his team back into a tie game and another chance to win the biggest game the team ever played. As a Rams fan that day, it was easy to miss the heroism of McNair's performance in the fervor to see our team hang on and claim the happy ending to its miracle season. But there's no other word to describe McNair's play down the stretch of that game than heroic. He nearly brought his team even single-handedly.Steve McNair has borderline Hall-of-Fame credentials to go with that memorable drive. He threw for 174 TDs and over 30,000 yards. But he'll likely come up just short of Canton because he couldn't claim a championship in a game that ended with his last pass coming up a yard short. Football, as in life, is a game of inches.Steve McNair leaves a wife and four children.photo from USA Today
Roger Allen, 6'3" 326
G, Missouri Western State
Rankings: Pro Football Weekly: 8th-ranked guard, grading as a late draftable prospect with a better-than-average chance to make an NFL roster.
NFLDraftScout.com: 10th-ranked guard, #188 player overall. Projected as a 5th-6th round pick.
Biography/Honors:
Started all 48 games of his college career, playing both guard positions, and 3 games at right tackle his senior year. MWSU ran for over 2,000 yards in each of Allen's first three years on the offensive line. Three-time MIAA all-conference first team.
2008: Named to first team Division II All-America by the Associated Press and the American Football Coaches Association.
* Led Division II in blocking consistency grade (88.25%) and key blocks/knockdowns (107).
* Allowed only one sack and two QB pressures, all at right tackle, while committing only two penalties.
* NFL Draft Scout named him to its Division II All-America team and rated him the best small-school offensive lineman in the country.
2007: Named to NFL Draft Scout Division II All-America team.
* Ranked third in Division II with 85.5% blocking consistency grade. Recorded 92 key blocks/knockdowns. Gave up no sacks, one pressure and committed just one penalty.
2006: 90 key blocks/knockdowns, allowed 1.5 sacks and no pressures.
2005: MIAA conference Freshman of the Year, the first offensive lineman to win the award. 90 key blocks/knockdowns.
Major: Business management.
Injuries: sports hernia during the Texas vs. The Nation game held Roger out of the NFL Combine. Played through a shoulder injury in 2008, unspecified but serious enough that he saw Dr. James Andrews, who gave him a clean bill of health.
Pro Day Stats:
38 bench presses at Missouri's pro day, which would have been 2nd best of all combine participants. John Greco benched 30 last year and was considered one of that draft's strongest o-linemen.
At the Missouri Western pro day a couple of weeks later:
* 32 benches
* 5.28 40 with 1.87 and 2.98 splits (Greco: 5.16/1.70/2.97)
* 4.53 20-yard shuttle (Greco: 4.63)
* 7.47 3-cone drill (Greco: 7.78)
* 29-inch vertical leap (Greco: 32)
* 9'1" broad jump (Greco: 9'0") (Who knew guards were such leapers?)
And it rained in St. Joseph, MO that day and all of Allen's drills were apparently run on the basketball court in their gym.
Positives: Big, mauling offensive lineman who dominated at the Division II level. With power and explosion uncommon to that level, opponents could not move him. Bone-jarring hitter who can level people and create gaping holes. Often defeated multiple defenders by throwing one into the other. Powerful upper body, good leg drive, good hips. Good body control. Explodes out of his stance and works to finish blocks. Good initial quickness and pad level. Very good hands and strong punch. Executes short pulls and traps well. More quick than fast, but effective getting out of his stance and out to second level. Good field awareness and ability to adjust mid-play. Alert and reacts quickly to blitzes, stunts and twists. Good knee bend and very little waist bend as a pass blocker. Uses his hands well in pass pro and recovers quickly against counter moves. High football IQ. Excellent work ethic, leader in locker room, no off-field issues. Plays through pain. Plays with a mean streak, plays to punish people, plays to the whistle. Model of consistency throughout his career. Strength, instincts and tenacity a little reminiscent of Larry Allen. Strong performance in Texas vs. Nation game until he got injured. One of only seven D-II players invited to the Combine. Six teams went to his Missouri Western tryout and the Panthers were reportedly extremely interested.
Negatives: Just adequate height and athleticism for the next level. Could stand to add another 15 lbs. Lacks great timed speed and doesn't pack the same kind of wallop on long runs that he does in the phone booth. Needs to hold block longer in pass pro. Punches and overextends against quicker defenders instead of latching on and keeping his feet moving. Winds up on the ground too often. May go for the big pancake block a little too much, like a safety who misses tackles going for the highlight reel hit. Very low level of competition. Ability in space to play RT at next level is doubtful.
Compares to: Brian Winters.
Fun Fact: Did you know college football has a Mineral Water Bowl? And that it's been a college bowl game since 1954? Roger played in three Mineral Water Bowls at Missouri Western. They won two but lost 37-16 last year to Augustana.
His last two college seasons, Allen gave up only two sacks, 3 QB pressures and committed just three penalties... that's a typical game for Richie Incognito! Upon joining the Rams, Allen had the good taste to claim Adam Timmerman's old number, 62.
RamView: Leave it to the NFL to have cracks big enough for a 326-pound man to fall through. Roger Allen arguably has third-round game skills and physical ability, but: the NFL thinks he's too high-risk, coming from a small school; the NFL doesn't think guards should be drafted particularly high at all (the 8th LB was off the board in 2009 by pick #45; the 8th guard went #239); and he had that unfortunate injury right before the NFL Combine. If he'd have cranked 38 benches in Indianapolis, there's no way in hell he wouldn't have been drafted. Instead, the Rams made themselves another astute pickup in free agency. The Rams haven't had a hit-you-in-the-mouth offensive line in a long time; who better to pick up to build such a line now than Roger Allen? Hit-you-in-the-mouth is what he lives! Plus, he's a smart player who adjusts well on the fly and commits very few penalties, RICHIE INCOGNITO AND ALEX BARRON. Thumbs up. Roger Allen should make this team.
Sources: 2009 Pro Football Weekly Draft Preview, NFL.com, CBSSports.com, StLouisRams.com, St. Joseph News-Press, Wikipedia, GoGriffons.com, drafthistory.com, NFLDraftBible.com, PatriotsDaily.com (sorry)
photo from the Baltimore Sun
Phil Trautwein, 6'6" 310
RT, FloridaRankings: Pro Football Weekly: #53 offensive tackle. Rated as a free agent with a chance to be in an NFL training camp.
NFLDraftScout.com: #31 offensive tackle, #360 player overall; free agent grade.
Biography/Honors: 2008: first-team All-SEC. Team captain. Started all 12 games. Named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society.
2006: Named to SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and second-team All-SEC. Started all 14 games.
Major: Graduated in December 2008 with a master’s in educational leadership.
Injuries: Missed entire 2007 season due to stress fracture in right foot.
Pro Day Stats: (not invited to NFL Combine)
* 23 bench presses (Jason Smith did 33 at the Combine)
* 5.36 40 with 1.84 and 3.00-second splits (JS: 5.09)
* 27-inch vertical leap (JS: 24)
* 8’2” broad jump (JS: 8’0”)
* did not run 3-cone drill or 20-yard shuttle
Positives: Converted tight end. Good athlete, with surprising lateral agility for his size, and solid pass protector. Good quickness off the snap. Quickly gets hands into defenders. Blocks with a wide base, keeps his feet moving and works hard to finish. Stays square and turns opponents out of the play. Long arms and quick feet. Plays nasty. Alert to pick up stunts and blitzes. Solid interior run-blocker. Was considered a rising prospect going into the 2008 season but a foot injury set him back. Has experience as a blocking tight end and special teams FG/PAT protection. Starter for two national championship teams with an incredible work ethic. The Rams considered drafting him. Productive tackle, not affected by the 2007 injury, who makes up for a lack of top athleticism with outstanding technique, especially footwork and positioning.
Negatives: Struggles with leverage and strength. Struggles to move his man off the line. Can get top-heavy in pass protection. Can get too upright and get caught by the bull rush. Gets exploited by speed rushers/linebackers. Gets overextended, leans, reaches, grabs too much. Doesn’t adjust well. Doesn’t use hands or sustain blocks well. Has to learn to keep his feet moving after he makes contact. Lacks burst to get to second level as run blocker.
Fun Fact: Phil was so infatuated with the idea of playing football for the Florida Gators as a high-schooler that he wore Gators gear on recruiting visits to other schools.
RamView: There sure are conflicting scouting reports out there about Phil Trautwein. He’s got excellent agility. He’s not very agile. He can’t handle bull rushers. He’s impervious to bull rushers. Good hands. Bad hands. Not athletic enough. Good athlete. The negatives have to amount to something or he wouldn’t have been passed up 256 different times on draft weekend. But Phil Trautwein’s also a guy who richly deserves a shot at making a pro team. He has the size and athleticism for his position (highly likely RT). Shoot, look at his pro day and you could say he’s more explosive in the lower body than Jason Smith! Plus Trautwein is another Steve Spagnuolo “four pillars” guy. If he doesn’t make the Rams, it won’t be because he didn’t work hard, or didn’t have the smarts, or didn’t know how to win, or was a bad influence in the locker room. It sounds like he’s fared well in minicamp so far. I think he’s got a real shot here. Thumbs up.
Sources: 2009 Pro Football Weekly Draft Preview, NFL.com, CBSSports.com, scout.com, SportsIllustrated.com, Philadelphia Inquirer, Wikipedia, War Room and, yes, the Independent Florida Alligator
photo from Courier-Post (NJ)
We all know draft day isn't over in the NFL just because Mr. Irrelevant has been picked. The closing of that phase of the draft simply kicks off a new phase, as front offices scramble to get their pick of the college players who weren't drafted. Sure, most of those guys don't make teams, but on the other hand, there's always that LB prospect from John Carroll or that QB from Northern Iowa who just might have a chance to make it big.Draft day usually is over for RamView when Mr. Irrelevant's name is called. Frankly, by then, I'm exhausted. I wouldn't have the time or energy to profile the Rams' rookie free agents the way I do the drafted rookies.But I've got time now, so what better time to start? Let's try to find out more about the lesser-celebrated players who'll be trying to win spots in training camp later this month, starting with:
Kirston Pittman, 6'3" 250
DE, LSURankings: Pro Football Weekly: #34 defensive end. Rated as a free agent who should be in an NFL training camp.NFLDraftScout.com: #32 defensive end, #370 player overall; free agent grade.Biography/Honors: 2003: Sporting News Freshmen All-SEC team; College Football News honorable mention All-American.2007: Led LSU with 8 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. 68 total tackles.2008: 2.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, 35 total tackles.Major: General studies.Injuries: Missed two straight seasons prior to his junior year with foot injuries: 2005 for left ankle surgery, 2006 for a torn right Achilles. NCAA granted him a sixth season of eligibility. Limited AGAIN by injuries his senior season.Pro Day Stats: (not invited to NFL Combine)* Most benches at LSU's Pro Day with 28, 8 more than #3 overall pick Tyson Jackson.* Ran 4.68 40 with 1.61 and 2.72 second splits. (James Laurinaitis ran 4.88)* 30-inch vertical leap (JL: 33)* 7.64 seconds in 3-cone drill (JL: 6.93, fastest at Combine)* 4.45 20-yard shuttle (JL: 4.24)Positives: Smart player with good motor, high character and great work ethic. Has reputation as one of the hardest-working players in the country. Uses leverage and momentum well to get off blocks and push taller blockers into backfield. Maintains gap and containment. Fights off initial blocks and keeps coming after QB. Technically sound with good balance. Best skill is pass rushing. Sets up his blocker well with inside/outside moves. Big performance at LSU Pro Day moved him up into the later rounds of the draft. Projects as a 3rd-4th DE who'll get at most 25% of snaps and contribute on special teams. Teams like his ability to drop into coverage. Sack leader of 2007 LSU defensive line which also had future NFL top-5 picks in Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey.Negatives: INJURIES. Just average strength and speed. Not very explosive. Not quick enough to chase fast runners down from behind. Not fluid in the hips. Won't be able to bull rush in the pros and will have difficulty freeing himself from a blocker who gets his hands on him.Fun Facts: Kirston trained with three-time Olympic gold medal winner Gail Devers this spring, which a) is cool, and b) showed at his impressive pro day. His cousin David is a DB now with the Texans. His brother Thomas was a DE with the Broncos and Browns. He is not related to Rams RB Antonio. If he's hoping not to be a bench rider, though, he's from the wrong hometown: Reserve, Louisiana.RamView: There's no question Kirston Pittman is a Steve Spagnuolo "four pillars" type of player. And Spagnuolo obviously wants as many guys as he can get who can get after the QB, which Pittman's shown he can do when he's healthy. Sadly, he's just never healthy, a trend that reared its ugly head again during Rams OTAs when he missed time due to a heel injury. His workout, college production and character certainly made him worth a try in free agency, but he's just GOTTA find get better injury luck if he's going to make it in the NFL into September. Injured thumbs up, but odds are really against him.Sources: 2009 Pro Football Weekly Draft Preview, NFL.com, CBSSports.com, LSUsports.net, LSU Daily Reveille, Wikipedia, SportingNews.comphoto from nbcsports.com
Daniel Sanders, 6'2" 316
