draft grades

Draft guru gives Rams a ‘very good’ grade in 2015 NFL Draft

FOX Sports Midwest

http://www.foxsports.com/midwest/story/draft-guru-gives-st-louis-rams-a-very-good-grade-in-2015-nfl-draft-050515

“They’ve got some nastiness in them.”

Dan Shonka of Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services is going through the list of offensive linemen drafted by the St. Louis Rams over the weekend — four players, taken in four different rounds, yet united by their ability to play with an edge.

“That’s one thing that I made a note of on all these different guys — they’ve all got a nasty streak to them,” Shonka says. The scouting term he uses to describe such a tendency among offensive linemen, admittedly, is unfit for print.

But Shonka finds other ways to say it.

“They have their head on a swivel, and they’re looking for somebody to hit,” he explains. “All these guys kind of have the same type of personality, so I guess that’s why they (the Rams) went after them.”

This edgy group of offensive linemen consists of second-rounder Rob Havenstein from Wisconsin, third-rounder Jamon Brown from Louisville, fourth-rounder Andrew Donnal from Iowa and sixth-rounder Cody Wichmann from Fresno State. They were among seven offensive players the Rams selected in the 2015 NFL Draft, along with two defensive guys: linebacker Bryce Hager and defensive end Martin Ifedi, both in the seventh round.

Shonka prefers to rate drafts in verbiage such as “average,” “good” and “very good,” as opposed to letter grades. For the Rams this year, he gives an overall mark of “very good.”

“There’s an ‘excellent’ — I don’t know if we’ve ever given an excellent,” Shonka says. “Very good is, I guess if you’re putting a letter grade, you’d say it was a B+, because there are a lot of choices that we certainly like, and I don’t know that we ever give an A anyway. ‘Very good’ is about as top as we go.”

More on the Rams’ “very good” performance in the 2015 draft:

• Surprise RB pick. The Rams’ selection of running back Todd Gurley at 10th overall came as a surprise to Shonka — but a good surprise. There was some risk with the pick because Gurley is still recovering from ACL surgery, but the upside could be huge, especially because Rams coach Jeff Fisher, who coached Eddie George in Tennessee, hasn’t had a dominant running back during his tenure in St. Louis.

“Steven Jackson was OK, but he was getting toward the end of his career,” Shonka points out. A big-time running back “will help your defense, will help your receiving game, will help everything.”

• Later-than-expected O-line help. The Rams’ decision to trade their No. 41 pick to Carolina meant they delayed selecting an offensive lineman, which many had speculated they’d do in the first round, until 57th overall. The benefit was gaining two additional picks, which the Rams used in the third round on a quarterback (Oregon State’s Sean Mannion) and in the sixth on a wide receiver (Missouri’s Bud Sasser). Another break for the Rams was that only three offensive linemen went off the board in Round 2 before they got to select Havenstein.

“You could argue that you might be able to get a little bit better lineman, but the way it turns out, the linemen that the Rams took — three out of (the) second four picks — got a lot of talent, and have the ability to start, and certainly bring competition,” Shonka says. “Havenstein, to me, he was a second-round tackle. I like the guy. He’s a tough guy. He’s consistent.”

Shonka highlights Havenstein’s 6-foot-7, 321-pound frame — “he just has to keep working to bend his knees because he is so tall” — and hip flexibility for his size, along with his lateral quickness and foot movement.

“If anybody’s got any question about him, throw on that film against Nebraska,” Shonka says. “He blocks (outside linebacker Randy) Gregory. He gets his mitts on Gregory, and everybody thinks Gregory (a second-round pick by Dallas) is the second coming of Lawrence Taylor or something. Havenstein handles him pretty good.”

• Guard rather than tackle. Shonka thinks Jamon Brown, the Rams’ first selection in the third round and 72nd overall, will end up being a guard, though he’s listed as an offensive tackle. It is that versatility, Shonka believes, that makes him a good selection.

“We had him late third, fourth round, so that’s where they got him, so I can’t argue that,” Shonka says. “He could play all the positions, because he played left tackle and he’s got some experience at guard, and so really, he’s a four-for-one player, which, in the NFL anymore, that’s what you want — a versatile guy. And that’s certainly Jamon.”

• Mannion reminiscent of Brady. Shonka is a huge fan of Mannion, the quarterback the Rams selected in the third round, and thinks that among the second tier of quarterbacks in the 2015 draft (those who follow top two picks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota), Mannion might be the eventual starter.

“He has one of the strongest arms in this draft, he’s very smart, he’s a four-year starter, he’s a three-year captain, he’s your classic, your NFL drop-back quarterback — he’s built like a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning,” says Shonka, who researched Brady for the Philadelphia Eagles when Brady was in college and graded him two rounds higher than where the Patriots took him. “(Mannion) reminds me a lot of Brady when Brady came out.”

• Donnal went higher than expected. Shonka says he had Donnal as a sixth-round selection and St. Louis took him in the fourth, but he understands the pick from the Rams’ perspective.

“The buzzword, obviously, with the Rams, they want versatile guys, and I think he can kick inside to play guard,” he says.

Donnal will need to work on his strength, Shonka says, but his technique is solid, and he’s well thought of by offensive line coaches around the league.

• Long wait for a wideout. The Rams waited until the sixth round to select a wide receiver, another position that, going into the draft, was thought to be a consideration with their top selection overall. Top prospects Amari Cooper and Kevin White were off the board when the Rams went on the clock, but Louisville’s DeVante Parker was still there.

Overall, the strategy to go with Gurley over a wide receiver doesn’t bother Shonka, who points out Sasser had a good senior year at Mizzou, though he’ll have to make the Rams by playing special teams.

“That sixth round, you wanted some guy that could run, catch the ball and make your team, and that’s what he’ll be competing to do,” Shonka says.

• Seventh-rounders could exceed expectations. Shonka says the Rams’ last two picks, Hager and Ifedi at 224 and 227, respectively, have a solid chance to outperform their draft spots. His list of Hager’s attributes is extensive: He plays well in space, he hustles, he’s fast, he plays with great instincts. Ifedi, meanwhile, has “really strong hands,” long arms and lateral quickness.

“Great value picks,” Shonka says.

St. Louis Rams: Initial Grades for 2015 NFL Draft Class

by Patrick Karraker

http://archauthority.com/2015/05/06/st-louis-rams-initial-grades-for-2015-nfl-draft-class/?utm_source=FanSided&utm_medium=Network&utm_campaign=Around%20the%20Network

Rams Todd Gurley

Though the St. Louis Rams went into this past weekend’s NFL Draft with just five selections, they once again found away to add a large quantity of potential contributors to their roster, coming away with nine rookies by the end of Saturday’s final rounds. As the players get ready to hit the practice field as professionals for the first time this weekend, it’s already time to start scrutinizing the selections.

Obviously, we won’t have a really good read on all these picks for at least a couple years, as players need time to adjust to new schemes and mentally adjust to the pro game. One could even argue that it’s always too early to assign a grade to the selection of a player who is still with the team that drafted him; after all, the league’s best quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, never even started for the Green Bay Packers until his fourth season in the NFL, and on a more local level, we saw Brian Quick break out as the Rams’ top receiver in the early part of last season after struggling to even get on the field during his first two pro seasons.

For now, though, we can make impulse judgements about how well every pick will fit with his new team. Before the rookies touch the practice field for the first time, here’s an initial grade of every Rams selection in this past weekend’s draft.

Todd Gurley St. Louis Rams

Round 1: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

GRADE: A-

The Rams shocked everyone by neglecting their strongest need, offensive line, with their first pick and selecting Georgia’s Todd Gurley. The selection of Gurley has the potential to be fantastic; he’s the best running back prospect the NFL has seen in a long while, and he’s looked NFL-ready since the day he first touched the field at Georgia. While guys like Zac Stacy and Tre Mason have been productive for the Rams in recent years, Gurley should be the biggest difference-maker the Rams have had in the backfield since Steven Jackson was in his prime.

The Gurley pick carries a certain amount of risk considering that he’s coming off a torn ACL, and he may not even be ready for the start of the season. With Gurley likely to miss all of the offseason program and at least part of training camp, it’s debatable whether he’ll be able to get up to speed quickly enough to make significant contributions during 2015. Thus, it was a bold move for Jeff Fisher, going into his fourth season in St. Louis with a 20-27-1 record, to invest a top ten pick in a player that may not be ready to go full-blast until 2016.

Ultimately, it’s difficult to fault the Rams for taking a shot at a player who could be the best at his position since Adrian Peterson was in his prime. With that said, there’s a certain degree of optimism required to believe that Gurley will be a game-changing star, A) while the Rams are still in St. Louis, and B) while Jeff Fisher is still the Rams’ head coach.

Rob Havenstein

Round 2: Rob Havenstein, OT, Wisconsin

GRADE: A-

Havenstein is the perfect fit as the right tackle that Jeff Fisher has been seeking since he arrived in St. Louis in 2012. He’s clearly been searching for a modern-day version of his starting right tackle with the Titans from 1997-99, Jon Runyan, who was an absolute giant at 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds. Since Fisher’s arrival, the Rams have brought in waiver pickup Ty Nsekhe (6’8, 325), undrafted free agent Sean Hooey (6’9, 320), 2014 seventh-rounder Mitchell Van Dyk (listed during college at 6’9, 290; ended up being 6’7, 300), and practice squad player Steven Baker (6’8, 310), none of whom have really accomplished much in a Rams uniform.

By investing a high-round pick in Havenstein, the Rams now have a chance at adding a Runyan-like talent to their line. The 6-foot-7, 321-pounder has the potential to be a road-grading run blocker at the right tackle position, and he fits what the Rams want to do well. He probably wasn’t the most talented all-around tackle available when the Rams were on the clock–a player like Pittsburgh’s T.J. Clemmings might have greater upside down the road–but he fits the Rams’ philosophy very well and should thrive in their run-heavy scheme.

Jamon Brown Lousiville

Round 3: Jamon Brown, OL, Louisville

GRADE: B-

Among all the Rams’ selections, the move to pick Brown in the third round seems right now to be the biggest reach. The 6-foot-4, 323-pounder didn’t consistently play up to his size at Louisville, and he was only moderately impressive as the Cardinals’ starting left tackle during 2014. NFL.com projected him as a fourth or fifth-rounder, and there were even some rumors that he would slip into the undrafted ranks. Apparently the Rams see him as a guard at the NFL level, so it’s fair to give them the benefit of the doubt in believing that he’ll be better with a position change.

With that said, there were players who performed better than Brown at the college level, such as Florida State’s Tre Jackson and Arizona State’s Jamil Douglas, who may have been safer picks in the third round. If the Rams can quickly turn Brown into a starting guard, their reach for him will be wholly acceptable. But if he flops, then it will be a waste of a pick in Round 3.

Sean Mannion

Round 3: Sean Mannion, QB, Oregon State

GRADE: B+

I wasn’t a big fan of Mannion after thoroughly evaluating his game performance; he shows a disturbing lack of pocket awareness and his throwing mechanics are suspect. With that said, he fits what the Rams do pretty well, as he’s got a ton of experience operating in a pro-style offense and is adept at dropping back from under center. Who knows, with Mannion having formed such a powerful connection with wide receiver Brandin Cooks during his junior season, maybe he can form an effective connection with a similar player in Tavon Austin if called upon.

Realistically, Mannion’s ceiling is probably as a long-term backup, but he fits the “Fisherball” offensive scheme well and probably has a better chance of succeeding if pressed into action than last year’s developmental quarterback selection, sixth-rounder Garrett Gilbert, did.

Andrew Donnal

Round 4: Andrew Donnal, OL, Iowa

GRADE: B-

Donnal, a fringe combine invite who was a full-time collegiate starter for the first time in 2014, was a surprise selection in the fourth round. At 6-foot-6 and 313 pounds, he’s got the mauler size that the Rams covet, and he may have the versatility to play both guard and tackle at the NFL level. He can fairly be classified as a “project player”, considering that he lacks ideal college experience, and the general consensus seemed to be that his biggest weakness was a lack of play strength. These types of players are a growing risk in an NFL that no longer allows much developmental time with the shortening of offseason programs and training camps.

Since they selected their left tackle of the future, Greg Robinson, in last year’s first round, and found Havenstein, their projected long-term starter at right tackle, in this year’s second round, the Rams seem to be placing a backup ceiling on Donnal. That’s not to say accumulating depth is a bad thing in any way; the Rams’ sixth-round selection of cornerback E.J. Gaines last year turned out to be genius, as he outperformed second-rounder Lamarcus Joyner and passed him up on the depth chart. But while other teams were still selecting players with legitimate starting potential, such as the Patriots with guard Tre Jackson and the Bengals with defensive back Josh Shaw, it was a bit frustrating to see the Rams take Donnal, who projects as a depth player long-term.

Missouri Tigers Bud Sasser

Round 6: Bud Sasser, WR, Missouri

GRADE: B+

After spending much of the 2014 season with just four receivers on the 53-man roster (Kenny Britt, Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, and Chris Givens), there was no question that the Rams needed to boost their receiving depth, even with starter Brian Quick returning from injury. It’s debatable how much a player like Sasser will be able to do for them, considering that he was basically a one-year wonder who had just 39 catches for 608 yards and two touchdowns over three years before collecting 77 receptions for 1,003 yards and 12 TDs as a senior.

With that said, the 6-f00t-2, 210-pound receiver is an athletic wideout who has the skills to contribute in a variety of roles and can be an asset to the team. It wouldn’t be too hard for him to make himself an upgrade over Givens, who has been nearly useless since his fantastic rookie season in 2012. The Rams arguably reached for Sasser, who was not invited to the combine, in the sixth round. But in a draft class that was short on late-round receiving talent, the Rams recognized a need and addressed it before it became too late.

Cody Wichmann

Round 6: Cody Wichmann, OG, Fresno State

GRADE: C

The selection of Wichmann was pretty much out of left field, as the four-year Fresno State starter did not attend a college All-Star game or the NFL Combine and was projected by many as an undrafted free agent. (In fact, Wichmann had existed in such obscurity that the above image of his posterior was the only photo of him available to us through USA TODAY Sports Images.)

Beyond the obscurity of Wichmann, the pick also seems reminiscent of the Rams selecting defensive end George Selvie in 2010 after already having selected two other ends, Hall Davis and Eugene Sims. Selvie ended up being the best of the three, having accumulated 13 career sacks for the Rams, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Dallas Cowboys, but because of roster limitations and the lack of evaluation time, the Rams ended up letting him fall through the cracks and effectively wasted the pick.

Wichmann was the fourth offensive lineman that the Rams selected, following Rob Havenstein, Jamon Brown, and Andrew Donnal. With starters Greg Robinson and Rodger Saffold returning, newly-signed veteran Garrett Reynolds likely to make the team, and a host of experienced Rams such as Barrett Jones, Tim Barnes, Demetrius Rhaney, Brandon Washington, and Travis Bond vying for spots, logic would indicate that there’s almost no way all four rookies can make the 53-man roster. Wichmann figures to be the biggest long shot considering that he was drafted last.

Last year, the Rams’ last five draft picks did not make the 53-man roster. At the time, general manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher drew that as a positive, citing the growth of their organizational depth. Obviously, that wasn’t really the case, as the Rams went 6-10 and had their eighth straight losing season. Snead and Fisher can brag about their depth all they want, but until the roster is viable enough to make the playoffs, it would seem more practical to draft players who have a chance of making the 53-man roster.

The Rams can salvage the pick if they are able to stash Wichmann (or whichever draft pick doesn’t make the team) on their practice squad, but it was impractical to take a fourth offensive lineman when there’s almost no chance that all of them will be able to make the team. If it was a must for them to select another offensive lineman here, it might have been better to take a risk and select a player with starting potential, such as Florida State’s Josue Matias or Oklahoma’s Adam Shead, who fell because of injury concerns, rather than taking a player like Wichmann who projects as a backup at best.

Bryce Hager

Round 7: Bryce Hager, LB, Baylor

GRADE: A-

With the way they handled running back Zac Stacy over the past year, benching him and then drafting running back Todd Gurley to take his roster spot, the Rams really had no chance of getting proper value in return for a back who accumulated 973 yards over 12 games in 2013. The Rams made the best of the situation, though, trading Stacy for a seventh-round pick. They boosted their linebacker depth by using that pick to select Baylor’s Bryce Hager.

Though the Rams could have been better served to boost their depth at the defensive tackle position, where they have only three NFL-caliber players, it was a solid move to create some more competition at the linebacker position. The Rams’ depth is much better there than it was a year ago, as returning starters Alec Ogletree and James Laurinaitis figure to be complemented by a new addition, situational pass rusher Akeem Ayers. Backup options will include Daren Bates, arguably the team’s best special-teamer, Korey Toomer, who came on strong as a special-teamer at the end of 2014, former starter Jo-Lonn Dunbar, and Hager, the newest addition to the group.

Hager may be a more logical fit as a backup to Laurinaitis at the inside linebacker position than any of the other backup linebackers, and he can also fill in at the outside spots and play special teams. It’s quite possible that Hager will end up on the Rams’ practice squad, since they’ve got five returning linebackers plus Ayers and safety Mark Barron, who was used often in a linebacker-like role during 2014. With that said, he’s a solid selection and could end up as a steady depth player on this team.

Martin Ifedi

Round 7: Martin Ifedi, DL, Memphis

GRADE: B-

This grade on Ifedi may be more susceptible to change than any other player’s in this year’s Rams draft class. It’s difficult to know how he’ll fit in the Rams’ defensive scheme because his role was so different at Memphis, where he played more like a defensive tackle in the Tigers’ 3-4 scheme. Much like a guy who the Rams reportedly coveted in last year’s draft class, the Seattle Seahawks’ Cassius Marsh, and another player who they signed as an undrafted free agent, Ethan Westbrooks, Ifedi is a player who projects to play a much different role in the NFL than he did in college, and it should be interesting to see how he makes the adjustment.
While, at first glance, it would seem that the 6-foot-3, 275-pound Ifedi lacks the length or athleticism to be a successful edge rusher in the NFL, we’ve seen a similar player in William Hayes have success in that role with the Rams. In addition, Hayes has provided a unique skill as an interior pass rusher on obvious passing downs, and though the Rams don’t need that skill nearly as much from their defensive ends anymore with the emergence of Aaron Donald, but Ifedi should be able to do so if asked.

The Ifedi pick definitely carries some risk since he dealt with a knee injury that could possibly hold him back going forward,, but it was a good spot to pull the trigger on him as the draft winded down. With the Rams already having five defensive ends with NFL experience–Chris Long, Robert Quinn, William Hayes, Eugene Sims, and Ethan Westbrooks–on their roster, it wasn’t the most necessary move to further boost the depth at the position, but if the Rams can turn him into a legitimate player, then good for them..

USA Today

First impressions of 2015 NFL draft ranked 1-32

Nate Davis

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2015/05/02/first-impressions-rankings-jets-leonard-williams-jaguars-vikings-trae-waynes/26793997/

5. St. Louis Rams: RB Todd Gurley, taken 10th, may be the draft’s most compelling prospect. If he emerges as Adrian Peterson 2.0, the Rams win this draft. GM Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher spent four of their remaining eight picks on an O-line that was eviscerated after the season while snatching QB Sean Mannion — just maybe a starting candidate in 2016 if Nick Foles leaves — in the third round