The Combine has come and gone. As usual, a series of supposedly meaningless drills have made draft stock rise and fall for players, forcing nerds and even the professionals to readjust their draft boards. With the Combine done and free agency still a couple weeks away, we need to take a look at a few names that should be of interest to the St. Louis Rams come April.
You can sort through the plethora of "winners and losers" articles populating the web this morning. For our version of it, I plan to stick with a few key names at positions of interest for the Rams. The Robert Griffin III talk gets its own series of posts, since the Baylor quarterback is likely to net the Rams a nice haul of draft booty.
We start with the offensive side of the ball. I plan to hit the defense later today.
Wide Receiver
Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech - Workout warrior or the next great receiver from Tech? Teams will have their hands full grinding the tape on Hill and putting him through pre-draft workouts. Already some have him penciled into the top ten. Still, the combination of speed and size is a great starting point for a prospect.
Joe Adams, Arkansas - Adams was the opposite of Hill at the Combine, expected to be one of the fastest players of the week, he disappointed with a 4.55-second forty. The tape still speaks highly of Adams' ability as a return man and a deep threat. He needs a big pro day on March 9.
Michael Floyd, Notre Dame - We talked about Floyd on Turf Show Radio the other day and even more on the site. He made the case to be the first receiver off the board, especially with Justin Blackmon raising more questions about his ability and willingness. I still prefer Floyd to Blackmon as a guy who can play all over the field and win physical battles.
Offensive Line
Riley Reiff, Iowa - Reiff looks like a solid prospect, but he did little to justify himself as a top ten pick. In fact, the Bryan Bulaga comparisons were out in full force after he measured similar to the Packers' tackle and fellow Iowa product.
Cordy Glenn, Georgia - If the Rams do manage to pick up the 22nd pick in a deal with the Browns, they should hope Glenn is available. He has the stuff to be an elite guard, but he also looks to have the makings of a very good NFL left tackle. Either way, the Rams win by getting a versatile player to erase the bad memories of offensive lines past.
Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin - Tony Pauline reported during the Combine that there was a feeling that Zeitler is the best run blocker in the draft. He looks like a solid second-round pick at a position of need for the Rams.
Running Back
Doug Martin, Boise State - Martin's performance did not really stand out, per se, but it did hammer home the point that he is one of the better backs available in the draft. He could be a feature back in the NFL given his ability to play all three downs, as a pass catcher or astute blocker.
David Wilson, Virginia Tech - Wilson and Martin will divide opinions as to who is the second-best back in the draft. Wilson is also fast - mid-4.4s in the forty - and capable as a pass catcher too. He looked natural running routes.
Chris Rainey Florida - Rainey looks like this draft's top speedster. He would be a nice complementary player for the Rams. He can also be a threat on returns.
I'm leaving tight end off this list, but given the injury history of Michael Hoomanawanui, it is a position the Rams might have to consider in the later rounds of the draft.