Turf Show Times: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Sports blogs for fans, by fans.
New Blog: Sounder At Heart for Seattle Sounders Fans!

Spring primary for potential Rams draft picks

Alright, whoever said the combine was boring was probably right.

Or were they? The River City Rage, SBN's Jaguars blogger, made the trip to Indy and blogged the whole affair this week. (All I did was nurse a cold and stare at the dreary winter sky thinking fondly of something I think they called "the sun.") It's a pretty good read.

We'll see how the NFL Combine results effect the overall draft rankings. Right now, I'm basing my prognostications on media coverage, which makes about as much sense to me as anything else. Judging by that unscientific rubric I'd say that the top five or six players will do some shifting in terms of where they'll be picked.

Let's run down the conventional wisdom, using my favorite, the up and down arrow for four likely top five picks the Rams have their eyes on.

Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
arrow pointing up
Gholston topped his peers on the bench press test, hammering out 37 reps. Forty times for DEs aren't available yet (they work out today). ESPN's Jeffri Chadiha wrote this glowing review of Gholston's prospects for the future. Read the third to last paragraph, about how Gholston got handled by the highly touted Jake Long in the 2006 Michigan game, only to "scour tape" ahead of the 2007 game in order to find holes in Long's game. It worked. Gholston tallied one of the two sacks Long allowed this last season. Finally, note the impression Gholston gave in his media session, quiet, humble, hard-working, desire to be the best he can. It sounds silly, but that's the kind of stuff scouts and coaches eat up for a kid with that much talent. Rightfully so, because it means that a player's talent isn't going to be squandered. Gholston's star is rising; is a top three pick out of the question?

Jake Long, OT, Michigan
arrow pointing up
All that talk earlier this winter about how he wasn't as talent as Joe Thomas and might not be suited to play left tackle in the NFL seems to have been forgotten. Long put on a show this weekend, running a 5.15 40-yard-dash and showcasing some impressive footwork indicative of a LT who can block well on the move. Still a sure fire top five pick. One talking head even thinks he should be the first overall pick.

Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
arrow pointing down
He showed up, went through the physical and got sent to a local hospital for more  tests. There are now "serious concerns" about Dorsey's fractured tibia from 2006. More information from those tests should be forthcoming. If there was any wavering between Dorsey or USC's Sedrick Ellis being the first DT taken in the draft, the argument can be put to rest now. I'd venture a guess that Dorsey is now a late first round pick. It likely changes the report that appeared in the PD's Chris Long story today that Dorsey is the Rams highest rated player in the draft, at least you'd think it would.

Chris Long, DE, Virginia
arrow pointing up
Has the arrow pointed any other way for this guy? Talent and pedigree will do wonders, huh? Devaney called him a "force" against the run, and indicated that his pass rushing skills will need work. Some scouts and NFL personnel people also see Long able to play linebacker and a natural fit for a 3-4 scheme. Given the embarrassment of riches available on the defensive line in this year's top draft picks - all guys who could contribute right away - the choice comes down to what the Rams plans are for next year's defense, i.e. switching to a base 3-4, and what they do in free agency.

0 recs  |  Comment 7 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

pipe dream
do we think it is a pipe dream for Chris Long to make it past the number 1 pick?

by jroman on Feb 25, 2008 11:24 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

i don't know
if the talk about him not being a strong pass rusher continues to circulate, it's certainly a possibility. There's no telling what the #1 pick will be since it's Parcells making it.

by VanRam on Feb 25, 2008 11:54 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

happiness
I would be happy with any of these characters:
C.Long
J.Long
Dorsey
Ellis
Gholston

I know Gholston could be had at number 6, and one or two of the others would have to fall through with one team picking McFadden and another potentially picking Ryan.

This seems to indicate a trade down would be beneficial.

by jroman on Feb 25, 2008 2:37 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Jake Long
Admittedly I have not watched the combine this year (just not that interested, plus being really busy at work). In addition, I have been really against the Rams drafting an offensive lineman with the second pick (I would love for them to trade down). But one fact I found really intriguing in my flipping through the combine was the hand size of J-Long. Saying J-Long had bigger hands and longer arms than JT.

Being a former collegiate O-lineman and experimenting on the D-line, I can attest how much that really matters. Longer arms and bigger hands really contribute to the lineman being able to physically handle the defensive player. It would be interesting to note how J-Long compares to both Barron and Pace.

by sccardsfan on Feb 25, 2008 4:56 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Long, Jake
they picked Pace first overall in 1997, a draft that saw three OT's in the top 10 picks. (Walter Jones 6th pick, Tarik Glenn 16th) All three have made the Pro Bowl and are still in the league. Might be the year for tackles...

Pace is 6'7" 325. Long is 6'7" 315, and his frame looks like it add a few pounds. I'd like to see the kid play, time to search You Tube...

by VanRam on Feb 25, 2008 6:05 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Here's the skinny on the combine
OT- No pass blocker is even close to Jake. Cherilus, Clady, Williams, Baker etc were mediocre and/or only participated in a few events.
There was only one guy in Jakes league, and he did fabulous: Jeremy Zuttah of Rutgers. Jeremy is much faster and only had two less bench press reps and like Jake did well in other areas. Problem: Isn't Rutgers a running team? Doesn't matter, if he doesn't work out at OT he will be an awesome guard. Take this guy in the second round. Any comments?

Gholsten is the man. What a combine. How can we take Gholsten, Jake, and the Rutgers guy? Ain't gonna happen so we take Gholsten 1 and Rutgers 2.

At least this is different. Any smart people out there care to research this rutgers guy?

 

one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer.

by chosen1 on Feb 26, 2008 4:24 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

Jeremy Zuttah
working on it now

by VanRam on Feb 26, 2008 9:02 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to the SB Nation blog about St. Louis Rams.
Start posting about the Rams »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

St-louis-cardinals_small
The State of the Team

Recent FanPosts

Small
O-line grades
Ricky_prohel_small
Please thank Mike Karney and the offensive line for their job this season
Peter_small
Sent SJAX An "Honorable Tweet" + Shower Loofa
Dsc03827_small
A Link to the Jim Rome Radio Show
Images
The Draft
Images
Keys for success (with Boom Boom Pow help)
Saved_small
we here alot about the draft but...
Peter_small
Special Teams May Shine Today - Amendola
Ricky_prohel_small
If you really think about it, the Rams receivers aren't "that" bad
Small
Why our WRs are not Good

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Latest NFL Headlines from SB Nation

Pats Pulpit
Sunday Fish Fry Part 2: Man the Longboats! Patriots offense v. Dolphin D
Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Release WR Bobby Engram; RB Kolby Smith to Active Roster
Stampede Blue
Dear Bill Polian: Please sign Jack Williams ASAP

Cover the web with Turf

Add a little Turf to your internet!

Become a fan of TST on Facebook.

Follow TST and talk more Rams on Twitter.


Managers

Turfshowtimes_small VanRam

Editors

Spags_victory_small 3k

Authors

340x_small kevinramsfan

Wildcat_small Tackle Box

Uncleface_small taiko

Small ram_rod

Dsc03827_small CoachConnors