Rams follow predictable course; more on Donnie Avery

by Ryan Van Bibber on Apr 27, 2008 10:38 AM CDT in News

While the moaning about taking Donnie Avery in the second round will likely continue for some time, drafting Toledo OT John Greco was not surprising. In fact, I, hating to toot my own horn, said I would have taken Greco in the third round of the SBN mock draft had it continued for three rounds.

Greco has good solid run blocking ability that makes him a potential starter at RG. He's 6'4" and the NFL.com profile list him at 320 lbs with the suggestion that he could add another 10 lbs. He's played all four positions on the line, and if he develops, he could be ALex Barron's replacement if Barron continues to show limited progress this season. I suspect the Rams will find Orlando Pace's eventual replacement in next year's draft.

The next o-lineman picked in the 3rd round was Rutgers Jeremey Zuttah, who also offers versatility, but lacks the potential to play tackle like Greco has. Greco also has something else the Rams don't have in their current RT, a guy who won't quit or phone it in and someone who'll assume a leadership role on the unit. That's huge if you recall all the shit the Rams put up with from Terrell and his influence on Barron last season. They could have had Carl Nicks, from Nebraska, but he's got those character questions, and nobody's drafted him as I write this. Nicks has 2nd round talent.Linehan thinks he could play right away.

This figures to be a good pick for the Rams.

Now, about that second round...
That's the one that figures to be the most controversial, until Donnie Avery racks up some stats. It's a shocker to say the least, but consider something "Marmie is the best" points out about the Rams record with WRs:

The only thing that makes me think that this may not have been a mistake is our history in drafting WRs. We hardly ever miss. The Rams said in 2003 that they had Kevin Curtis as the number 2 WR in the draft behind either Andre Johnson or Charles Rogers and that pick worked out really well.

Now check out who he compares to in his NFL.com profile:

KEVIN CURTIS-Philadelphia...Avery's suddenness into his routes have some comparing him to Buffalo's Lee Evans, but Avery's run-after-catch skills aren't first-rate and he's easily tripped up by low tackles. Avery's quickness is world-class. He has outstanding change-of-direction agility and does an excellent job of working his feet along the sideline. His speed allows him to create separation, but he must learn to get a better push vs. the jam, as he will dance around too much in attempts to escape the press. He is a quality kickoff returner, but not in the Devin Hester mold. Still, he will be a significant contributor as a return specialist. In a multiple-receiver formation, Avery instantly provides a team with a valid deep threat on the outside.

Huh. Remember the guy doesn't have to hit home runs his first season; Holt and Bennett will be the main guys. If the coaching staff can develop that speed and route running ability to the Pro level, this could be a real diamond in the rough. But, right now, I think we're all seeing this as more akin to the Brian Leonard pick: he's good, but a second rounder?Ra

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For the guys saying

that Avery would have been available in the 3rd round, 10 receivers were taken in the 2nd. It's very likely that Avery would have in fact been gone by the Ram's 3rd round pick.

by ViperLjs on Apr 27, 2008 3:26 PM CDT reply actions