The St. Louis Rams drafted a solid cornerback last year in the third round with Bradley Fletcher, and they hope to repeat that success with South Florida's Jerome Murphy.
Murphy's a hitter, which Spagnuolo like in his corners. He can also play the run well, which would help a team that gave up some big runs too often.
From CBS' scouting report, where they had him graded for the 2nd round:
Tall, wiry corner who can press and play off his man. Hips are a bit tight in transition, but he has the speed to turn and run with any receiver down the sideline. Has a short memory. Inconsistent getting his hands on the receiver in press but is willing to be physical. Loses his footing when planting to drive on out-routes. Overaggressive and will bite on pump fakes and double moves. Late getting his head around on deep balls
Here's two cents from Rotoworld:
Murphy, a two-year starter, was a big-hitting defensive back for the Bulls' stout defense, led the team in interceptions (4) as a senior, and has a rock-solid size/speed combo with a sub-4.5 forty time at 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds. He also played some safety at USF, but will likely focus on corner in the Rams' secondary. Murphy could push for a starting job immediately.
This is turning into a wild draft. Anyone else kind of disappointed the Rams haven't made more moves for picks?