Let's put all this Washington visit silliness behind us for a little while and get back to talking about the 2011 NFL Draft. With Combine happening later this week, talk of draft stock rising and falling is on the minds of fans and draft watchers everywhere. With the Rams decision to release Atogwe, UCLA safety Rahim Moore is suddenly in the conversation about the team's potential draft picks, and Moore could put his name into first round consideration with a solid outing in Indianapolis.
Moore stands out already because of a really weak class of safeties in this draft. His 2010 campaign at UCLA buffed off some of the luster from his impressive, 10-INT sophomore season. He also didn't have teammate Alterraun Verner in the secondary with him. Here's what Wes Bunting said about Moore in his Combine stock watch post:
When looking through the unimpressive safety class, Moore is the one guy who with a solid Combine could throw his name into the fold as a potential late first-round pick. He's a tall, lean center field type safety with good fluidity and change of direction skills in space.
The only other safety likely ticketed for the first two rounds is Oklahoma's Quinton Carter. During his time at OU he played in both the free and strong safety spots, versatility being one of the Rams' most preferred qualities in a safety.
Depending on how it all shakes out, Carter could be available when the Rams pick in the second round. If Moore's stock does get a bump at the Combine, it would still probably require the Rams to trade down from #14, if they had their hopes set on him. Either way, it's time to start talking about safeties in the draft too.