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The St. Louis Rams have done their homework on Alabama CB Dre Kirkpatrick. Not content with a lengthy Senior Bowl visit and the other pre-draft interaction, the team reached out to his high school coach, borrowing the CIA background check process, according to ESPN.
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Kirkpatrick is getting late buzz about falling down the draft board. If so, he could be an option with one of their second-round picks. Or, if they really like what they see, they could swing a deal to move up into the back of the first round ... just in case.
It's curious news, until you think about the Rams depth at cornerback and their injury history. It has to be a concern.
As far as what they talked to Kirkpatrick's coach about, that's confidential. Character concerns haven't been a huge issue with him, but he does have questions about his fit in the NFL at the position. His high school coach would have nothing on that though.