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Andrew Donnal was the third lineman draft in the 2015 NFL Draft. Playing at Iowa across the offensive line from fifth overall pick, Brandon Scherff, NFL Scouts were at hand a lot in Iowa City, watching the offensive line. Despite only being a full time starter for his senior season, Donnal earned All Big Ten Honorable mention and was projected to be a mid to late round draft pick. While Donnal was drafted in the fourth round, not much was expected from him considering the two selections ahead of him were also offensive linemen.
Donnal did get five games of playing time and two starts at different positions, one at left guard and the other at right tackle. This experience may be vital for his chances to stick for the 2016 season.
Roster Battle
Donnal is expected to compete for a roster position as a versatile player, similar to Garrett Reynolds. While not at the level of Reynolds quite yet, Donnal's role is to be the similar player, being versatile enough to play at both Tackle and Guard.
Expectations
With no huge additions to the offensive line this year, the expectations remain the same. Donnal must improve to make this squad as he is no longer protected by his draft status. While the Rams carried 10 linemen last year, don't expect the same this season as the linemen begin to sink or swim.
Chances of Making the Final Roster (5/10)
I’m being optimistic here, because I don't believe Snisher values Donnal as much as this.
Donnal, in my opinion, was drafted to be another Garrett Reynolds-type but the staff may be wanting a more guard-focused or tackle-focused guy as the 8th and potentially 9th spot.
The starting lineup is pretty set (Greg Robinson, Rodger Saffold, Tim Barnes, Jamon Brown, Rob Havenstein) along with the sixth man (Garrett Reynolds). However, it'll be interesting to see how the Rams handle the rest of the depth between Isaiah Battle, Cody Wichmann, Demetrius Rhaney, Darrell Williams (who made the team and started a game last year), and Donnal.