St. Louis Rams: Is There a Starting LB in This Class of Undrafted Free Agents?

It appears the Rams have all the pieces for an outstanding defense in 2012. As we outlined this week, the defense is looking really good on paper.

Well, it looks good everywhere except outside linebacker.

The Rams drafted Aaron Brown out of Hawaii, and they have Josh Hull, a part-time player a year ago, both fighting for that spot. Both players offer value on special teams, but can they make the jump to being a full-time starter at linebacker?

That is the million dollar question.

If neither is up to the task, the Rams are going to have to look to a group of undrafted free agents to fill the job. The Rams brought in Sammy Brown (Houston), Derek Choice (Steven F. Austin), Alex Hoffman-Ellis (Washington State) and Noah Keller (Ohio) to compete for a roster spot, and maybe a starting position, in 2012.

Brown had 28 tackles for loss last season, which led the nation. He was a first-team all-conference player (Conference USA), as he finished the regular season with 12.5 sacks last year. At 6'2", 242 pounds, Brown has a 40 time of 4.6, give or take a few hundredths of a second.

Hoffman-Ellis is another prospect to keep an eye on. He led the Cougars with 88 tackles (good for eighth in the Pac-12 conference), and was named second-team all-conference. He made 33 starts during his career at Washington State, so he is also an experienced player. At 6'1", 232 pounds, he runs a 4.55 in the 40.

Keller finished his senior year at Ohio with 116 tackles, and was named second-team all-conference (MAC). He is a 6'1", 245-pound linebacker who ran his 40 in 4.63. Keller looks like a bigger, stronger, albeit slower prospect who might offer some value as a run stuffer.

Choice didn't get on the field much, but he was a teammate of Jabara Williams, who spent some time on the Rams' roster last season. To be honest, I couldn't find much information about him, but I was a big fan of Williams when he was with the Rams. Whoever brought Choice in for a tryout obviously saw some potential, but if he makes the roster, it would be a shock to me.

With a glaring need for linebackers, I think at least one of these players could make the final roster.

Brown is the guy I am going to keep an eye on. While all of these players bring something to the table, his unique ability to get to the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage makes him a prospect to watch. Because the Rams have a very strong defensive secondary (a year ago, who thought we'd be saying that?), that is going to allow Jeff Fisher to really go after the quarterback. Brown seems like a player who can do that.

If the Rams can add another quality player or two from this group of undrafted free agents, to go along with a strong free-agent crop and a terrific draft class, then St. Louis could be a dangerous team in 2012.