2011 Draft Analysis: St. Louis Rams Day 3 Food for Thought

One thing everyone can agree on is that this was not the draft Rams fans expected.

We'll have to wait until the actual football is played before making judgments; but whether the picks are booms or busts, they were certainly surprising, and even Day 3 was no exception. 

Here's a quick look at the picks, and how they fit in with the Rams...

4 (112) Greg Salas WR Hawaii (6'1" 210 Pounds)

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HONOLULU - SEPTEMBER 2: Greg Salas of the University of Hawaii Warriors runs the ball during second half action at Aloha Stadium September 2, 2010 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Receiver was the the most desperate team need for the Rams heading into the season, but they were not fortunate enough to get one of the top receivers of the draft class.

But just because they didn't find a true No.1 receiver doesn't mean they can't improve the position overall. 

The Rams took Austin Pettis (Boise State) in the third round, which was a solid pick given his versatility and ability to play every receiver position. 

The Rams didn't feel like that was enough, so they drafted Greg Salas (Hawaii) the very next round.

Salas has decent size (6'1" 210 pounds), but he's not overwhelming enough to be a beast in the red zone.

According the NFL scouting reports, his primary strength is his route-running ability, as well as his tough mentality (he's not scared to get popped after the catch).

The Plan

Salas is not a poor fourth-round prospect by anyone's definition, but he might struggle finding a role in St. Louis.

He's not good enough to be a No. 1 or 2 (at least not yet), and he's probably not a better player than any of the Rams' top five receivers, so he won't be starting as a No. 3 or 4, either.

The Rams aren't immediately expecting Pettis or Salas to contribute significantly. Both will likely help to improve the back end of the team's wide receiver depth (meaning they are probably improvements over Laurent Robinson and Mardy Gilyard), but they won't contribute a lot of production until they've had a few years to develop.  

5 (158) Jermale Hines DB Ohio State (6'1" 219 Pounds)

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 04: Knile Davis #7 of the Arkansas Razorbacks runs the ball as Orhian Johnson #19 of the Ohio State Buckeyes attempts to tackle him in the second quarter during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on January 4, 20

This was a bit of a controversial round. The Rams have needed a back-up running back for Steven Jackson for several years now, and they've repeatedly failed to find one in the draft. 

The Rams were sitting with the 14th pick of the fifth round, and Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State) was still on the board. It seemed to be a perfect fit.

Rodgers has been graded as high as a third-round talent in the past. But the Rams decided he was not their guy, and they traded down with the Atlanta Falcons.

The Rams swapped picks with the Falcons in the fifth round (giving them the 27th pick of the round) and they picked up an additional seventh round pick.

The Rams used the fifth round pick on safety Jermale Hines (Ohio State).

Hines has less than impressive speed, which is what really hurt his draft grade. But he is a hard hitter, and the Rams have made it clear that they want a "thumper" at safety, rather than a coverage specialist.

The Plan

If the Rams use Hines as a defensive back, then they will need to wait several years before he will contribute, although he would be useful on special teams in the meantime.

The Rams have a huge need at safety after losing veteran O.J. Atogwe, so this pick makes sense. However, one idea that has been thrown around proposes that Hines will gain about 10 pounds and play outside linebacker, which is another big team need.

Outside linebacker would probably make more sense for Hines. He just doesn't have the speed to be an NFL defensive back, but he does have the speed to be a 4-3 weak side linebacker.

His hard-hitting style of play would make him an ideal candidate for the transition, and he would be ideal for third- or fourth-and-long coverage situations, as he played safety in college.  

7 (216) Mikail Baker DB Baylor (6'0" 200 Pounds)

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WACO, TX - OCTOBER 04: Mikail Baker #5 of the Baylor Bears runs the ball against the Oklahoma Sooners at Floyd Casey Stadium on October 4, 2008 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Rams have two solid starters at cornerback in Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher, but their depth at the position is pretty thin. Mikail Baker (Baylor) will attempt to solidify the depth. 

Baker is a bit of an unknown. He was the starting cornerback for the Baylor Bears, and he is a bit of a unique story, as he was eligible for six years of college football. The extra year was added do to injury, and was considered a "Medical Hardship."

That tells us that his health might be a bit of a concern, and that might be a reason why he was drafted in the last round.

The Plan

Baker will eventually attempt to become a solid back-up defensive back. The best thing he can do to make the roster is to become a solid special teams guy, which might not be a stretch for him.

He will be able to compete for the kick-off and punt coverage teams, as he knows how to tackle, but he is will also audition to be a kick return specialist.

He holds the Baylor school record for kick returns (83) and kick return yards (1,963), according to his player bio on the Baylor Bears website.

It would certainly be nice to find a full time return man, because that would give Danny Amendola some much-needed rest on game days.  

7 (228) Jabara Williams OLB Stephen F. Austin (6'2" 228 Pounds)

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SEATTLE, WA - JANUARY 02: Head coach Steve Spagnuolo of the St. Louis Rams stands on the field during their game against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on January 2, 2011 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

The Rams needed help at outside linebacker, so it was worth taking a shot in the dark at a late round talent. 

You can probably guess from the name of his school alone that he is not a well known guy. But that shouldn't immediately disqualify him, as it doesn't take an outside linebacker of Clay Matthew proportions to play in Steve Spagnuolo's defensive scheme. 

Williams was probably a coaches favorite. The final round is when the General Manager's typically step back and allow the coaches to take chances on unknowns that they are excited about, which is actually the reason why seventh round picks have a lower bust rate that sixth round picks, because they have the coaches on their side. 

Spagnuolo probably watched Williams' game film and was impressed, regardless of what school he played for. 

The Plan

Just like the majority of late rounders, Williams will have aspirations of becoming a starter someday, but it will all start with him winning a spot as a special teams player, and then he will get developed from there. 

7 (229) Jonathan Nelson DB Oklahoma (5'11" 198 Pounds)

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: Ryan Griffin #94 of the Connecticut Huskies runs after a catch in the first half while taking on the Oklahoma Sooners during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona

The Rams wrapped up their 2011 draft by taking their third defensive back of the draft. This time they took a shot at Jonathan Wilson of the Oklahoma Sooners. And since he played for a powerhouse school, there is a little more information on him. 

Nelson was a four-year player for the Sooners, which means Sam Bradford is one of his former teammates. And who know, maybe Bradford is the one that pointed the front office in Nelson's direction. 

Nelson was primarily a role player his first three years at Oklahoma before finally winning a starting cornerback job for the final three games of his third season. 

He started all 14 games during his final year, and he recorded 102 tackles (53 solo) in the process, as well as two interceptions. 

The Plan

I hate to repeat myself, but he has to play special teams before he can do anything else. 

He has a decent 40-yard dash time (somewhere in the 4.5 range) and is displays solid tackling fundamentals.

Those skills will give him a chance to develop into a fifth defensive back for nickel and dime situations, and he could eventually provide depth behind Bartell and Fletcher.