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5 Combine Studs St. Louis Rams Must Have on Their Short List
By Steven Gerwel, Featured Columnist Feb 21, 2015
NFL combine signals the start of the long NFL offseason. It allows scouts and general managers to get a glimpse at potential stud prospects and formulate an offseason plan.
The
St. Louis Rams will analyze the combine results and attempt to find the best overall option for the No. 10 overall draft pick. The combine not only gives a team a chance to see players perform on the field, but it's an opportunity to interview the athletes and get a feel for their character.
This article will highlight several players who aced the combine. These players got the job done and will shoot up draft boards for every NFL team.
Based on the results, these five players are clear fits for St. Louis. Either they play a position of great need or have too much raw talent to pass up.
T Ereck Flowers, Miami (Fla.)
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
The Rams need offensive line help in the worst way. Luckily,
Miami's Ereck Flowers used the combine to establish himself as an exciting option at No. 10 overall.
He blew everyone away with a combine-high 37 reps on the bench press. His 6'6", 329-pound frame is also quite impressive.
Flowers is a remarkable run-blocker who knows how to pave roads, much like Greg Robinson—St. Louis' No. 2 overall pick in 2014. In other words, he's perfect for the run-first mentality the Rams are trying to instill on offense.
However, he's not flawless. Flowers is not refined in pass protection and will struggle to contain top-notch pass-rushers as a rookie. That's a hard fact to overlook considering quarterback health is a monumental concern in St. Louis.
If the Rams feel confident they can polish Flowers' pass protection, he'll inevitably be part of the discussion when St. Louis is on the clock in Round 1.
RB Jeremy Langford, Michigan State
Brandon Wade/Associated Press
This is an excellent draft for skill position players on offense. The class features a pair of exciting backs—Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon and Georgia's Todd Gurley—to go along with a plethora of potential No. 1 receivers.
Not only are there blue-chip players, but both positions also boast formidable depth. There are starting-caliber receivers and backs to be had beyond Day 1. Jeremy Langford is one of those guys.
He finished first among backs with a 4.42-second 40-yard dash. He demonstrated the shiftiness and breakaway speed that the Rams could use at running back. At 6'0" and 208 pounds, he's similar to other well-rounded prospects St. Louis favored in the past, such as Isaiah Pead and Tre Mason. He's quick but can take a hit, and he's strong but has speed.
Langford is also a workhorse on the field. He finished with 1,422 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2013, and he followed that up with 1,522 yards and 22 touchdowns last season.
With Mason, Benny Cunningham and Zac Stacy already on the roster, there's certainly no immediate need for a back. However, the Rams desire a run-first approach, so drafting a back is never out of the question.
OL La'el Collins, LSU
Julio Cortez/Associated Press
The Rams need offensive line help, but more specifically, they need help at guard. After La'el Collins' combine performance, it's hard to argue against him being the best guard of the class.
He was clocked at 5.12 seconds in the 40-yard dash—an impressive time for a big man—and he also displayed his agility in the three-cone drill (7.7 seconds) and the 20-yard shuttle (4.63 seconds).
Collins plays with an edge and knows how to bully defenders when run blocking. That's exactly what this offense needs to spark a healthy run game. His pass protection is less impressive but still above-average.
St. Louis' No. 10 pick might be too high for a guard, but Collins is an excellent target in a trade-down scenario.
LB Vic Beasley, Clemson
John Raoux/Associated Press
Vic Beasley is a dark-horse candidate for the Rams that few have discussed, but his solid showing at the combine could change that.
He finished as a top performer at his position with 35 reps on the bench press—good for first among linebackers. He also had impressive weigh-in measurables at 6'3" and 246 pounds.
It's almost absurd to think the Rams will use the top pick on a defender with the team having so many offensive holes, but it's still a possibility. Regardless of perceived needs, we can't forget that defensive-minded coaches operate this franchise. Going with a defender in the first is always a possibility with Jeff Fisher at the helm.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. If the team addresses the offensive line heavily in free agency, the Rams can likely afford to use a top pick on a defensive stud. That's not what fans want to hear, but it's something to keep in mind.
Beasley is a strong run-stopper and great at making plays behind the line of scrimmage. He accumulated more than 10 sacks and 20 tackles for loss in each of his last two seasons.
The primary concern at this point is scheme. It's still debatable whether Beasley fits better as a 4-3 outside backer or a 3-4 pass-rusher. If it's the former, Beasley could be the final piece to St. Louis' ferocious front seven.
WR Kevin White, West Virginia
Mark Humphrey/Associated Press
Despite my
past sentiments regarding the extraordinary talent of Oklahoma's Dorial Green-Beckham, it may be time for St. Louis to forget DGB and focus on the new hot commodity at wide receiver—West Virginia's Kevin White.
Wide receiver is an underrated need in St. Louis. It's easy to assume that Brian Quick will effortlessly overcome his
shoulder injury and the team will re-sign Kenny Britt, but those are dangerous assumptions—especially for a team that averaged just 212.5 aerial yards per game last season (23rd in the NFL).
Protecting
Sam Bradford is obviously a priority, but it'll take more than offensive linemen to keep him upright. The team needs competent receivers who are capable of getting open and running crisp routes. That won't be possible if Quick is incapable of regaining his 2014 form.
West Virginia's Kevin White would be a nice insurance policy. Even if Britt and Quick excel for the Rams in 2015, the team would still have use for White next season and beyond. Quick will be a free agent this time next year, and it's unlikely the team will rely solely on Britt as the long-term No. 1.
There's a lot to be excited about when it comes to White, who destroyed the combine. He tied for third among receivers with a 4.35-second 40-yard dash and tied for first with 23 reps on the bench press.
White is no mere workout warrior either. He shredded secondaries all season long with 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014.
Not to mention, the Rams have two other West Virginia receivers on the roster—
Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey—and that will certainly help White feel at home.
No one is saying the Rams should pencil in White as the top target at No. 10, but he should be high on the board. Wide receiver is not the team's top need, but White is a nice consolation prize if the elite players are all gone at No. 10.
