Draft in depth: Punters and kickers + Rams Needs/PD

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RamBill

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Draft in depth: Punters and kickers
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_1c408be0-7dec-5dcd-8103-47352a888caa.html

CREAM OF THE CROP

PLAYER POS SCHOOL HT. WT.

KYLE LOOMIS P Portland St. 6-2 221

Led nation in punting for second straight season, with a 46.0-yard average.

JUSTIN MANTON K La.-Monroe 6-3 196

Attempted just 32 field goals in first three seasons, then made 20 of 24 in ’14.

JOSH LAMBO K Texas A&M 6-0 216

A 2008 Major League Soccer draft pick, started kicking footballs in 2012.

BRADLEY PINION P Clemson 6-5 229

Broke own school record with 28 punts inside 20; just two touchbacks in ’14.

KYLE CHRISTY P Florida 6-0 202

Slumped and benched in ’13; rebounded to average 44.2 yards in ’14.

FUN FACT

Loomis, 27, punted one year at Oregon State before spending nearly four years in the Army (82nd Airborne). After a medical discharge (following two ankle operations) and six months working for the Oregon Department of Transportation, he enrolled at Portland State and was a record-setting punter there for two seasons.

RAMS’ NEEDS

Pro Bowl punter Johnny Hekker signed a six-year, $17.2 million contract extension late last season that keeps him under contract through the 2020 season. So he doesn’t figure to be going anywhere. Kicker Greg Zuerlein completes his original contract after the coming season, and the Rams are expected to try to re-sign him.

RATING THE FIELD

There are a couple of interesting punters, but otherwise nothing special in this group — especially when it comes to kickers. Only two kickers and one punter were drafted last year, and there doesn’t figure to be more than a few punters or kickers taken this year, either.

Jim Thomas