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Rams finish 2015 NFL draft with nine players
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_978cea21-6eff-5e0f-8fe4-a684aafce1aa.html
The St. Louis Rams entered the 2015 NFL draft with six selections and ended the three-day process with nine players.
On Friday, the Rams swapped second-round picks with the Carolina Panthers and ended up with additional third- and sixth-round selections. On Saturday, the team moved running back Zac Stacy to the New York Jets in exchange for a seventh-round selection.
The Rams' draftees:
First round: RB Todd Gurley, Georgia
Second round: T Rob Havenstein, Wisconsin
Third round: G Jamon Brown, Louisville
Third round: QB Sean Mannion, Oregon State
Fourth round: T Andrew Donnal, Iowa
Sixth round: WR Bud Sasser, Missouri
Sixth round: G Cody Wichmann, Fresno State
Seventh round: LB Bryce Hager, Baylor
Seventh round: DE Martin Ifedi, Memphis
RAMS ADD EX-TIGER SASSER IN SIXTH
In their first of two sixth-round picks, the Rams opted for Mizzou receiver Bud Sasser.
A 6-foot-2, 210-pounder from Denton, Texas, he enjoyed a career-best season last fall with 77 catches for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has big size and catches the ball well in traffic. Could be a good addition as a possession-type receiver.
"It's awesome. I know a lot of Mizzou fans from (St. Louis). It's so cool to be a part of that organization,'' he said. "I'm physical. I like to high-point the ball, to go get it. I feel like I run pretty good routes and I block well.''
In the sixth round of the 2014 draft, the Rams selected Mizzou defensive back E.J. Gaines, who went on to start the first 15 games of his rookie season, finishing with 70 tackles, 14 passes defended and three interceptions.
"I can't make any promises,'' Sasser joked about matching his former and future teammate's production. "All I can say is that I'm coming in there to work my butt off.''
Later in the round, with a compensatory pick, the Rams went for another hefty offensive lineman in Fresno State's Cody Wichmann, a 6-6, 315-pounder who started 50 games for the Bulldogs. Like the other three offensive linemen the Rams picked up, he's a power guy.
"My strength is my physicality,'' he said.
After trading running back Zac Stacy to the New York Jets for pick No. 224, the Rams picked up inside linebacker Bryce Hager of Baylor. He's the son of former Ram Britt Hager, who spent nine seasons in the NFL with the Rams, Denver and Philadelphia.
Bryce, a 6-2, 235-pounder from Austin, Texas, was a three-time All-Big 12 linebacker who finished with 322 tackles, including 24 for loss. He started 32 of 48 games at Baylor and was part of a senior class that went 40-12 overall and 26-1 at home.
With their final pick of the day, at 227, the Rams selected Memphis defensive end Martin Ifedi, the Tigers' all-time sack leader with 22 1/2. He also tied for fourth in career tackles for loss (36 for 159 yards.)
The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder from Houston played in 45 games, starting 31. However, he missed the first four games of the 2014 season due to a knee injury and was limited to just 2 1/2 sacks as a senior. As a junior, he had 11 1/2 sacks.
ANOTHER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN IN ROUND 4
The Rams opted for another big offensive lineman — their third in five picks — with the selection of Iowa tackle/guard Andrew Donnal, who stands 6 feet 6 and weights 313 pounds.
Donnal started all 13 games at right tackle last fall for the Hawkeyes. But he started in just three of 24 games as a freshman, sophomore and junior. During his Iowa career, which included ACL surgery in 2012, Donnal played at every offensive line spot except center.
“I view myself as a blue-collar (guy), a grinder,'' he said. “I'm a guy who's going to come out and work my ass of every day to be the best I can possibly be. I thoroughly enjoy playing football, being an offensive lineman, moving a guy from point A to point B against his will, protecting the quarterback and just mauling inside. There's nothing better.''
He's technically efficient, as most Iowa linemen are, but is limited in terms of strength and athleticism.
Donnal said that playing on a line with Brandon Scherff, who went No. 5 overall to the Washington Redskins, helped him prepare for a role in the NFL.
"I thnk (being compared to Scherff) was a blessing,'' Donnal said. "Having a guy like Brandon to push yourself against, it was an outstanding resource for me. My five years at Iowa with him, Brandon's a great person and we've become good friends through this process. It's been an absolute pleasure to play with him and I know it helped me tremendously.''
KIRKWOOD'S PRUITT TO THE VIKES
Southern Illinois University Carbondale tight end MyCole Pruitt, a Kirkwood High product, was selected in the fifth round (143rd overall) by the Minnesota Vikings.
The 6-foot-2, 251-pounder led all FCS tight ends last fall with 81 catches for 862 yards and 13 touchdowns. In 44 career games, he had 221 catches for 2,601 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Not bad for a guy who didn't play football before high school.
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_978cea21-6eff-5e0f-8fe4-a684aafce1aa.html
The St. Louis Rams entered the 2015 NFL draft with six selections and ended the three-day process with nine players.
On Friday, the Rams swapped second-round picks with the Carolina Panthers and ended up with additional third- and sixth-round selections. On Saturday, the team moved running back Zac Stacy to the New York Jets in exchange for a seventh-round selection.
The Rams' draftees:
First round: RB Todd Gurley, Georgia
Second round: T Rob Havenstein, Wisconsin
Third round: G Jamon Brown, Louisville
Third round: QB Sean Mannion, Oregon State
Fourth round: T Andrew Donnal, Iowa
Sixth round: WR Bud Sasser, Missouri
Sixth round: G Cody Wichmann, Fresno State
Seventh round: LB Bryce Hager, Baylor
Seventh round: DE Martin Ifedi, Memphis
RAMS ADD EX-TIGER SASSER IN SIXTH
In their first of two sixth-round picks, the Rams opted for Mizzou receiver Bud Sasser.
A 6-foot-2, 210-pounder from Denton, Texas, he enjoyed a career-best season last fall with 77 catches for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has big size and catches the ball well in traffic. Could be a good addition as a possession-type receiver.
"It's awesome. I know a lot of Mizzou fans from (St. Louis). It's so cool to be a part of that organization,'' he said. "I'm physical. I like to high-point the ball, to go get it. I feel like I run pretty good routes and I block well.''
In the sixth round of the 2014 draft, the Rams selected Mizzou defensive back E.J. Gaines, who went on to start the first 15 games of his rookie season, finishing with 70 tackles, 14 passes defended and three interceptions.
"I can't make any promises,'' Sasser joked about matching his former and future teammate's production. "All I can say is that I'm coming in there to work my butt off.''
Later in the round, with a compensatory pick, the Rams went for another hefty offensive lineman in Fresno State's Cody Wichmann, a 6-6, 315-pounder who started 50 games for the Bulldogs. Like the other three offensive linemen the Rams picked up, he's a power guy.
"My strength is my physicality,'' he said.
After trading running back Zac Stacy to the New York Jets for pick No. 224, the Rams picked up inside linebacker Bryce Hager of Baylor. He's the son of former Ram Britt Hager, who spent nine seasons in the NFL with the Rams, Denver and Philadelphia.
Bryce, a 6-2, 235-pounder from Austin, Texas, was a three-time All-Big 12 linebacker who finished with 322 tackles, including 24 for loss. He started 32 of 48 games at Baylor and was part of a senior class that went 40-12 overall and 26-1 at home.
With their final pick of the day, at 227, the Rams selected Memphis defensive end Martin Ifedi, the Tigers' all-time sack leader with 22 1/2. He also tied for fourth in career tackles for loss (36 for 159 yards.)
The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder from Houston played in 45 games, starting 31. However, he missed the first four games of the 2014 season due to a knee injury and was limited to just 2 1/2 sacks as a senior. As a junior, he had 11 1/2 sacks.
ANOTHER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN IN ROUND 4
The Rams opted for another big offensive lineman — their third in five picks — with the selection of Iowa tackle/guard Andrew Donnal, who stands 6 feet 6 and weights 313 pounds.
Donnal started all 13 games at right tackle last fall for the Hawkeyes. But he started in just three of 24 games as a freshman, sophomore and junior. During his Iowa career, which included ACL surgery in 2012, Donnal played at every offensive line spot except center.
“I view myself as a blue-collar (guy), a grinder,'' he said. “I'm a guy who's going to come out and work my ass of every day to be the best I can possibly be. I thoroughly enjoy playing football, being an offensive lineman, moving a guy from point A to point B against his will, protecting the quarterback and just mauling inside. There's nothing better.''
He's technically efficient, as most Iowa linemen are, but is limited in terms of strength and athleticism.
Donnal said that playing on a line with Brandon Scherff, who went No. 5 overall to the Washington Redskins, helped him prepare for a role in the NFL.
"I thnk (being compared to Scherff) was a blessing,'' Donnal said. "Having a guy like Brandon to push yourself against, it was an outstanding resource for me. My five years at Iowa with him, Brandon's a great person and we've become good friends through this process. It's been an absolute pleasure to play with him and I know it helped me tremendously.''
KIRKWOOD'S PRUITT TO THE VIKES
Southern Illinois University Carbondale tight end MyCole Pruitt, a Kirkwood High product, was selected in the fifth round (143rd overall) by the Minnesota Vikings.
The 6-foot-2, 251-pounder led all FCS tight ends last fall with 81 catches for 862 yards and 13 touchdowns. In 44 career games, he had 221 catches for 2,601 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Not bad for a guy who didn't play football before high school.