No. 33

Pick by Turf Show Times Devin Thomas Wide Receiver Michigan State

After rolling the dice on Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston in the first round, the St. Louis Rams have added another excellent athlete in round two by selecting Michigan State wideout Devin Thomas.  VanRam, head blogger at Turf Show Times, made the selection and joins us now to explain his decision:

  Having picked up our blue chip prospect for the defensive line in the first round (Vernon Gholston), it was time to draft for the Rams other key needs, offensive tackle, wide receiver, and corner. It was awfully hard to take a pass on Quentin Groves with this pick. The thought of a high powered Rams defensive line - something we haven't seen in a long time - induces visions of injured opposing quarterbacks and offensive linemen littering the field like wounded confederate troops from that famous scene in Gone with the Wind.  It's tempting to say the least. But, the team still has to score a few points, no? The obvious pick here was an offensive tackle, but my SBN colleagues bought fully into the OT madness surrounding the first round of the draft and there just wasn't a quality OT to take here that didn't have some kind of red flag. I grappled with drafting Nebraska's Carl Nicks, but since the league's started legislating morality, Nicks' love for Animal House style parties just doesn't fit with the Rams (and everyone else outside of Dallas) view of troubled players matched with high draft picks. I'm just shocked that college kids are having house parties; when did that trend start?

So, until Liberty University starts recruiting D1 talent, Nicks is someone else's guy. That's fine. The opportunity to draft a talent like Michigan State's Devin Thomas in the second round is just too good to be true (that's why they call it a "mock", huh?). It was hard to watch Mr. Ram (Isaac Bruce), the thread connecting LA to STL, leave, but business is business. Grooming a strong and speedy route runner like Thomas does much to ease the pain. Torry Holt's still number one, and fans and pundits alike have voiced concerns about Drew Bennett, who played through an injury to far below average results. Bennett should rebound, and that will take some of the pressure off Thomas, setting him up for a nice first season in the league as a developing WR in the more relaxed third spot on the depth chart. Thomas seems to be a decent enough route runner at this stage in his career, and he has the ability to pick up yards after the catch, something the Rams need now.  As the years roll by, Thomas should be able to grow into the prominent role the Rams will need him for. Could he be the next Mr. Ram? Time
will tell.
 
Matt Miller, host of this site as well as owner of New Era Scouting, provides his analysis below:

Isaac Bruce is now a 49er, and Torry Holt is starting to show signs of slowing down. The Rams are able to grab a dynamic return man and run-after-catch guy in Thomas with this pick. Thomas at 33 is the steal of the draft up to this point.

Grade: A  ::  Devin Thomas Scouting Report - New Era Scouting :: Matt Miller's Top Five Prospects Remaining: 1.  LB Jerod Mayo, 2.  QB Joe Flacco, 3.  Kentwan Balmer, 4.  LB Shawn Crable, 5.  RB Jamaal Charles

That's all she wrote for Saturday's picks.  We'll be back at noon eastern tomorrow with the third pick of the second round, to be made by The Falcoholic.  The Atlanta Falcons are now on the clock.