INDIANAPOLIS – Every NFL Draft takes on its own shape with certain positions sticking out as strengths and others being viewed as void of talent in particular areas.
Sometimes that draft personality takes longer to form than in other drafts but there’s little question where the strength of the 2011 NFL Draft sits and it’s in a place that Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo certainly appreciates: defensive end.
To a man, every draft analyst, pundit and wanna-be analyst and pundit has made no bones about the fact that this year’s draft class features at least six and possibly as many as eight defensive ends worthy of selection in the first round.
Rams general manager Billy Devaney says it’s especially strong on the edges.
“Outside guys, defensive ends, it looks like it's really deep,” Devaney said. “In fact, it looks like it's deep in 3-4 ends. We're a 4-3 team and we thing there's some really quality depth as pass-rushers at defensive end...that goes into the second round. So we're excited about that.”
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Aside from Long, the Rams have veteran
Despite the production from that group in 2010, Devaney points out, and Spagnuolo showed when he was with the Giants, you can never have too many pass rushers because what they do dramatically affects the rest of the defense.
“I still go back to if you have four Pro Bowl guys back there (in the secondary), and you let any quarterback have enough time in the NFL, they're eventually going to find open people,” Devaney said. “It's still about getting after that (quarterback).”
If that’s the route the Rams choose to go in the first round, chances are the value of the player they’d take will be quite high.
At defensive end alone, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock has as many as eight defensive ends with first-round grades on them.
Clemson’s Da’ Quan Bowers, North Carolina’s Robert Quinn, Mizzou’s Aldon Smith, Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn, Wisconsin’s J.J. Watt, California’s Cameron Jordan, Ohio State’s Cameron Heyward and Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan all bring varied skills to the table but possess the kind of skills to hear their names called in the first round.
Most draft experts, including Mayock, believe that Bowers will be one of the first two or three players drafted and perhaps go as high as No. 1. Behind him is Quinn, who missed last season because of a suspension but has big time athletic potential.
Assuming that duo is off the board, the Rams could have their choice of the remaining six ends from that group should they opt to bolster the defensive line further.
And that choice could potentially come down to choosing one of the two local kids in Clayborn and Smith.
Smith played his college ball just down Interstate 70 in Columbia where he emerged as a dynamic pass rushing threat as a redshirt freshman.
That season, Smith, who is 6’4, 264 pounds, posted 60 tackles and 11 sacks. But a broken leg suffered early in the 2010 season slowed him to the point that he missed three games.
Although he was given just a second round grade after applying for the draft, Smith opted to declare because he believes he would have been a slam dunk to go higher had he not been injured.
That’s why many believe Smith will put on a show when he works out on Monday and could rise into the top 10 of the draft.
Smith says he is well aware of the competition at defensive end and has watched many of his counterparts but ultimately thinks his athleticism will set him apart.
“I would say I am up there with them,” Smith said. “I have seen how they’ve done, I’ve watched a lot of them and I just try to learn how they do things and how they get sacks. I guess I’ve bit off a little bit of their game to try to add it to mine. Everybody talks about me in different ways, and I think what separates me apart is just me being athletic.”
Clayborn grew up in St. Louis and attended Webster Groves High before going to play for Kirk Ferentz at Iowa.
In 2009, Clayborn enjoyed a breakout junior season in which he racked up 63 tackles and 11 sacks on his way to All America honors. After electing to come back for his senior season, Clayborn’s numbers dipped to 52 tackles and four sacks in his final year.
“(It was) just double teams and triple teams and tight ends chipping me and running backs chipping me,” Clayborn said. “There was a lot of different stuff going on. It was frustrating at the beginning of the season until I learned how to take on that type of stuff. There were a lot of different things.”
In addition, Clayborn is getting a lot of questions this weekend about his battle with Erb’s Palsy, which has created nerve damage in his right shoulder. Clayborn says he’s played through it since seventh grade and it’s a non issue.
Despite the drop in production, Clayborn is widely considered one of the best defensive linemen in the draft because of his versatility. At 6’4, 281 pounds, Clayborn says he can play end or three-technique tackle in a 4-3 defense or five-technique end in a 3-4 defense.
Clayborn believes that versatility helps set him apart.
“I think it does,” Clayborn said. “There are a lot of great defensive ends in this class so having the range of positions you can play is definitely going to help me out.”
Much like Clayborn, Jordan provides a versatile player with the ability to fit in at a number of positions.
“That’s one of the things I have to my advantage,” Jordan said. “I am versatile. I have showed I can stand up, I can play a three technique, I can play a five technique. Like I said, you put me anywhere and I’ll play.”
Jordan also possesses some of the best bloodlines of the draft class. His father, Steve, played 13 seasons in the NFL with Minnesota and went to six Pro Bowls.
At 6’4, 287 pounds, Jordan is drawing plenty of interest from 3-4 and 4-3 teams.
Regardless of which players end up available when the Rams come on the clock, should they ultimately decide to go for help on the end there’s no question they’ll land a top flight talent.
“As far as defensive end you have heard me mention a bunch,” Mayock said. “I think you’ve got to look at Clayborn real hard, he’s an edge guy with great burst up the field, some of the 3-4 teams are looking at him real hard. Aldon Smith is an explosive edge guy. So no matter what sitting at 14, there’s going to be a real good defensive lineman sitting there, I promise you.”
