What Should the St. Louis Rams be Watching Out for at the 2015 Senior Bowl?
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Line: The Rams will be in for a real treat, as two guys who have frequently been mocked to them with the 10th overall pick—Pittsburgh right tackle T.J. Clemmings and LSU left tackle La’El Collins—will both be participating in the week’s festivities. Clemmings, a former Division I basketball recruit, spent the first three years of his college career as a defensive end before moving to the offensive line, where he has since excelled as a run blocker and shown incredible drive and physicality. Collins is a versatile three-year starter who is very disciplined and cohesive on the field and could fit as either a tackle or guard. Colorado State left tackle Ty Sambrailo is also an intriguing prospect, especially as a run blocker, and he might be an option if the Rams decide to target a tackle in the second round. For what it’s worth, Sambrailo also displays traits which could make him a solid guard at the next level.
The Rams will need to find a new starting guard for 2015 with Greg Robinson moving to left tackle full-time and Davin Joseph unlikely to return, so the draft could be an avenue for filling that need. The draft’s top guard, Florida State’s Josue Matias, will not be participating, but there are a few other well-regarded guards who will be on display.
FSU’s Tre’ Jackson, Alabama’s Arie Kouandjio, and Duke’s Laken Tomlinson are considered by some to be plug-and-play starters, though each of the three have noticeable weaknesses to their games which will need to be addressed during the offseason if they plan on being effective starters as rookies.
The guy who may be in position to make the most powerful impression during Senior Bowl week is Georgia Tech’s Shaq Mason. He has not had too many opportunities to show his pass-blocking ability while playing in the Yellow Jackets’ option offense, though he’s a very good run blocker and is as quick to his assignments as any lineman in the draft. The other major issue which will affect Mason is his lack of height at just 6-foot-1, though if he’s good enough, some team will be willing to invest in him, just as the Rams did with Donald on the defensive side in 2014.
Two potential late-round guys to keep a close eye on are 6-foot-8, 330-pound Wisconsin tackle Rob Havenstein and 6-foot-8, 350-pound Florida guard/tackle Trenton Brown. Though they’re not complete players and are not necessarily the most athletically gifted, they fit the mold of the tackle that Jeff Fisher has been attempting to develop since 2012 with the likes of Ty Nsekhe (6-8), Sean Hooey (6-9), Mitchell Van Dyk (6-7), and Steven Baker (6-8).
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