St. Louis Rams: Five Offensive Linemen Who Make Real Sense in the 2015 NFL Draft

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Josue Matias- OG, Florida St.- 6’5, 309

Round Projections: RD5 (NFL.com), RD4-5 (CBS Sports/NFLDraftScout.com)

Florida State’s Josue Matias is a guy who has fallen rapidly down media draft boards throughout the pre-draft process, and there really hasn’t been a whole lot of clear reason behind the fall. He missed the Senior Bowl and didn’t wow at the combine, but many experienced offensive line evaluators will tell you that the combine is by no means a proper stage on which to make determinations on offensive guards.

If Matias falls as far as most projections have indicated recently, then he could be a fantastic value for the Rams in the middle rounds. He’s a massive, aggressive lineman who plays to the whistle and can be a real road grader. He still needs to develop as a pass blocker, but he’s very skilled in the run game, which would allow him to be an immediate contributor to the Rams’ run-focused attack. He’s quite clearly a high-motor player who should continue to advance as he gets more experienced.

Though Matias has seen most of his college action at guard, he also has experience at offensive tackle and has the size to kick out if necessary. Under Fisher and Snead, he Rams have shown an affinity for linemen who have the ability to play both inside and outside, including Greg Robinson, Rodger Saffold, Chris Williams, and Harvey Dahl. Matias fits that mold very closely and would be a wise investment for the Rams.

Next: Trenton Brown