St. Louis Rams: Five Wide Receivers Who Make Real Sense in the 2015 NFL Draft

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Conley- Georgia- 6’2, 213

Round Projections: RD3 (NFL.com), RD3 (NFLDraftScout.com)

Just from an off-the-field standpoint, Conley might be the best add for the Rams (or any team) in this year’s draft. Especially for the Rams, a team that perhaps has collected too many questionable characters, Conley would be a breath of fresh air. The University of Georgia product, who was a member of the NCAA Student Athlete Advisory Committee and was on academic honor rolls for all four years of his collegiate career, is also a massive Star Wars fan who occasionally dresses up as Darth Vader for class and produced his own (very well-done) Star Wars fan film this summer.

On the field, Conley has a chance to be pretty great, too. He’s got a good build, and though he was very under-utilized in Georgia’s run-based attack, he displayed the ability to collect yards after the catch and be a strong deep threat and endzone weapon. He was also perhaps the top performer at this year’s combine, running a 4.35 40-yard dash, collecting 18 reps in the bench press, jumping 45 inches in the vertical, and jumping 139 inches in the broad jump.

Conley does need to become more consistent with his catching skills. He seems to use his body to make more catches than most receivers, he doesn’t always get in good position, and his hands are more inconsistent than they should be.
If the Rams are looking for an extra depth receiver who can provide an upgrade over Chris Givens, Conley may be a good option. At the very least, he should be able to play the role that Austin Pettis played before getting released early last season. If he fully develops, he could combine with Brian Quick to form a viable receiving duo for many years to come.

Next: Justin Hardy, East Carolina