2015 NFL Draft: St. Louis Rams Select Missouri WR Bud Sasser in Sixth Round

The St. Louis Rams have selected Missouri wide receiver Bud Sasser with the 25th pick of the sixth round (201st overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft. It’s the second straight year that they’ve taken a player from the home-state school in the sixth round, as cornerback E.J. Gaines was selected out of Mizzou in the sixth round last season.

While Sasser was a steady contributor for all four years of his Missouri career, he was pretty much the definition of a “one-year wonder” during 2014 when it came to being an NFL-quality talent. In his first season as a full-time starter He collected 77 catches for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading Mizzou and finishing third in the SEC in receiving yards.

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He wasn’t invited to the combine and didn’t attend a college All-Star game, so it was a bit surprising to see Sasser taken in the draft, especially in the sixth round. With a rather aggressive run on receivers through the draft’s final day, though, Sasser was able to earn himself a spot.

Sasser figures to add some back-end depth to the Rams’ receiving corps, which had not yet received any upgrades this offseason. He’ll likely push Chris Givens for the fifth receiver spot, and even if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster out of training camp he seems like a logical candidate for the practice squad. The Rams struggled to collect dependable practice squad depth at the receiver position in 2014, bringing in 26-year-old veteran Devon Wylie and being forced to bring back Emory Blake after previously releasing him for a disciplinary issue.

Sasser is the fifth Missouri player to be taken this weekend, following defensive ends Shane Ray and Markus Golden, wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, and offensive lineman Mitch Morse. It’s the most players that Mizzou has had selected in a single draft since 2009, when six Tigers were taken.

Next: Rams Take Iowa OL Andrew Donnal in Fourth Round of NFL Draft