St. Louis Rams: Initial Grades for 2015 NFL Draft Class

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Round 3: Jamon Brown, OL, Louisville

GRADE: B-

Among all the Rams’ selections, the move to pick Brown in the third round seems right now to be the biggest reach. The 6-foot-4, 323-pounder didn’t consistently play up to his size at Louisville, and he was only moderately impressive as the Cardinals’ starting left tackle during 2014. NFL.com projected him as a fourth or fifth-rounder, and there were even some rumors that he would slip into the undrafted ranks. Apparently the Rams see him as a guard at the NFL level, so it’s fair to give them the benefit of the doubt in believing that he’ll be better with a position change.

With that said, there were players who performed better than Brown at the college level, such as Florida State’s Tre Jackson and Arizona State’s Jamil Douglas, who may have been safer picks in the third round. If the Rams can quickly turn Brown into a starting guard, their reach for him will be wholly acceptable. But if he flops, then it will be a waste of a pick in Round 3.

Next: Round 3: Sean Mannion