Marquess Wilson and the NFL: St. Louis Rams
By Josh Davis
St. Louis Rams
Stacked Against the Pick:
Dec 9, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver Brandon Gibson (11) celebrates after catching a pass for the winning touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the fourth quarter at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Rams beat the Bills 15-12. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
The Rams have chosen to go young over the past 2 seasons especially, so they may be looking to upgrade later in the draft via a trade or other move to get a couple more veteran receivers on the roster. While that move would surprise, it’s not totally out of the question. Three rookies (last season), two second year guys and one receiver (Steve Smith from NYG) is a veteran receiver.
While I’ve been pretty enthusiastic about Wilson’s chances on teams with few receivers at this time, the Rams have a unique situation of youth and it might be too risky to take a possible ‘character concern’ due to this.
Also, looking at the fact that they have 2 picks in the first round (16 & 22), it’s a lock that one is going to be receiver. While Marquess is a possible first round potential, teams haven’t seen enough of him this offseason (what with no Pro-Day and such) to reach for him that early. Therefore the Rams will most likely go elsewhere and then try to cover their bases on the other needs that they have with their next couple picks. Wilson would be a terrific option in the 4th or later for this team to add quality depth, but the more I look at teams around the league the more I think he’ll be gone sometime in the late second to late third rounds.
The Perfect Storm:
If you just added the numbers, there are only six receivers on the roster for St. Louis. Should Marquess slip into the 4th or 5th rounds, there will be a lot of teams that should take a serious look, including St. Louis. He fits perfectly in their corps as far as role and athleticism go, and would be an excellent 3rd down receiver in this offense.
The Rams had good vibes with ex-Washington State Cougar Brandon Gibson all through last season. Could it be that St. Louis goes from one Cougar to another?
Likelihood of Getting Drafted by Rams:
B- If he could get his head on straight I think he would make some sort of immediate impact with St. Louis, so even with the youth and character concerns, I see him as a pretty viable option if he slips down.