St.Louis Rams 2013 NFL Draft Preview: Keenan Allen And Star Lotulelei

September15, 2012; Columbus, OH, USA; California Golden Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen (21) breaks a tackle attempted by Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Orhian Johnson (19) at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 35-28. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-US PRESSWIRE

It’s certainly safe to say that the St. Louis Rams have struggled in recent years, picking up players in the later rounds of the draft. Bradley Fletcher,Josh Hull and Austin Pettis are the only players still on the Rams roster, drafted from rounds 3 to 7 in the 2006-2011 draft. Overall, 2012 draft class has shown a lot of promise. Michael Brockers is looking solid in the middle, Janoris Jenkins is looking lethal on the outside, Greg Zeurlein has proven to everyone that he will be a future Pro Bowler and Daryl Richardson looks to be a great change of pace for Steven Jackson.

It’s hard to break down what Brian Quick and Isaiah Pead will provide for the Rams in the future. Isaiah Pead didn’t lose the job of back up running back, he was simply outplayed by Daryl Richardson who had a great preseason. Quick had no one to lose his job to. He has had minimal game time in a very weak receiving core and with Danny Amendola being sidelined for up to six weeks, it will be good to see Quick get some catches. At the moment, he’s just a guy with ‘potential’. The word ‘potential,’ must frustrate a lot of NFL fans. No one cares what a player could do, fans want to know what he will do. Rams defense has looked dangerous so far this year and it feels as though the offense is one or two good players away from being a top 10 offensive team.

Two players will be analyzed weekly (one from defense and one from offense) based on their current form in college football.

OFFENSE
Keenan Allen (6 foot 3 , 195 pounds)
Wide Receiver (University of California)
Danny Amendola is one of the best slot receivers in the NFL, Brandon Gibson is continually improving on the outside and Chris Givens is a threat whenever he walks out onto the field. The fact is, Sam Bradford doesn’t have the go to receiver on the outside, that he would love to have. Look at the past 10 Super Bowl winners – they all had a wide receiver who played a big role through out the season.

Keenan Allen can be that wide receiver on the outside, who can take the Rams deep into the playoffs and maybe even a Super Bowl. Last year, Allen had 98 receptions for 1343 yards and six touchdowns in his sophomore season. Many people thought that this year, Allen’s numbers would have had a slight decrease due to being changed into a possession receiver on a struggling football team. It’s now a third of the way through the season and Allen’s stats look to overcome his fantastic sophomore season, with 41 receptions for 467 yards and four touchdowns.

Allen has the athleticism and speed to be a fantastic weapon on an up and coming Rams team. If the Rams can add a guy like Allen on their offense, they will make a lot of noise for years to come.

DEFENSE
Star Lotulelei (6 foot 3, 325 pounds)
Defensive Tackle (University of Utah)
It seems like the Rams have the intentions of picking up a defensive tackle in every single draft, but this year will be a little different. If Star Lotulelei is still remaining when the Rams are drafting (assuming Rams are drafting in the middle), this time it doesn’t become a case of need, rather a case of want. But what about Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford? What about them? It doesn’t hurt to have three studs rotating at the defensive line, does it? No one will be more happy than Jeff Fisher if Lotulelei falls into his lap. Fisher’s past shows that he has been successful in turning a team’s defensive line into an elite force in the NFL.

Star Lotulelei’s name is completely relevant to what he has been in college football and what he will be in the NFL. It wouldn’t hurt the Rams to draft a stud defensive tackle, as lets not forget that the Rams have been struggling against the run this season with an exception of one game out of five. Rams are currently ranked 18th against the run and Lotulelei will help put the Rams up into the top 10. Last season Lotulelei had a breakout season with 44 tackles and one and a half sacks. With only a third of the college season gone, he is far from looking like a one year wonder. He has already managed to rack up 21 tackles with one sack on a poor performing Utah football team.

Lotulelei will help Chris Long and Robert Quinn (like they need help) as he has the ability to draw two offensive linemen, allowing Long and Quinn more room to work with. He has the perfect size for a defensive tackle and possesses the ability to bullrush any opponent. Lotulelei is also deceivingly quick with great explosion, regardless of his size.

Check out previous draft previews.