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St. Louis Rams 7-round mock draft

By Joe Lipovich

Nov 29, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A detailed view of the St. Louis Rams logo on the jersey of wide receiver Isiah Ferguson (2) at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 31-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A detailed view of the St. Louis Rams logo on the jersey of wide receiver Isiah Ferguson (2) at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 31-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 3, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes linebacker Jared Norris (41) and offensive lineman Isaac Asiata (54) celebrate their 24-17 win over the against the Michigan Wolverines at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes linebacker Jared Norris (41) and offensive lineman Isaac Asiata (54) celebrate their 24-17 win over the against the Michigan Wolverines at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /

Round 5: Jared Norris, Linebacker, Utah

While the Rams don’t necessarily need a middle linebacker, a player like Utah’s Jared Norris can be used on multiple fronts.

Norris was a leader on Utah’s defense and was an extremely efficient linebacker. Norris made 269 tackles in three seasons as a full-time player. He forced four fumbles and made seven sacks from his middle linebacker position. More admirable may be his five passes defended this past season.

Norris has shown the ability to be a good coverage linebacker. As mentioned above, his five passes defended proves that he can make a play on the ball when necessary. He’s not afraid to bang with fullbacks or offensive lineman and will step up and make a tackle when a tackle needs to be made.

The problem here is just a lack of athleticism. Norris lacks the speed and fluidity to make plays in open space. He’ll likely be toasted by the likes of Jimmy Graham and some of the other athletic tight ends in the NFC and the NFL.

Again, Norris won’t project to be an answer at the linebacker position. James Laurinitis and the injured Alec Ogletree likely won’t be slowing down next season. However, Norris can be a solid special teams player and has the talent to fill in and make plays when called upon.

Next: Round 6: Cyrus Jones

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