Rams Not Likely to Pick Receiver : Draft: They plan to select quarterback with No. 5 pick, unless they trade for lower-round choice.
The Rams haven’t drafted a wide receiver with their top pick since 1945, when the team was preparing to move from Cleveland to Los Angeles.
Their selection?
Elroy (Crazylegs) Hirsch, a future Hall of Famer from Wisconsin.
Sure, they took receiver Aaron Cox with the second of two first-round selections in 1988, but the team has not used its top pick on a wideout since moving to Los Angeles in 1946.
And the Rams just might stick with tradition when the draft begins Sunday in New York City.
They announced Wednesday they will use the fifth overall pick to take one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft--Fresno State’s Trent Dilfer or Tennessee’s Heath Shuler--should either be available. Or they could trade the pick to Dallas for wide receiver Alvin Harper and a second-round pick.
Rest assured, the Rams won’t be using the fifth pick on a receiver.
John Becker, Ram director of player personnel, doesn’t rate a receiver among the top 11 college players. He projects Colorado’s Charles Johnson the top receiver but doesn’t justify using the fifth pick to get him.
“There are some excellent wide receivers out there,” Becker said. “The hottest name out there is Johnson. He’s fast, extremely competitive and makes big plays.”
It’s unlikely, but the Rams could trade down for a lower first-round pick and take Johnson, USC’s Johnnie Morton, Michigan’s Derrick Alexander or San Diego State’s Darnay Scott.
A trade for Harper would give the Rams Dallas’ 46th overall pick, plus their original 33rd and 49th overall.
The Rams are interested in using the 33rd pick on Nebraska safety Toby Wright, considered one of the hardest hitters at his position in the draft.
They would likely use one of the other two picks for a promising young receiver such as Alabama’s David Palmer, Notre Dame’s Lake Dawson, Wyoming’s Ryan Yarborough or Syracuse’s Shelby Hill.
Several pro scouts have projected Palmer, a third-year junior who declared himself eligible for the draft a year early, as a run-and-shoot-type receiver. Many think he would be best suited playing on artificial turf because of his quickness and ability to cut.
The Rams run a conventional offense and play on natural grass, but Palmer’s superb pass-catching mechanics, plus his big-play threat as a kick and punt returner, make him a logical fit in their plans. However, it’s unlikely that Palmer would be available after the early stages of the second round.
“Palmer has the best hands in this draft, no doubt about it,” Becker said. “He has the best hands I’ve seen in my lifetime, and I coached Steve Largent in Seattle. The only guy I can think of that has those kind of hands is Largent.
“The downside is his size (5-7 and 170 pounds) and he’s not fast (4.55 in the 40). So you’re looking at a small, quick guy that has great hands and has great instincts.”
So why are the Rams left scrambling to find a receiver two months into free agency?
In a perfect world, they would have signed Houston free agent Haywood Jeffires. But Jeffires rejected their three-year, $3.9-million offer last week.
And they barely put up a fight when their all-time leading receiver, Henry Ellard, an unrestricted free agent, signed with the Washington Redskins.
As it stands right now, the Rams’ depth chart consists of:
--Flipper Anderson, who is on the trading block after struggling last season.
--Second-year player Sean LaChapelle, who had only two receptions as a rookie.
--Nate Lewis, a free-agent acquisition from San Diego who’s projected as the No. 3 receiver.
--Todd Kinchen, who’s coming off two knee surgeries.
--Backups Ernie Jones and Richard Buchanan.
“We would certainly like to get a receiver in the draft,” Coach Chuck Knox said. “That’s one of our needs.”
* HARPER DIALOGUE CONTINUES
Executive vice president John Shaw said Rams still are negotiating for Alvin Harper. C22
* CALIFORNIA STATE OF MIND
Jim Miller wants to play for Rams, but that will depend on who picks Shuler and Dilfer. C22