The St. Louis Rams have done a good job of amassing young talent in recent seasons. Head coach Jeff Fisher has put together a fearsome front seven and a nice stable of running backs. Now that he's got Nick Foles, the hope is that he'll have some steady quarterback play as well.
But Foles can't do it by himself. He's going to need some help in a passing offense that has lain dormant for far too long. That's why ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. projects the Rams to select UCF wide receiver Breshad Perriman with the 10th overall pick in his Mock Draft 4.0.
"No player has risen more on my board over the past month than Perriman, a player who I always thought looked explosive on tape, then lived up to that by running sub-4.3 two separate times at his pro day," Kiper wrote. "We know the Rams have a need for another potent weapon in the passing game, and Perriman could fit the bill. One of the bigger sleepers in the 2015 draft class at this point, Perriman has good length but will also prove dangerous after the catch. At one time I had him as a likely second-round pick, but now I see him as a close call in terms of overall ability next to the top few wide receivers in this class."
The Rams hold the higher pick but the Miami Dolphins at No. 14 have also been linked to Perriman. It's possible that St. Louis could face a little competition for the pass-catcher.
Perriman caught 50 passes for 1,044 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Despite his solid production and impressive speed, scouts have picked out Perriman's ball skills as an area of improvement.
"Rarely allows the ball into his body and stabs at the ball with hands away from frame," ESPN Insider noted. "...Fights the ball at times, especially when working back to the quarterback. Had multiple extension drops on routine catches throughout film study and left a lot of yards on the field (Missouri and Temple games, 2014)."
