St. Louis moves up on second day of draft

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams were in a dealing mood on the second day of the NFL draft Sunday, using later picks as bargaining chips to move up and take prospects in the fourth and fifth rounds.

"It's not something you go in saying 'We have to do something' for the sake of doing it," player personnel director Billy Devaney said. "As the draft unfolds, that's going to dictate what your approach is going to be."

The Rams stuck to the script for the first two picks, choosing Toledo offensive tackle John Greco in the third round to add depth at a position ravaged by injuries last year and adding speed with Penn State cornerback Justin King in the fourth.

Then came the maneuvering. They moved up nine spots to take Kentucky wide receiver Keenan Burton later in the fourth, surrendering their seventh-round pick to the Packers, although they retained the final pick of the draft as a compensatory selection.

The Rams traded both of their sixth-rounders to the Redskins to move up again, selecting Oregon State offensive guard Roy Schuening, receiving Washington's seventh-rounder in return. That pick came after a "ringing endorsement" from running back Steven Jackson, who went to Oregon State.

Both moves came because the Rams perceived a talent gap if they failed to get their man. Devaney said King was at the top of a short list of remaining prospects, and said the same about Burton.

"We talked earlier about the board kind of falling apart and this guy was sticking out like a sore thumb," Devaney said. "That's why we thought we'd better go get him. Once he left, then we'd really be throwing darts."

The 6-4, 326-pound Greco was a four-year starter, the last three at left tackle, and made 49 consecutive starts. He was one of the stronger players at his position at the NFL Combine and was the eighth tackle selected, but first since the first round.

"You can tell this guy, he's all business," Devaney said. "He's the kind of mentality you're looking for."

St. Louis picked a pair of linebackers in the seventh round, first choosing Tulsa's Chris Chamberlain, then taking Idaho's David Vobora with the draft's 252nd and final selection.

Greco, like first-day selections Chris Long and Donnie Avery, made a pre-draft visit to St. Louis.

Greco was driving to meet friends and family at a restaurant in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio when Rams coach Scott Linehan called.

"He called me today and said 'I told you we'd be calling,"' Greco said. "Everything worked out."

King has run a 4.37 40-yard dash and was on the dean's list at Penn State, and has graduated. He totaled three interceptions in 31 college starts and fell to the second day because of a lack of physical play, but coach Linehan said that was not a concern.

King and Avery, a wide receiver from Houston, were two of the faster players at their position.

"We've drafted two skill guys who can flat fly," Linehan said.

King said he was disappointed at his wait to get drafted.

"I'm going to make them happy for that pick," King said. "I'm a competitor, I feel that's the biggest thing. I'm mentally tough and physically strong."

Burton caught 136 passes for 21 touchdowns his last two seasons, although his numbers were down as a senior when he caught 59 passes while playing through knee injuries and a high ankle sprain and missing only one game. He runs a 4.4 40, giving the Rams more speed.

"I think that's one of the biggest assets of my game, how tough I am," Burton said.

Burton played for Rich Brooks, the Rams' head coach in 1996-97 and the franchise's first coach after making the move to the Midwest.

"I'm going to go to him and talk to him and see what he thinks," Burton said. "I know he has a lot of things to say. I ask him what to expect, how I need to approach the NFL game."

Schuening made a school-record 50 consecutive starts at Oregon State, and besides Jackson's endorsement benefited from Devaney's friendship with coach Mike Riley.

The Rams surprised Tulsa linebacker Chris Chamberlain when they picked him in the seventh round. "I didn't know they were this interested, and I didn't see it coming," Chamberlain said.

They wound up the draft by taking Idaho linebacker David Vobora with the 252nd and final pick, also known as Mr. Irrelevant. Linehan said it was a coincidence that he also went to Idaho as the Rams bolstered a thin linebacker corps.

"It was a realistic deal to go look at this kid," Linehan said.

Vobora said several teams called promising to sign him as a free agent before the Rams made the pick.

"I told them to draft me and I'll be your guy," Vobora said.