With the 154th pick, St. Louis selects Clifton Ryan, DL, Michigan State

[Nick]

Clifton Ryan
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 310
Position: Defensive Line
College: Michigan State

40-Time: 5.08
Bench Press: 25 reps

Website


Discuss our fifth round pick here!

[tomahawk247]

i thought he was a DT?

[chipperjones]

Ok, Ok, I like this pick.

[IzzyHigh1212]

He's pretty small to play DT..
Looks like a solid pick. He's a hard worker, which is what we need on the D-Line.

[Milan]

Yeah, Clifton is a DT.

6'3" 310lbs isn't exactly small for DT.

[Country]

He is 310lbs. he is a DT not a DE so my question is, where is the pass rush?

[tomahawk247]

He is 310lbs. he is a DT not a DE so my question is, where is the pass rush?

maybe this guy plays inside when Carriker is outside and then Hall comes in when Carriker moves inside

[Milan]

Our main issue last year was our ability to stop the run and the ability to tackle. We're solidifying the line with big guys and good depth with guys who specialize in run stuffing, with Leonard Little on the End to provide pressure from the Left, we should really get an Edge Rushing DE.

[SavageRam]

He is 310lbs. he is a DT not a DE so my question is, where is the pass rush?

Little, Carriker, and Hall.

[IzzyHigh1212]

Well, he's not small...but he can be easily blocked at times.

[Nick]

Positives: Has a thick frame with a firm lower body … Has good weight-room strength, but must have it translate to the field better … Shows adequate quickness out of his stance and does a decent job of stringing plays out … When he keeps his pads down, he is able to generate enough of a burst to gain advantage off the snap … Does a good job of adjusting on the move and has shown improved hand usage in attempts to shed … Gives adequate effort in his lateral pursuit and has functional pop on contact … Improved his wrap-up tackle technique, doing a better job of facing up and striking as a senior … Flashes quick hands with strength to jolt and fend off blocks, but needs to do a better job of protecting his body … Was much better in 2006 when trying to flash that extra surge after separation to close on the play … Might be a better fit for the under tackle position, as he lacks the quickness to play on the edge … When playing tackle, he showed better ability to get under the blocker's jersey and was more efficient taking on the lead blocker to clog the rush lanes … Takes better angles from the two-gap than from the edge (will take a wide loop in order to avoid when playing end) … Has the leg drive to anchor and hold ground, but needs to do it with more consistency … His 13 pressures in 2006 indicate he could be effective on stunts, and he showed better lateral mobility in attempts to push the pocket.

Negatives: Frame lacks muscle tone (thick, but not well built) and is at maximum growth potential (added more than 40 pounds since his freshman year) … Slow to read and react to plays and will throttle down when not involved in the action … More of an assignment type (does what he is told) than one who plays on instincts … Has generated little production as a tackler, but shows adequate ability to pressure the quarterback … His weight room strength fails to translate to the field, as he struggles to stack and control, shed and anchor (did show better anchor working inside in 2006, though) … Doesn't have the balance to make plays in space … Slow to stunt outside, as he takes false steps in his change of direction … Has a good short-area burst, but his feet die when having to labor long distances … Needs to use his hands better to deflect passes at the line, and also must do a better job of keeping those hands inside the frame (takes wild swipes and leaves his chest exposed too often) … Might be better off dropping some pounds, as his added bulk led to tired legs and calf problems.

Compares To: ORIEN HARRIS-Cleveland … Ryan might be a better fit at tackle than guard. He has some redeeming qualities to fill a roster spot, as he can play inside in a 4-3 or bounce wide in a 3-4 alignment. However, with only 118 tackles in 50 games, including 35 starts, you can see he has not been productive. He showed better run-stuffing skills at tackle in 2006, but if a team drafts him to play end, he will have a short summer in training camp.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2007/ryan_clifton

[RAMMAN68]

He will probably move to end and drop some weight; is more of a pass rusher.

[Nick]

For what it's worth, when the pick was announced the position was listed as defensive end. He has experience playing both inside and outside, and the Rams continue to make a commitment towards improving our run defense at its front. Not the edge rusher I was looking for, but the defensive end crop at this point in the draft is questionable (again, another reason why we may have considered it earlier) and Ryan has some nice size and versatility.

[z.nrd]

He is not small to play NT.

NT does not automatically mean size.

This guy has a lot of skills similar to Barry Cofield, the 4th round pick last year who ended up as a starting NT for the Giants.

Read up on Cofield. Just do a standard search for:

"profile Cofield NFL.com" and it will pull up last year's profile on the guy.

[SavageRam]

A true "tweener." He looks like a "Jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none." Adequate pick designed for DL depth.