Rams interested in both Jammal Brown and Khalif Barnes

[Nick]

Regarding Barnes...

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW...book022505.htm

-University of Washington OT Khalif Barnes, 6-5, 305-pound projected first-round pick who is athletic enough to dunk a basketball, rattled off both the Seahawks and Rams as teams who appear to be interested in drafting him. “I know Seattle is going to be drafting me with the money they didn’t give to Walter (Jones, Seattle’s Pro Bowl left tackle).” Regarding the Rams, Barnes said head coach Mike Martz asked him to go fishing on his 40-foot boat. “I told him I’ve been deep-sea fishing three times and yacked (threw up) all three times.”

...and Brown...

http://www.draftshowcase.com/05combine2.htm

Jammal Brown measured in at 6'5 1/2, 316. He has interviewed with the Ravens, Packers and Panthers among others and has a scheduled interview with the Rams. Khalif Barnes measured up at 6'5, 305. He cited Matt Roth as the best player he faced down at the Senior Bowl and said he is a better pass blocker than run blocker. He also said his wrist injury is about 90% and that he is working on getting down some of the scar tissue and improve flexibility. He has been interviewed by the Bills, *****, Chiefs, Redskins, Lions, Browns, Seahawks and Rams. David Baas completed 29 reps on the bench.

[ZigZagRam]

Hey Nick, where's Barnes projected to go in the draft? Early 2nd?

[HUbison]

Hey Nick, where's Barnes projected to go in the draft? Early 2nd?

Nick can probably tell you more, but from what I've seen, Barnes could go anywhere from late 1st to mid 2nd depending on his combine. He is one of (if not the) fastest O-linemen in the draft. Very quick and agile, outstanding in pass blocking. Not quite as strong in run blocking, he'll definitely need to work on that aspect but he has a large frame that could add more size on strength.

If we don't pull the trigger on him in the 1st round, he'll be gone before our 2nd comes up.

[Nick]

I would say early to mid second, but some people have him as a first round pick, and some even think he'll be taken before Brown. I think it would be a mistake to take him in the first round, unless maybe the bottom four picks, but still that may be a reach.

[ramhard]

Nick is the king. But the info I've been reading is that Barnes has been moving up fast the last few weeks as he performed the best as an OL in the Senior Bowl, and ran a sub 5.0 at the combine. Barnes is considered the most athletic of the OT's. Brown is moving down due to a poor National Championship game, and general lackluster end of the season. Questions of toughness and ability to pass block have shifted him from a mid (9-15) first rounder to most talking about him being a late 15-25 type of guy who could even fall toward the end of the 1st. Barnes has moved up in most recent mocks to the 15-25 range. He certainly won't last past the first 5-10 picks of the 2nd but my guess is he will be the 2nd OT picked in the draft.

[Nick]

I agree that Barnes has definitely risen in stock recently, but I think his performance at the Senior Bowl is being overrated to some extent, thus making his push into the first round an overrated one, in my opinion. He seems like a workout warrior who does well in these kind of situations because of his athleticism, but from what I've read, was a bit of an underachiever in college. I wouldn't be surprised to see a team take him early in the second round though. San Fran has been mentioned, since Kwame Harris is a more natural fit at right tackle.