Schefter: Gholston could be top defender, Rams courted him at dinner before workout

[Nick]

Gholston's stock continues to rise as draft nears
By Adam Schefter
NFL Network
Posted: 03/11/2008

As much as Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston wowed scouts during his personal workout Friday, he did the same during private individual workouts Monday for the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets.

Miami, which owns the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, sent its defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni to Columbus to personally work out Gholston on Monday morning. Miami is scheduled to pick first overall.

After Miami worked out Gholston in the morning, the New York Jets, who own the sixth overall pick, put the Ohio State defensive end through the pre-draft version of two-a-days, with him providing a personal workout session for Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum.

It has now become apparent that Gholston could become the top defensive player drafted, and is unlikely to slip much beyond the sixth overall pick.

His talents are too immense; which are backed up by his production. Gholston has posted 22½ sacks combined over the last two season, more than any of the draft’s top-rated defensive players.

NFL scouts glimpsed Gholston’s talents last Friday, when the Ohio State defensive end vertical jumped 42 inches and ran the 40-yard dash on a slower field-turf surface in 4.58 seconds.

The vertical jump was six inches higher than Gholston registered last month at the scouting combine in Indianapolis; his 40-yard dash time was almost a full tenth of a second better than his 4.65 40-yard-dash time at the combine.

The night before the workout, the Dolphins and St. Louis Rams, who have the second pick, each took Gholston to dinner. Gholston had two dinners Thursday night, and two private workouts Monday.

The doubleheaders are the strongest evidence to date that Gholston’s stock is rising, even higher than it already was.

[txramsfan]

He's sounding more and more impressive. Like I've said before, the Rams are in a draft situation where even THEY are going to be hard pressed to screw up.

[r8rh8rmike]

The vertical jump was six inches higher than Gholston registered last month at the scouting combine in Indianapolis; his 40-yard dash time was almost a full tenth of a second better than his 4.65 40-yard-dash time at the combine.

6 inches higher? That's quite a jump percentage wise, no pun intended. This certainly can't help the steroid questions or concerns. Gholston could become the next Merriman, which is a potential double edged sword I guess, so I'd take a long hard look at him before pulling the string on anything.

[Rambos]

Devaney even joked with Zygmunt on Monday morning about trading away the second pick in the NFL Draft, a practice Beathard made a habit of in his years in the league.

“I worked under Bobby for a long time, and I think I got Jay nervous this morning, because the first thing I said was ‘have we traded that first-round draft pick yet? What the heck, what’s taking you so long? You mean we still have that?’” Devaney said, laughing.

1 Miami C. Long
2 Jets Gholston Rams…Trade here for Jets 2nd round and 3rd and 2009.
3 Falcon Ryan
4 Raiders Dorsey
5 Chiefs J. Long
6 Rams

[Mooselini]

I really hope if Chris Long is gone, that this is our boy. He loves playing as the Rams in Madden, we can make it happen....

[Nick]

1 Miami C. Long
2 Jets Gholston Rams…Trade here for Jets 2nd round and 3rd and 2009, 3rd.
3 Falcon Ryan
4 Raiders Dorsey
5 Chiefs J. Long
5 Rams

...but then who do you take? We'd miss out on both Longs, Gholston, and Dorsey. Trading down is fine if you can still pick up a guy you need. Trading down and missing out on players that can help you doesn't exactly strike me as an ideal situation.

[TekeRam]

McFadden's still there, keep on trading down! Otherwise, we could pick up a top corner if the Brown issues prevail, or go after Sedrick Ellis, who is the top nose tackle in the draft. Ryan Clady would be an option, as that's who the Chiefs might target if Jake is gone and they can't trade down.

I can now officially say that it seems that Gholston is indeed worthy of being picked at #2, and as such, I can't see us trading down, nor do I want us to trade down unless we fulfill the 2600 trade value for our pick.

[viper]

Ellis wouldn't be a bad booby prize. Especially, if we take a DE in the 2nd and either a WR or OL with the Jets second pick. Maybe OL , WR or SS with the two 3rd round picks. Plus,the Jets 3rd pick in 2009. I could live with that.

[Nick_Weasel]

Gholston didn't jump 42. It has been reported that he did because I think that was what they originally measured, but they were having problems with the measurements that day for some reason. I think the official number ended up being 37 or 38.

[Rambos]

Interesting, this draft looked so boring now it is getting good! Hey I’m just a numbers guy like my good friend Tx. Nick you are the man that needs to spend the extra picks.

So Nick if you had them and we pick at 6, two picks in the 2nd and 3rd tell me how you would spend them? Just curious, you might hit on all five and turn this thing around.

Trading down and missing out on players that can help you doesn't exactly strike me as an ideal situation.

So true, what happens if the player we take at 2 is good but not great or great but injury prone. Maybe he’s rich and now not so motivated.


Today on NFLN Marshal and Rod, were discussing the amount of the bonus these rookie are going to get paid. Marshal said something that hit home. If the player you take at the top of the draft plays great, you still over paid him. He can’t do enough to justify the amount he is getting paid. Now what happens if you miss and he is a Ryan Leaf or Lawrence Phillips, this would set us back a decade.

We'd miss out on both Longs, Gholston, and Dorsey.

Maybe one slips to us...that would be unreal LOL, We get Dorsey at 6 and picks LOL.

[ramstiles]

we take either C long or Gholston we can't lose DE is our no 1 priority

[r8rh8rmike]

Gholston didn't jump 42. It has been reported that he did because I think that was what they originally measured, but they were having problems with the measurements that day for some reason. I think the official number ended up being 37 or 38.

A 6 inch increase is hard to explain, 37 or 38 makes more sense. Do you have a source for the reported measurement problem?

[HUbison]

1 Miami C. Long
2 Jets Gholston Rams…Trade here for Jets 2nd round and 3rd and 2009, 3rd.
3 Falcon Ryan
4 Raiders Dorsey
5 Chiefs J. Long
6 Rams

THIS is why I don't want to trade lower than #4 unless Ryan or McFadden is the first pick, then #5.

In this situation, I guess we go with Ellis (which isn't all bad), but we miss out on what we actually need.

[txramsfan]

A 6 inch increase is hard to explain, 37 or 38 makes more sense. Do you have a source for the reported measurement problem?

It's Indianapolis. If it isn't measured by MPH or RPM they get confused.

[TekeRam]

Rambos, you make an excellent point about the price of these rookies, though I have one thing that can refute that. If the player you select leads you to a ring or three, then you didn't overpay in my mind.

If I had the picks to spend at 6, two 2's and two 3's, my draft chart would be as follows:
C Long
Gholston
J Long
Ellis/Dorsey
Trade to Baltimore's slot
Ryan Clady
Trade anywhere else
Leodis McKelvin
Derrick Harvey
Dominique Rogers-Cromartie
Keith Rivers

For the second round, I'd take BPA at one of the non selected positions: DE, OT, WR, SS, LB, CB, in that order. After that I would take the best WR left unless that was selected with the last pick.

In the third, I'd go with the other two non-selected positions, BPA, Safety now being too thin to choose.

The issue is most likely this would lead to either Dorsey or Ellis being picked, and the sacrifice for that would have to come in the form of a linebacker or corner(if Brown isn't suspended/cut) in my mind.