If Chris Long (r) can live up to his Dad's legacy, the Rams will be quite pleased.

1/2 Chris Long, DE, Virginia

He’s rich, the son of a hall-of-famer, and starting in the NFL. What more can he or anyone else ask for? For starters, how about living up to the hype? It’s been quite some time since the Rams have had a good defense, and that doesn’t figure to change over night. Long does figure to perform well from the get-go, though, shaping in the mold of former Ram, Grant Wistrom.

2/2 Donnie Avery, WR, Houston

After missing some time with an injury, Avery was solid in his first pre-season game hauling in five passes for 65 yards. He worked primarily in the slot, where Marc Bulger found him early and often. Avery is in a heated battle with Dante Hall for time in the slot, as well as on returns, but is a better receiver than Hall, despite his inexperience. If Drew Bennett gets hurt or falters, Avery’s stock could soar.

3/2 John Greco, G, Toledo

Greco is a solid athlete, as well as a modern day iron man. He started 49 consecutive games at Toledo. Greco brings a ton of potential as a guard, but for some reason the Rams seem to think he’s going to be the heir apparent to Orlando Pace. If he stays at tackle, Greco’s stock drops considerably. It’s simply not a good fit for him.

4/2 Justin King, CB, Penn State

King is a burner, and his 4.3 speed can attest to it, but he got beat way too often in the Big-10, due to poor technique. He would have greatly benefited sticking around at Penn State for another year, but instead will settle for injured reserve after tearing a ligament in his foot. He didn’t have much of a chance at a lot of playing time.

4/29 Keenan Burton, WR, Kentucky

Despite being slightly more polished than Donnie Avery, Burton will probably be the fourth or fifth receiver when the season starts. He has done nothing but impressed in training camp and pre-season, but Avery has also performed well and has superior athleticism. Burton’s future still looks bright, just not necessarily for 2008.

5/22 Roy Schuening, G, Oregon State

Scheuning is guard all the way, and has a dirty mentality that is perfect for St. Louis’ running scheme. He won’t be handed a starting position, but Steven Jackson would benefit greatly from such a mean blocker ahead of him.

7/21 Chris Chamberlain, LB, Tulsa

Chamberlain is one of those players that’s good at almost everything, but not really great at anything. He played linebacker at Tulsa and excelled, but also saw action as a ball carrier on offense. That king of versatility could land a player a roster spot immediately. It’s possible Chamberlain could be looked at for some time at strong safety, but being solid at several positions could see him playing just about anywhere down the road. Well, by anywhere, I mean on defense.

7/45 David Vobora, OLB, Idaho

True, Vobora was 2008’s Mr. Irrelevant, but he probably shouldn’t have been. Due to never missing a game, his measurables, and his outstanding play at linebacker last season, (148 tackles) it’s highly likely he sticks with the team. At 6’1’’, 236 lbs, he’s a tad small, but runs a solid 4.6 and was all over the field in college. It’s actually quite a surprise he fell so low. In the name of Zach Thomas, how did Vobora drop this far? Oh, yeah, he played at Idaho.