Robert Quinn Draft Reaction

1st Round Draft Pick:

Robert Quinn (DE)

 

Selected:1st Round - 

St. Louis Rams (14th Overall)

Projected: 1st Round
Mock Drafts
Mike Mayock (NFL Network): 1st Round - Houston Texans (11th Overall)
Todd McShay(ESPN): 1st Round - Washington Redskins (10th Overall)
Mel Kiper (ESPN): 1st Round - Washington Redskins (10th Overall)
High School Ranking
Rivals: 4* (Position Rank: 18)
Scout: 4* (Position Rank: 19)
ESPN: Grade - 80 (Position Rank: 11)

Quotes

Robert Quinn

"This is a dream come true for me and I'm looking forward to making a positive contribution to my new tam and to the St. Louis community. I want to thank Tar Heel fans everywhere for their support over the years and I want to especially thank and acknowledge my coaches, teammates and the entire Carolina football family as I make this transition in my life."

Billy Devaney, Rams General Manager

"We spent a lot of time evaluating Robert Quinn.  As we got closer to the draft, we thought that'd be great if he was there. We didn't really think there'd be much of a chance for him to be there at 14. . . .  [T]he grade we had on Quinn was significantly higher than the other players in the pool, so it ended up being a really easy decision.  Everybody really liked him.  He seems like a real good fit, and we're thrilled to have the guy."

Steve Spagnuolo, Rams Head Coach

Spagnuolo said he feels "very fortunate" to get one of this year's top-flight rush ends and said his suspension is not a concern. 

"He's a great kid. (The mistakes in college) are out of character for him. This is a kid that is from a great family, and a great upbringing. He's a quality guy there. We all make mistakes. He made one. He's paid for it and he's ready to move on."

Tweets of the Day

evansilva Evan Silva (NFL writer for NBC Sports, Profootballtalk.com, Rotoworld)

Favorite 5 picks of Rd 1: 1) #Rams - Robert Quinn 2) #Ravens - Jimmy Smith 3) #Colts - Castonzo 4) #Jaguars - Gabbert 5) #Lions - Fairley

evansilva Evan Silva

Got top-5 talent at 14. 15-sack upside to book end Chris Long. I think so. RT @Femc2 @evansilva Quinn really that good?

Rotoworld Redux

Rams selected North Carolina DE Robert Quinn with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

Medical concerns caused Quinn to slip, even though he had no trouble at UNC with the benign brain tumor that popped up as a senior in high school. Considered an ideal fit at 4-3 defensive end on the right side, Quinn was a two-time high school heavyweight champ as a wrestler in South Carolina before moving on to the Tar Heels. He finished second to only Derrick Morgan in 2009 ACC Defensive Player of the Year voting before missing 2010 due to an NCAA suspension. The Rams stuck to their board -- their doctors have cleared Quinn -- and picked up a top-notch bookend for Chris Long at 14. Assuming he beats out James Hall, Quinn projects as a double-digit sack threat as a rookie. This might be the pick of the night. 

 

Op-Ed

 

While I am disappointed that Quinn fell out of the top 10, he finds himself in a very good situation.  The Rams Head Coach, Steve Spagnuolo, is a defensive minded coach and the architect behind the dominate NY Giants Superbowl winning defense of 2007.  Quinn is going to be placed in a situation to succeed and will be playing with some dynamic players on the d-line, particularly Chris Long.  This is a great pick for the St. Louis Rams and Robert Quinn.