NEW YORK, April 27 (UPI) -- The St. Louis Rams, laden with second-round picks in the NFL Draft, took a gamble Friday by using one of them on cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
Jenkins was looked upon by scouts as having talent worthy of selection among the first dozen players in this year's draft, but his run-ins with law enforcement in drug-related cases while at the University of Florida made him a risk. He fell out of the first round Thursday as expected but the Rams chose him with the No. 39 choice overall to highlight the second day of the draft.
Jenkins spent three years at Florida before being kicked off the team and wound up at North Alabama, where he spent his senior season.
He was one of three players chosen by the Rams among the first 18 picks in the second round. St. Louis chose 6-3 wide receiver Brian Quick out of Appalachian State with the opening pick in the second round and grabbed running back Isaiah Pead from Cincinnati with that round's 18th selection.
Pead was only the fourth running back chosen in this year's draft. Quick was the highest-picked player ever out of Appalachian State, setting school records in catches (202) and receiving yards (3,418).
In the first round St. Louis was able to pick up defensive tackle Michael Brockers from LSU with the 14th pick after trading down from No. 6 in a deal with Dallas.
After four quarterbacks were taken in the first round, the lone signal caller to go in the second was Arizona State's Brock Osweiler. Denver chose the 6-7 Osweiler with the 57th overall choice as a possible backup to Peyton Manning next season.
Two more quarterbacks went in the third round -- Russell Wilson of Wisconsin to Seattle with the 75th pick and Nick Foles of Arizona to Philadelphia with the 88th choice.
Through the first three rounds of the draft Alabama led the way with five players chosen. LSU, Illinois and Stanford had four each.
Of the first 95 players selected this year, 34 were underclassmen. There were 16 receivers (flankers and tight ends) taken while seven running backs were chosen. The Southeastern Conference sent 16 players to the NFL during the first three rounds and 14 were drafted from both the Big Ten and Pacific 12.
The final four rounds of the draft will be conducted Saturday.
