Janoris Jenkins. That's the sound of the St. Louis Rams taking a major risk with one of their three picks in Round 2 of the 2012 NFL Draft Friday. It's also the sound of Steve Spagnuolo's oft-derided Four Pillars philosophy coming down once and for all after years of the Rams ostensibly worrying about character concerns over results in all personnel decisions.
Jenkins's character concerns are legendary. He's fathered four children by three women; he's been arrested for multiple drug-related offenses; he got into a barfight and had to be restrained with a taser. He was kicked out of the University of Florida and had to finish his academic career, such as it is, at North Alabama.
In case you were wondering, that's how you begin your career as a Top 10 pick (his tools are also legendary) and end it going 39th overall. The Rams could get that Top 10 talent if Jenkins, 23, ever matures. That's why they took the risk—and with three second-round picks, they could do it. But it's a major risk—and one that shows us something about how new braintrust Jeff Fisher and Les Snead plan to run the team.
More NFL Draft 2012 results and analysis from SB Nation St. Louis:
- The Rams drafted wide receiver Brian Quick with their first second-round pick.
- Here's SB Nation's Janoris Jenkins scouting report.
- Some draft graders aren't fans, but Aaron Hooks likes the Michael Brockers pick in the first round.