In a surprising move, the St. Louis Rams selected Wisconsin offensive tackle Rob Havenstein with the No. 57 pick overall Friday night at the NFL draft in Chicago.
After giving up their 41st pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the No. 57 pick and additional selections in the third and sixth rounds, the Rams drafted Havenstein in a higher-than-projected position.
Havenstein, a three-year starter, anchored the Wisconsin offensive line from his right tackle position. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors last season largely due to his excellent zone-blocking ability that allowed Melvin Gordon to run wild all year long. During Havenstein’s tenure as a starter, Wisconsin averaged over 280 rushing yards and 33 points per game.
The 6-foot-7, 321-pound tackle drew skepticism after a less-than-impressive showing at the NFL combine in Februrary. Havenstein put up the ninth-worst 40-yard dash time and the worst bench press and three-cone drill time among offensive lineman. He boosted his bench press total to 20 at Wisconsin’s Pro Day March 11, but his measurables still present a very real concern.
NFL.com projected Havenstein as a third or fourth round pick, but St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher and the rest of the Ram’s front office must have seen something special in the tackle from Mount Airy, Md.
The Rams had the fifth-worst total offense, 20th-ranked rushing offense and allowed the eighth-most sacks in 2014. Havenstein will be in the mix with incumbent starting tackle Greg Robinson and returning tackles Rodger Saffold and Brandon Washington.
Including Havenstein, eight Wisconsin offensive linemen have been drafted since 2011, with first-round picks Travis Frederick (2013), Kevin Zeitler (2012) and Gabe Carimi (2011) leading that group.
