The St. Louis Rams have signed eight of their eleven 2010 draft choices. Third-round pick CB Jerome Murphy, fourth-round selection WR Mardy Gilyard, fifth-rounders TE Michael Hoomanawanui and DE Hall Davis, sixth-round pick DE Eugene Sims and seventh-round selections CB Marquis Johnson, DE George Selvie and LB Josh Hull all signed contracts -day. Terms of the deals were undisclosed.
Murphy (6-0, 200) was taken with the 65th overall pick after earning First-Team All-Big East honors at South Florida in 2009. He tallied 202 tackles (148 solo), eight interceptions, 18 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in four seasons with the Bulls. During his career, Murphy started 52 games, the most ever by a USF player.
Gilyard, the 99th overall selection in the draft, caught 204 passes for 3,003 yards and 25 touchdowns at Cincinnati. He also returned 93 punts for 2,664 yards and four touchdowns, adding another score on 22 punts return for 259 yards. Gilyard (5-11, 194) was a unanimous First-Team All-Big East pick as a receiver and return specialist in 2009 and twice earned conference Special Teams Player of the Year honors.
Hoomanawanui (6-4, 265) was drafted 132nd overall. He played in 38 games at Illinois and finished his career with 40 receptions for 490 yards and four touchdowns. Hoomanawanui’s size and athleticism make him a candidate to contribute in both the passing game and running game with the Rams.
Davis, the 149th overall pick in April’s draft, was a two-year starter at Louisiana-Lafayette. The 6-4, 273 defensive end was an honorable mention All-Sun Belt performer as a senior and recorded 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss during final two seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Johnson played a key role for the 2009 National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide. The 211th overall pick played in 50 games with 13 starts for Nick Saban’s squad. Johnson (5-11, 205) recorded career totals of 61 tackles, 26 passes defensed and three interceptions.
Selvie (6-4, 251) was drafted 226th overall. A two-time All-American, Selvie holds every school game, season and career record for sacks and tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He started 50 of 51 games at South Florida and collected 29.0 sacks, 69.5 tackles for loss and 32 quarterback pressures along with a school-record nine forced fumbles.
Hull (6-3, 239) began his career as a walk-on at Penn State and finished it as one of the most productive defenders in the Big Ten. As a senior, he led the team and was fifth in the Big Ten with 116 tackles, becoming just the 20th Nittany Lion in the program’s 123-year history to eclipse 100 tackles in a season. Hull was taken with the 254th overall pick.
With eight of their draft picks under contract, the Rams have only three members of their 2010 draft class who remain unsigned. QB Sam Bradford, the top overall selection in the draft, second-round pick OT Rodger Saffold, and sixth-round pick TE Fendi Onobun have yet to reach agreements.
