Fantasy Impact: St. Louis select Alec Ogletree

With the 30th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams selected LB Alec Ogletree (Georgia). The Rams acquired the pick from the Falcons, to select the hard hitting linebacker presumably to play weak-side linebacker in their 4-3 scheme. The pick should signal the end of Jo-Lonn Dunbar in sub packages as Ogletree will be an instant upgrade in coverage.

At inside linebacker in Georgia's 3-4 defense Ogletree was all over the field using his speed and athleticism to make plays. The 6'2″ 242 pound converted safety is a chase and tackle ‘backer who at times plays too fast. He can close space in a hurry and is a sure tackler in the open field. He's aggressive and likes to hit.

Ogletree's issues on the field are that he sometimes overruns plays, takes false steps and doesn't show the physicality required to be an elite NFL linebacker. He really struggles at the point of attack with offensive linemen who get to the second level. Too often he gets caught up in the wash and isn't able to hold his gap responsibility. He is a good athlete though and hasn't played a ton of snaps at linebacker so the chance to grow as a player is definitely there.

Off the field Ogletree has had some issues as well. He was suspended while at Georgia and arrested for DUI after the season.

College statistics courtesy of Sports Reference

Fantasy Impact: Ogletree instantly becomes one of the hot names for IDP dynasty drafts. If he can win the weak-side starting job outright in St. Louis he could be in your starting lineup very early and even be a solid contributor in redraft leagues. At the very least I would expect him to take over in sub packages due to his excellent speed and coverage ability. He's worth a pick later in redrafts as a high upside, risk reward play. In dynasty leagues he's in the right system to excel. However, he'll have to develop toughness when taking on blockers to truly reach his elite ceiling.