Florio passed along “increasing buzz” late Wednesday that Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick will be drafted later than most prognosticators expect. Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger has seconded Florio’s report.
But just how far could Kirkpatrick fall?
The St. Louis Rams hold the Nos. 33 and 39 overall picks, and they appear to be preparing for Kirkpatrick to slip into the early portion of round two. ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports that a Rams official contacted Kirkpatrick’s high school coach earlier Thursday, “to ask [him] questions about Dre.”
“They also asked me not to divulge the details of our conversation,” said coach Joe Billingsley.
It’s routine pre-draft information gathering, but perhaps an indication that the Rams anticipate Kirkpatrick being available at one of their second-round picks, after previously believing he wouldn’t be.
