Rams get Laurinaitis, despite failed trade

Billy Devaney, Rams vice president of player personnel, was working the phones trying desperately to trade back into the bottom of the first round of Saturday's NFL draft.

He wanted former Wayzata High School star linebacker James Laurinaitis and was convinced he wouldn't make it past the Lions at the top of the second round.

Devaney found no trade partners. He had failed.

But it wasn't long before Devaney found himself pleasantly surprised. The Rams were on the clock with the third pick of the second round and the 35th overall. And Laurinaitis, a three-time first-team All-America selection at Ohio State, was still available.

"Some of the best trades are the ones you don't make," Devaney told reporters in St. Louis.

As most draft prognosticators had predicted, Laurinaitis slipped through the first round. But he did surprise most of the experts by being the first inside linebacker selected. Southern California's Rey Maualuga, predicted to go as high as 15th overall by some, wasn't selected until Cincinnati took him with the 38th overall pick.

The 6-2, 244-pound Laurinaitis should fit the defensive system that new coach and former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is implementing.

"[Laurinaitis] has the size we're looking for," Devaney told St. Louis reporters. "He loves football. We talked about getting bigger. He adds size to our linebacker corps. He's been a tackling machine."

Laurinaitis has been on a path toward stardom for many years. He was a star high school hockey player -- "I definitely feel I could have played in the NHL, but I'm pretty happy with the NFL," he said by phone Saturday night -- and Minnesota's "Mr. Defensive Football" as a senior. And once he got to Ohio State, he developed a unique following as "Little Animal," son of Joe Laurinaitis, the former "Animal Road Warrior" of professional wrestling fame.

One of the most decorated players in college football, James won the 2006 Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation's best defensive player and the 2007 Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. He passed up the opportunity to be a first-round draft pick last year, returned to Ohio State and had a career-high 130 tackles.

Laurinaitis said he felt he deserved to be taken in the first round, but he wasn't dwelling on it.

"A lot of guys get picked in the first round and are gone in a few years," he said. "It's all about what you do when you get there. To be the first player taken at my position, mike linebacker, is an honor. This is a celebration."

After being picked apart during the predraft process, Laurinaitis said he's "relieved" that it's all over.

"I have my first minicamp on Friday," he said. "I'm looking forward to making some good headlines again."