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Rams begin final day of draft with WR Givens

Associated Press
Published | Updated

NEW YORK – Wide receivers and more trades were trendy Saturday at the NFL draft.

Chris Givens, the first player selected from Wake Forest this year, was taken by St. Louis to open the round. Givens also can help the Rams in the return game. He had some injury issues in college, but had 1,330 yards on 83 receptions in 2011.

"Yesterday was a little frustrating and a little humbling at the same time," Givens said of not going on Friday.

"I really felt like they liked me a lot and I thought they were going to get me and then they got Brian Quick (to begin Round 2), and then I thought OK, well, they're not going to get me anymore. Then today I was pleasantly surprised."

Cleveland, desperate for offensive playmakers, might have added one in Miami Hurricanes receiver Travis Benjamin, and Carolina went for Arkansas wideout Joe Adams, all in the first nine selections Saturday. There were eight wide receivers chosen in the round, including Wisconsin's Nick Toon, son of former Jets standout Al Toon, by the Saints.

"My dad was a great football player," Nick Toon said of Al, who retired prematurely because of concussions. "I don't think anyone would debate that. To go to the same school and play the same position, I think is a challenge. At the same time, I think that the expectations of that challenge follow you to anywhere you are playing football."

Only three wideouts were chosen in the fifth round.

After Benjamin, another Hurricane was coveted by the Dolphins. Miami jumped six slots in a deal with San Francisco to get running back Lamar Miller, one of the faster players at his position and also a kick return prospect. Miller had two years of eligibility remaining, but entered the draft.

San Francisco received Miami's pick in the fourth round and two sixth-rounders, one this year and one in 2013. After 18 deals on the first two days of the draft, there were three in the first few minutes Saturday and four in Round 4, followed by eight more in the next round.

Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins, projected by many to go late in the first round or early in the second, lasted until No. 102, when the Redskins took him. Of course, Washington selected Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III second overall to be its franchise quarterback..

"I was trying to forecast which teams would be looking at a quarterback and I didn't see the Redskins thinking along those lines, but coach Shanahan's words to me were that he couldn't pass me up," Cousins said.

Linebacker Nigel Bradham became the first Florida State player chosen, going No. 105 overall to Buffalo. College powers Texas and Florida waited until deep in the fourth round to have someone selected: Gators defensive tackle Jaye Howard to Seattle at No. 114, and Longhorns linebacker Keenan Robinson at No. 119 to Washington.

Tight end, generally considered a weak spot in this year's crop — only three were taken through the first two days — became popular in the fourth round, with five going. But only one was drafted in the fifth.

Randy Bullock of Texas A&M was the first placekicker taken, at No. 161 overall by Houston. The All-American kicker, Bullock won the Lou Groza award, connecting on 25 of 29 field-goal attempts in 2011.