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Report: Rams almost drafted La'el Collins in 7th round

Stacy Revere / Getty Images Sport / Getty

One of the most intriguing storylines on Day 3 of the NFL draft was whether a team would use a late-round pick on La'el Collins.

The talented offensive lineman, widely considered to be a first-round talent, was temporarily flagged by teams as a major risk because he was sought by police for questioning in a Louisiana murder case.

As Collins fell in the draft, his agent demanded his client not be chosen in hopes he could re-enter the draft next year and be an early pick.

Ultimately, Collins went undrafted. In the days after the draft, he met with police, was fully cleared of any potential wrongdoing and signed a lucrative contract with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent.

The LSU product was, however, almost chosen in the seventh round, according to Rick Smith, an associate of Collins' agent Deryk Gilmore and Priority Sports and Entertainment's general counsel, who told Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com the following:

There was a team that had drafted four offensive linemen and they said, "We’re taking him." And I texted back, "You’re going to embarrass yourself. You’re going to waste this pick." And they passed. And now he’s a UDFA.

The team must be the St. Louis Rams, the only club to use four draft picks on offensive linemen.

Rams fans probably won't be happy to hear how close they came to snagging a tremendous value. It turns out Collins' threat to re-enter the draft was a bluff, Smith said.

We can put it on the record now: We were never going back in the draft. If someone had drafted him, we would’ve had a long, long discussion about it, but at the end of the day you can’t go back in the draft. He could get injured, gain weight, or 10 great tackles could come out. Too many risks.

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