The 5-foot-8, 204-pound Bernard rushed for 3,862 yards and 36 touchdowns in four seasons at Oregon State.
Jackson, the Rams' starting running back, rushed for 3,625 yards and 39 touchdowns in three years with the Beavers.
Bernard ranks second to Ken Simonton (5,044 yards from 1998-2001) in all-time rushing yards for the Beavers. Jackson ranks third.
"The guy just knows how to get yards," Rams coach Scott Linehan said. "He's a north-south runner. The guy is shifty. He can change direction. He has a feel for the hole. He was a heck of a player for them."
Bernard went undrafted because he's a little shorter and a little slower (4.78 and 4.73 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his campus workout) than NFL teams prefer.
The Rams also drafted Oregon State guard Ray Schuening in the fifth round.
"We have Oregon State East here, I guess," Linehan joked.
The Rams also signed Hampton defensive tackle Vernon Bryant, Alabama wide receiver Matt Caddell, Virginia Tech linebacker Vincent Hall, Louisiana-Lafayette defensive end Rodney Hardeway, Virginia Tech wide receiver Joshua Hyman, Cincinnati tight end Doug Jones, West Virginia linebacker Marc Magro, Kansas fullback Brandon Anderson, Kansas State cornerback Justin McKinney, Liberty offensive tackle Stephen Sene and Auburn nose tackle Joshua Thompson.
Surprisingly, the list doesn't include a quarterback even though Rams coach Scott Linehan has vowed to keep three signal-callers on his 53-man roster this season.
Linehan said it has been difficult enticing any undrafted quarterbacks to come to the Rams after the club kept only two quarterbacks on its active roster entering the regular season last year.
"We're still looking," Linehan said. "I think some teams used the team quarterback thing from last year against us, which I understand. I got on the telephone with a couple guys and assured them that we were going to carry three this year."
Hall and Magro played for a Virginia Tech that finished ranked ninth in the final Top 25 poll by The Associated Press with a 11-3 record.
There were eight Virginia Tech players selected in the 2008 NFL Draft, the second most of any school behind USC's 10.
The 5-foot-11, 238-pound Hall recorded 404 tackles at Virginia Tech, while the 5-foot-11, 191-pound Hyman had 26 receptions for 343 yards and one touchdown.
Hyman was suspended for one game in 2006 after being arrested for DUI. He later pleaded no contest to the charges.
The 5-foot-11, 238-pound McAnderson rushed for 1,125 yards and 16 touchdowns last season for the Jayhawks.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Magro had 83 tackles and tied for the team lead in sacks with eight last season for the Mountaineers.
The 6-foot-2, 285-pound Bryant started nine games last season, registering a career-high 47 tackles and three sacks.
Hardeway (6-3, 230) led the Sun Belt Conference with seven sacks last year, while Thompson (6-0, 301) had 67 tackles for the Tigers last season.
Jones (6-4, 275) played tight end and fullback over the last four years for the Bearcats. He had 50 catches for 452 yards and four touchdowns.
Caddell (6-0, 187) had 40 receptions for 475 yards and two touchdowns last season.
McKinney (5-10, 188) finished his career at Kansas State with 157 tackles and six interceptions.
Sene (6-5, 326) started for three seasons at left tackle for Liberty. He began his career at South Carolina before transferring.
Contact reporter Steve Korte at skorte@bnd.com or 239-2522.
