As the 2012 NFL Draft draws nearer and some prognosticators begin to sour on Oklahoma State Cowboys WR Justin Blackmon, it seems increasingly likely that the St. Louis Rams will address their needs at offensive line. If they keep their No. 2 overall pick, they could take USC Trojans OT Matt Kalil, who is the consensus best tackle in this draft class. But if they trade down, they would have their pick of the remaining litter in a strong class for offensive linemen, not to mention a few extra picks to play with.
In the most recent edition of SB Nation's 2012 NFL Mock Draft, Ryan Van Bibber projects that the Rams will indeed trade down— to No. 6 overall, currently held by the Washington Redskins— and select Iowa Hawkeyes OT Reilly Reiff. Here is Van Bibber's rationale:
6. St. Louis Rams, Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa (Projected trade: from Washington)
This will come as a bit of shocker to conventional wisdom that say the receiver-needy Rams could even take Blackmon with the second pick in the draft, should they forego a swap. Jeff Fisher has said that pass protection is priority one for getting quarterback Sam Bradford back on track. Reiff can slide right into the left tackle spot, moving Rodger Saffold to the right or even inside to guard.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more on the Rams, check out Turf Show Times, SB Nation's St. Louis Rams blog. For more details on the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft, be sure to drop by Mocking the Draft.
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