With Julio Jones out of 2011 NFL Mock Draft reach the St. Louis Rams have been linked, increasingly frequently, with defensive linemen, among them Missouri's own Aldon Smith, whose Pro Day was yesterday. Turf Show Times reports on the divided grades Smith received there, noting that "the guy from the 3-4 team loved what he saw, and said that as Smith bulks up he'll be an outstanding rush linebacker. The 4-3 guy had a different opinion"—one that has him falling as far as the second round, which would be a shock to Mock Draft types everywhere.
I don't see him going that far, and considering that the Rams, at 14th overall, have a meeting scheduled with the guy and nobody else exactly in mind it seems like a fair bet that he'll get first round consideration from a number of teams. I'm still not ready to call off the Julio Jones mock draft jagiographizing, but when the time comes for me to realize I can't always get what I want, Aldon Smith might prove close enough to what the Rams need.