Now that the deadline for petitions has passed and the NFL has granted special exemptions to 65 underclassmen, the 2012 NFL draft landscape has crystallized. Although the list of names is official, there seems to be little agreement on where most players will end up. St. Louis Rams of consistently been linked to Matt Kalil and Justin Blackmon with regards to their No. 2 overall pick, but there's also been speculation of the Rams could trade that pick to the Cleveland Browns, who would take Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.
Russ Lande of AOL Sporting News thinks the Rams are likely to trade the pick to someone, but can't decide exactly which team will step up to acquire the premium draft position. Lande calls the idea of St. Louis keeping their pick an "unlikely scenario," but plays it straight up for now and has the Rams take former Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Justin Blackmon. Here is what Lande had to say:
It is looking more likely that the top two picks will be quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, but determining which team will trade up with the St. Louis Rams to get Griffin is not easy. In the unlikely scenario that the Rams keep the second overall pick, Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon would make the most sense for them.
2. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon*, WR, Oklahoma State. We've been saying that the Rams will likely trade this pick to the Browns, who would take Robert Griffin III. But if the Rams keep the second pick, they will draft Blackmon to give Sam Bradford an elite receiver.
The Blackmon pick doesn't shatter the mold, but Lande's prediction of a trade back in the draft is certainly one of the more bold and intriguing options presented thus far.
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