The St. Louis Rams just turned the No. 2 overall pick into quite a haul from the Washington Redskins. By now, you've probably heard St. Louis will get the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, and Washington's first round picks in 2013 and 2014 in exchange for the second pick this year. There's just one problem: if the Rams have their hearts set on Oklahoma St. wide receiver Justin Blackmon -- as many have speculated -- they may have traded down too far.
It certainly sounds like Blackmon is the apple of St. Louis' eye. Here's what Rams' receiver coach Ray Sherman said after Blackmon ran a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash on Friday at this pro day:
"I coached a Hall of Famer in Jerry Rice. Everybody said he wasn't fast, and all I know is when he caught (the ball) nobody could catch him. And I went against guys like Michael Irvin. Those guys are football players. This guy — Justin Blackmon — is a football player."
Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk suggests that the impressive straight-line speed of Blackmon -- which has been doubted at times during the predraft process -- might have made him a top five selection, with St. Louis just missing out at No. 6.
...the question now becomes whether Blackmon will still be there at No. 6. Vikings coach Leslie Frazier and Browns coach Pat Shurmur were both at Blackmon’s Pro Day, and Shurmur made a specific point of approaching Blackmon afterward and telling him how much he liked what he saw. With the Vikings picking third and the Browns picking fourth, there’s a good chance that Blackmon will be off the board before the Rams pick sixth.
The other player the Rams are said to be enamored with, LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, also may go to the Vikings, Browns or, at No. 5, the Buccaneers. So the Rams may have traded down too far to get either of the players they’re reportedly most interested in. Mel Kiper suggested on Friday that both Blackmon and Claiborne will be gone, and that the Rams may be choosing between Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff and Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe.
For news and information regarding the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine, please stay tuned to this StoryStream. For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, check out SB Nation's dedicated section and Mocking the Draft.
