SB Nation is rolling out its 2012 NFL mock draft, and with the No. 6 overall pick the St. Louis Rams are projected to select former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Trent Richardson. In this mock draft, Matt Kalil (No. 3), Justin Blackmon (No. 4) and Morris Claiborne (No. 5) were all off the board, so Ryan Van Bibber from Turf Show Times offered his explanation for why the Rams should take Richardson at No. 6 overall:
The Rams desperately need skill players on offense. Blackmon is a better fit given the need at receiver, but Richardson is a superior talent. He compares well with Steven Jackson, who has since lost his speed and explosiveness as a result of being leaned on so heavily in the last five years. Richardson can be a feature back or a one-two punch with Jackson. The offense can use the pairing to create mismatches and draw the attention of defenses, which would ideally free up some space on the field for their receivers.
The Rams own five picks in the top 100, so they will have plenty of opportunities to fill other needs in the early part of the draft, but the counter-argument here would be that the Rams are in desperate need talent on the offensive line and could probably survive another year or two with Steven Jackson as the lead man in the backfield.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth Rams coverage, head over to Turf Show Times. For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, check out SB Nation's dedicated section and Mocking the Draft.
