Boding with many other mock drafts out there, Drafttek.com projects the St. Louis Rams to select Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon in their latest computer-generated mock draft. The site uses a formula involving a hierarchy of team needs and a "Big Board" that ranks prospects by value to determine how the draft might play out.
Blackmon has frequently been tied to the Rams because of their obvious need to improve the passing game:
Though the Rams covet Trent Richardson, he will be gone, and all signs point to the addition of a solid #1 WR. It's been almost a decade since a WR dominated college football for two years. That WR is considered one of the best in the NFL today (Larry Fitzgerald/Pitt). The Rams will expect no less from Justin Blackmon. The Rams offense is predicated on the run, but without a dominant receiving threat, the running game suffers even with two quality running backs.
Blackmon has been arguably the best wide receiver in the nation for the Cowboys over the past two years, so the real question is simply how well that skill set will translate to the NFL. In addition to the Blackmon pick, here are some of the later-round picks for St. Louis projected by Drafttek.com:
- Round 2, No. 33 overall: North Carolina linebacker Zach Brown
- Round 2, No. 39 overall: Miami (FL) running back Lamar Miller
- Round 3, No. 65 overall: Auburn offensive tackle Brandon Mosley