In trading the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft to the Washington Redskins, the St. Louis Rams were able to pick up an extra second round pick in 2012, one which will hopefully pay immediate dividends for a team that needs all the help it can get. But the real payoff for that trade begins in 2013, when the Rams receive the first of what will be two first round draft choices from the Redskins.
If the Rams connect on these extra picks, they can transform what has been a moribund franchise, and if both St. Louis and Washington are close to as bad as they were in 2011, the Rams could have two top 10 picks in 2013. That's precisely what SB Nation's Ryan Van Bibber is projecting in his early 2013 mock draft with the Rams picking up Washington's No. 8 overall pick and keeping their own at No. 10.
With those two picks, Van Bibber envisions the Rams getting even more pieces for quarterback Sam Bradford. The first of those would be Michigan Wolverines offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, who would theoretically allow the Rams to shift Rodger Saffold to the right side and finally move on from Jason Smith. With the second pick, Van Bibber sees the Rams taking a wide receiver, and he has them pegged for California Bears burner Keenan Allen, who will undoubtedly garner comparisons to ex-Bear DeSean Jackson.
For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, visit SB Nation St. Louis' NFL Draft StoryStream. For more in-depth coverage of the Rams' 2012 draft haul, head over to Turf Show Times. For league-wide coverage of the NFL Draft, visit SB Nation's NFL news hub and Mocking The Draft.