When there was speculation prior to the 2012 NFL Draft that the St. Louis Rams had serious interest in then-Alabama Crimson Tide and now Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson, the subtext of that chatter was that Steven Jackson's time as a starting running back is nearing its end. That may or may not be true, and the Rams didn't end up snagging Richardson, but they did draft Cincinnati Bearcats running back Isaiah Pead in the second round, and they don't see him as merely a "change of pace" back.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter (via Pro Football Talk), the Rams view Pead as Jackson's full-time successor at some point down the line. Pead is listed at 5' 10" and under 200 pounds, but as PFT correctly points out, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher turned Chris Johnson into one of the best running backs in the NFL while in Tennessee, and he may be having deja vu when he looks at Pead.
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.