Now, I think, I've seen every possible permutation of the St. Louis Rams' No. 6 pick in the 2012 NFL Mock Draft: Gil Brandt of NFL.com thinks Michael Floyd, who's fallen as far as No. 19 in a lot of mocks, could leapfrog Justin Blackmon and go as early as that very No. 6 pick. Floyd as "the next Larry Fitzgerald" is a lot to take in, but I suppose I'm willing to believe that he has a higher potential upside than Blackmon; the two were relatively similar as draft prospects last year, before Floyd's DUI sent him hurtling toward the supplemental draft.
For all that, I still expect the Rams to take Justin Blackmon if they get the chance. This isn't a team that can afford to take a risk on the next Larry Fitzgerald if he might turn into the old Michael Floyd; they have too much invested in Sam Bradford, and too little gained in free agency, to take such a big risk with a player who will need to be his No. 1 option immediately.
More NFL Mock Draft news and analysis from SB Nation St. Louis:
- Our own NFL Mock Draft has Justin Blackmon and Michael Floyd already off the board in the Top 10. But that's all we can tell you.
- But really, the St. Louis Rams' hands are tied—they have to do whatever Sam Bradford needs them to do.
- Which will be easier if the Browns take Ryan Tannehill or Trent Richardson.