Representing the St. Louis Rams, freezy1 with the sixth pick in Arrowhead Pride's 2012 NFL mock draft...
With the 6th pick, the St. Louis Rams select Justin Blackmon.
I probably would have gone Trent Richardson here if he was still on the board. Steven Jackson has been their workhorse for seven years so I gotta think his effectiveness will begin to taper off soon, if not this year.
But, he's gone, so I will make my case for Blackmon.
With the departure of Lloyd to the Patriots, the Rams lost their clear No. 1 receiver. Steve Smith is a decent pickup but clearly not a top tier guy like Blackmon can be. A few years ago I wouldn't have dreamed of drafting a receiver this early, but with the evolution of the game and changes we are all aware of, it is now easier for receivers to adjust to NFL caliber secondaries and excel very early.
And this is what the Rams need to do. As long as they are in the conversation for the move to LA, they will need to show they are committed to winning, or at the very least putting an exciting product on the field in order to fill seats and make it difficult for Stan Kroenke to move the team West.
Sam Bradford also needs to have a strong year after a disappointing 2011 in order to instill confidence in his teammates, front office, and fan base. If he doesn't, and the team falters to another poor record and high draft pick, the team could choose to go in another direction in what shapes up to be a loaded QB draft class (Barkley, Bray, Jones, Wilson as my top four). This is why it is important for St. Louis to surround Bradford with as many weapons as possible.
While Blackmon's hands may have taken an off day at the OSU pro day, I have seen enough in game situations to know what he can do when the spotlight is on.
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Previously...
1. Indianapolis Colts - Baylor QB Robert Griffin III
2. Washington Redskins - Stanford QB Andrew Luck
3. Minnesota Vikings - USC OT Matt Kalil