St. Louis Rams Draft Michael Brockers - Round 1

The St. Louis Rams who averaged 12 points per game in 2011 were projected by many to take WR Justin Blackmon with their 6th overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. Instead the Rams traded down with the Dallas Cowboys to the 14th position in the first round and selected LSU DT Michael Brockers.

Brockers has a huge 6'5" 325 frame and is only 21 years old. I would consider him a bit of a project. Brockers still had two years of eligbility left at LSU and only played in 27 games in his career many as the backup when he was a freshman. Brockers who only had two sacks in his career is known as a run stuffer. The Rams will try to use him in the middle to help their linebacker core.

Overall Rams fans on the internet seemed very unhappy about this selection as many are craving a top flight receiver to help Sam Bradford out. I believe Jeff Fisher and the Rams have a plan and they know they have more than one year to execute it so we should wait to see the big picture before passing too much judgment. The Rams did pick up the Cowboys pick in the second round so the Rams now have 3 of the first 14 picks in Round 2 which will begin and 7PM CST Friday night.

As for my personal thoughts, I would have taken any of the big four that fell down to #6. Everyone knows I would NEVER take a DT in the first round I don't care who it is, as big fat bodies should be a dime a dozen. Brockers is not a playmaker or a difference maker at this point and seems to be a bit of a reach. I would have stayed and taken Morris Claiborne, you get a punt returner and a cover corner to go along with Cortland Finnegan. Since the Rams traded down to #14 one behind the Arizona Cardinals I think that tells us the Rams were not interested in taking Michael Floyd either. We have to hope that the Rams will be able to draft a playmaking WR in the second round tomorrow, only time will tell.

2012 NFL Draft Round 1 Selections

1 Indianapolis Andrew Luck QB
2 Washington Robert Griffin III QB
3 Cleveland Trent Richardson RB
4 Minnesota Matt Kalil T
5 Jacksonville Justin Blackmon WR
6 Dallas Morris Claiborne CB
7 Tampa Bay Mark Barron SS
8 Miami Ryan Tannehill QB
9 Carolina Luke Kuechly ILB
10 Buffalo Stephon Gilmore CB
11 Kansas City Dontari Poe DT
12 Philadelphia Fletcher Cox DE
13 Arizona Michael Floyd WR
14 St. Louis Michael Brockers DT
15 Seattle Bruce Irvin OLB
16 NY Jets Quinton Coples DE
17 Cincinnati Dre Kirkpatrick CB
18 San Diego Melvin Ingram OLB
19 Chicago Shea McClellin OLB
20 Tennessee Kendall Wright WR
21 New England Chandler Jones DE
22 Cleveland Brandon Weeden QB
23 Detroit Riley Reiff T
24 Pittsburgh David DeCastro G
25 New England Dont'a Hightower ILB
26 Houston Whitney Mercilus DE
27 Cincinnati Kevin Zeitler G
28 Green Bay Nick Perry OLB
29 Minnesota Harrison Smith SS
30 San Francisco A.J. Jenkins WR
31 Tampa Bay Doug Martin RB
32 NY Giants David Wilson RB

Who Should The St. Louis Rams Draft

Matt Kalil OT USC is projected as a 10 year starter at left Tackle and is an excellent pass protector. At 6'6" and weighing in at over 300 pounds Kahil is a great athlete and known as the dancing bear. The Vikings should take Kahil and I do not see much chance of him falling to the Rams at #6. Kahil quite possibly would have been the Rams selection if they did not trade with Washington. With Rodger Saffold and Jason Smith's injury issues the Rams would love to have Kahil but I don't think it is in the cards.

Trent Richardson RB Alabama averaged almost 6 yards a carry last year against some of the toughest teams in the country in the SEC. Richardson is a good receiver and will fit well with any team, he is rumored to be heading to the Cleveland Browns. I believe Richardson is top player ready to play in the NFL day 1. The issue with Richardson is Steve Jackson. Steven Jackson has two years left on his contract and never seems to want to be challenged for the position or to be taken off of the field. I would love to get a fresh back like Richardson but with numerous holes and Steven Jackson in the fold I don't believe the Rams will make this selection.

Morris Claiborne CB LSU is a great cover corner who has been thrown under the bus a little of late. Claiborne scored a 4 out of 50 on the Wonderlic test administered to prospects at the NFL scouting combine in February which apparently is not hurting his stock too much. I don't care what his score was I am sure he will be a great cover corner in the NFL and he also has the ability to return kicks. Claiborne is an outstanding corner and with Cortland Finnegan on the other side of the field the Rams would help their pass rush by improving their secondary. The Rams would be lucky to get Cortland who will most likely go at #5 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State is flat out the top receiver in this draft in my opinion. I can't believe the shots people are taking at him. Make sure you take this in, Justin Blackmon caught over 230 passes for 38 touchdowns the last two years in the Big 12. This man is a beast and reminds me of Terrell Owens. The fact that he is only 6'1" and did not show elite speed in his underwear at the combine event which he could not attend means nothing. Blackmon will be a star in the NFL and Sam Bradford will welcome him with open arms when the St. Louis Rams select him with their 6th overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Mike Mayock's 2012 NFL Mock Draft

Pick -- Team -- Position -- College
1 Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck - QB - Stanford
2 Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III - QB - Baylor
3 Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil - OT - USC
4 Cleveland Browns - Justin Blackmon - WR - Oklahoma State
5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Trent Richardson - RB - Alabama
6 St. Louis Rams - Morris Claiborne - CB - LSU
7 Jacksonville Jaguars - Melvin Ingram - DE - South Carolina
8 Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill - QB - Texas A&M
9 Carolina Panthers - Fletcher Cox - DT - Mississippi State
10 Buffalo Bills - Luke Kuechly - ILB - Boston College
11 Kansas City Chiefs - Mark Barron - SS - Alabama
12 Seattle Seahawks - Quinton Coples - DE - UNC
13 Arizona Cardinals - Riley Reiff - OT - Iowa
14 Dallas Cowboys - Michael Brockers - DT - LSU
15 Philadelphia Eagles - Stephon Gilmore - CB - South Carolina
16 New York Jets - Michael Floyd - WR - Notre Dame
17 Cincinnati Bengals - Dre Kirkpatrick - CB - Alabama
18 San Diego Chargers - Whitney Mercilus - DE - Illinois
19 Chicago Bears - Chandler Jones - DE - Syracuse
20 Tennessee Titans - Stephen Hill - WR - Georgia Tech
21 Cincinnati Bengals - David DeCastro - G - David DeCastro
22 Cleveland Browns - Doug Martin - RB - Boise St.
23 Detroit Lions - Courtney Upshaw - OLB - Alabama
24 Pittsburgh Steelers - Cordy Glenn - OT - Georgia
25 Denver Broncos - Dontari Poe - DT - Dontari Poe
26 Houston Texans - Coby Fleener - TE - Stanford
27 New England Patriots - Nick Perry - DE - USC
28 Green Bay Packers - Shea McClellin - DE - Boise St.
29 Baltimore Ravens - Dont'a Hightower - ILB - Alabama
30 San Francisco 49ers - Kendall Wright - WR - Baylor
31 New England Patriots - Harrison Smith - FS - Notre Dame
32 New York Giants - Jonathan Martin - OT - Stanford

2012 NFL Draft Order

St. Louis Rams 2012 Schedule

The NFL has released the 2012 NFL Schedule. The St. Louis Rams 2012 Schedule is listed below. The St. Louis Rams 2012 strength of schedule (SOS) is .523 the 5th toughest in the NFL.

Sept 9 St. Louis Rams @ Detroit Lions

Dec 30 St. Louis Rams @ Seattle Seahawks

St. Louis Rams Trade #2 Pick To Washington

As I have been saying for quite a while Robert Griffen III from Baylor may be the St. Louis Rams savior and tonight that statement became closer to the truth. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that the St. Louis Rams have agreed to trade their first-round draft selection to the Washington Redskins. The two teams will exchange draft picks in the first round this year and the Rams will get the Redskins first round selections in both 2013 and 2014 along with the Redskins 2nd round pick, 38th overall in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. The deal can’t be finalized until the new league year begins on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.

That's right folks instead of have the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft the Rams will receive at least four draft picks from the Washington Redskins and they will only have to move down four spots to make the deal. This is a coup for the Rams and their new regime under head coach Jeff Fisher. WalterFootball.com believes Justin Blackmon will still be available when the Rams draft. If that is true and the Rams were looking at Blackmon all along we could come out smelling like a rose, picking up Blackmon and 4 draft picks instead of just Blackmon. In addition the 6th overall pick cost less money then the 2nd overall selection which helps the Rams yet again.

This could be the start of something great for the St. Louis Rams. Thanks to Les Snead and Robert Griffin III for making this a great day in Rams Nation!

Rams 2011 Draft A Look Back - Robert Quinn

Robert Quinn played 15 games in his rookie season starting in one of them. Quinn had 23 tackles and 5 sacks over the course of the season playing his best game late in the season against the Seattle Seahawks. Overall Quinn had a nice rookie season however I wish he would have received more playing time ahead of James Hall. Quinn who missed his junior season after he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for lying to investigators about receiving travel accommodations and jewelry is still only 21 years of age and has an upside. It is hard to know if Quinn did not see the field a lot because of his ability or the coaching of Steve Spagnuolo. There were nine defensive ends drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft and it is too early to know if Quinn was the correct selection for the Rams. Aldon Smith, J. J. Watt and Ryan Kerrigan all had tremendous years and Marcell Dareus should be more of a force for the Bills in 2012. For now we will have to watch and see if Jeff Fisher can develope Quinn into a consistant player and pass rushing threat.

Rams 2011 Draft A Look Back - Lance Kendricks

Lance Kendricks who was selected in the 2nd round of the 2011 NFL Draft 47th overall, was a major disappointment for the Rams. Kendricks who looked great in the preseason catching 11 balls for 155 yards and 3 touchdowns was unable to duplicate those numbers in the regular season. Kendricks started 10 games, played in 15 games and had only 28 receptions for 352 yards. Kendricks who looked to be the safety valve for Sam Bradford heading into the season was just not able to hold onto the ball or block. Take away the 4 receptions for 71 yards that Lance had against the Packers and you get an average of under 20 yards per game from him. As the season went on Rams fans became more upset with the play of Kendricks and the use of the 47th overall pick to select him. While A.J. Green and Julio Jones were lighting the league up Kendricks continued to drop passes. While hindsight is 20/20 it sure appears that the Rams would have been much better off drafting Torrey Smith, Randall Cobb, DeMarco Murray or many others players that could have immediately helped the St. Louis Rams.

Rams 2011 Draft A Look Back - Austin Pettis

In the 3rd round with the 78th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft the St. Louis Rams selected Austin Pettis who had 27 receptions for 256 yards. The Rams who really needed a #1 type WR seem to have reached here. The fact that they went with a TE in the 2nd round really seemed to cause this draft fall apart. I was very concerned over this selection simply by the fact that Pettis was not even the best wide receiver on Boise State. Pettis has good size at 6'3" and 200+ pounds but he is far from the fastest guy on the field and has a terrible time trying to separate from NFL corners. I am not sure why the Rams selected Pettis it simply did not make much sense. NFL Draft Scout had Pettis projected as a 5th rounder and Walter Football had him as a 4th or 5th round selection. Pettis just did not seem to fill the need anyway you looked at it which made this a curious selection then and now. To top it off Pettis was suspended four games by the NFL on December 21, 2011 after violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. He will be eligible to play in Week 3 of the 2012 Regular Season if he is still on the Rams roster.

Rams 2011 Draft A Look Back - Greg Salas

Greg Salas the Rams 4th round pick out of Hawaii had 27 receptions for 264 yards. Salas was another odd selection since he is considered by most as a slot receiver and the Rams already had Danny Amendola at that position. Salas along with Hendricks also had his best game against the Green Bay Packers has he collected 8 receptions for 77 yards. Prior to the 2011 Draft NFL.com said "Salas is a sub-package NFL receiver prospect who put up some big numbers in a wide-open college passing attack. Doesn't possess a physical trait in the size or speed departments to be a mismatch at the next level". Turns out that was a pretty good analysis of Salas as he was unable to separate from NFL corners on a consistent basis. The Rams probably should have went for a different position at this point in the draft. Again the selection of Hendricks in the 2nd round caused a serious snowball affect.

Rams 2011 Draft A Look Back - Jermale Hines

On a team with a lack of quality depth at safety the selection of Jermale Hines appeared to be a good one. Hines who lacks top speed should have at least been able to compete for a job along with Criag Dahl, James Butler and Darian Stewart. Hines could have helped the Rams get a little younger and faster but instead he was never given a shot and was waived on September 27. Hines lack of speed seems to make him fit for nickleback and a special teams duties. Hines was picked up by the Colts, later waived and then picked up by the Carolina Panthers and is currently on their practice squad. Hines played in ten games, five with both the Colts and Panthers and had six tackles.

Rams 2011 Draft A Look Back - Mikail Baker

Mikail Baker was another player drafted by Steve Spagnuolo and the St. Louis Rams that suffered serious injuries during his college career. Baker is one of only a few players that you will find that played 6 years in college due to those injuries. This pattern continued in 2011 as Baker suffered a hamstring injury with the Rams and was released. Baker was never able to get on the field as a member of the Rams and currently is not on any NFL roster.

Rams 2011 Draft A Look Back - Jabara Williams

Jabara Williams was a 7th round draft pick out of small Stephen F. Austin college. Williams was able to get into two games with the St. Louis Rams before being waived on October 26, 2011. Jabara
was picked up the following day by the Chicago Bears. Williams played in five games for the Chicago Bears having two tackles. With the lack of talented linebackers on the Rams many fans were upset that the Rams did not try to develop Williams more, instead the Rams spent money on the likes of Brady Poppinga, Bryan Kehl & Na'il Diggs.

Rams 2011 Draft A Look Back - Jonathan Nelson

Jonathan Nelson was the St. Louis Rams last pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Nelson did not make the Rams roster to start the season but he did spend a small amount of time on the Rams practice squad before being released in early September. Nelson was picked up late in the season by the Carolina Panthers where he played well in two games with 9 tackles and an interception. Again why did the Rams who have many issues in the secondary not try to develop a young player.

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