Jason Smith burning up the draft charts

Remember those halcyon days of the Combine, when we talked about who the Rams might draft second overall? and, oh those late round steals... oh, those bygone days of last week, before free agency started.

Now that free agency is quieting down a bit, let's turn back the page, and talk about the draft again. There's a new mock draft from Pat Kirwan at NFL.com that's pretty interesting, not so much for who he has the Rams picking, but for who he has the Lions picking. And who might that be you ask? Baylor OT Jason Smith. In that scenario, the Rams pick Virginia OT Eugene Monroe.

There's nothing unusal about the Rams predicted to take Monroe. He's widely considered the draft's closest OT to being able to play at the NFL level. Not the highest ceiling, but certainly the highest floor...whatever that means. There are some questions about Monroe's knee, but it's not much more than talk right now.

Jason Smith's burning up the charts since the Combine. At the Senior Bowl, he was still on the outside looking in, not quite afforded the same status as Andre Smith (talk about a falling star), Monroe and Oher. And Kirwan's not the only one with Smith atop their OT chart. Walter Football has Smith (non-knucklehead version) being drafted by the Rams as the first OT taken. Here's their take:

Well, an elite left tackle emerged out of the group. Jason Smith, already high on many rankings, dazzled everyone at the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine. Some media members have already begun speculating that Smith is a candidate to go first overall. If the Lions trade for Matt Cassel or feel as though they can't sign a deal with Stafford, Smith would be the top choice.

So, how about it? There are still plenty of people out there using the "one year wonder" descriptor. What's your take on Jason Smith?

I'll have the mock draft DB updated for you on Friday.