Mike Mayock revealed his updated top five draft prospects at each position today. A few of the moves involve players that could be of interest to the St. Louis Rams when they pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
At wide receiver Mayock moved Boise State's Titus Young above Pitt's Jonathan Baldwin. A.J. Green and Julio Jones are still in the first two spots. Maryland's Torrey Smith is in the fifth spot.
There is absolutely no consensus around Baldwin's status right now. Mayock bumped him down, though that may be more about just how good Titus Young looked at the Senior Bowl. Just yesterday, Wes Bunting of the NFP noted that several scouts he talked to love Baldwin's talent, but have concerns about his "passion and character." Maybe that's behind Mayock's big board. Rob Rang from NFL Draft Scout left Baldwin off his top 32 prospects list all together. And it wasn't character concerns that got him left off Rang's list.
If the buzz in the scouting community is accurate and Baldwin does dazzle scouts at the Combine with breathtaking speed at 6-5, 230 pounds he'll be moving up a lot of boards. Not mine, though. I don't care how fast he runs in a straight-line, I see a prospect who lacks the flexibility and balance to create explosion out of his breaks and isn't nearly as physical a receiver as his size would indicate either.
Draft boards will be moved around again after the Combine, so stay tuned.
Not that either player would be an option for the Rams at #14, but Mayock has Marcell Dareus above Nick Fairley at DT. Third on the list is Illinois Corey Liuget. Keep an eye on Liuget, his name could be in the conversation for teams picking in the middle of the first round. Take the ratings for what they're worth; it's all a matter of personal opinion to some extent. Last year, Mayock had Gerald McCoy ahead of Ndamukong Suh.