Draft board shakeups are common this time of year as all-star games, workouts and the Combine mix up rankings between now and the draft. In a weak wide receiver class there has already been some movement among the second tier of players, i.e. the guys who are not A.J. Green and Julio Jones. Conventional wisdom put Green and Jones at the top with Green believed to be a potential top 5 pick. But that could be changing. Today we got our first signals that Jones might be the more sought after wide receiver of the 2011 NFL Draft.
This is from Wes Bunting at the NFP, via Twitter:
Got off the phone with a scout.says he likes #Alabama WR Julio Jones more than #Georgia WR A.J. Green, says Combine will mean a lot for them
He elaborates further to note that some scouts think Jones is a more physical receiver who is better after the catch than Green. Bunting goes on to say that he still thinks Green is the better prospect, citing his athleticism and big play potential. However, like the source Bunting references, the Combine could change that. The biggest knock on Jones has been his concentration, a factor in separating him from Green on many boards. He could ease some of those concerns at the Combine.
Bunting discusses another potential first round receiver on Twitter today, Pittsburgh's Jonathan Baldwin. He says:
Also more scouts I talk to say they love #Pittsburgh WR Jon Baldwin's talent..worry about passion and character #NFLDRAFT
Baldwin can ease some minds as to those concerns at the Combine as well, though I still think he lacks the total package of Jones and Green.
Trading down is definitely an option for the Rams. That might be even more of a possibility if Jones boosts his draft stock and Billy Devaney can't land either him or Green at #14. Trading down would allow them to grab a receiver like Baldwin or even Leonard Hankerson, whose draft stock could take another jump this month, later in the first round. Remember, there are already reports that New England has had a few calls about their two first round picks, #17 and 28.