NFL Draft season is heating up. On Monday, the Senior Bowl starts. It's a week-long affair where draft boards get altered every year as prospects make up for bad seasons or injuries. We'll have complete coverage. For now, we've got another 2012 NFL Mock Draft to look at, this one from Russ Lande over at the Sporting News.
Lande goes a familiar direction for the Rams with the second pick. Citing their long-time need to add playmakers, especially wide receivers, he mocks none other than Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon to the Rams with the second pick.
We've been saying that the Rams will likely trade this pick to the Browns, who would take Robert Griffin III. But if the Rams keep the second pick, they will draft Blackmon to give Sam Bradford an elite receiver.
Will the Browns trade up with the Rams? Maybe. Mel Kiper said on Thursday that they are interested in adding RG3. But the Browns are more known for trading down and adding picks in recent years than surrendering picks and moving up in the draft.
If the Browns aren't interested, the Dolphins or the Redskins might be.
Some other notes about Lande's mock draft:
- He has Trent Richardson going fifth overall to the Bucs.
- RG3 and Andrew Luck are the only quarterbacks picked in the first round. Look for a couple guys to boost their stock at the Senior Bowl, the Combine or pre-draft workouts and jump into the first 32 picks. Nick Foles, Ryan Tannehill could be this year's Christian Ponder.
- Recent additions to his first round include LSU DT Michael Brockers and South Carolina DE Melvin Ingram. There is absolutely no consensus on pass rushers yet, particularly defensive linemen. I think Brockers has a good chance to be the first one off the board.
- He has four running backs getting picked in the first round, including Chris Polk. I don't see that happening. Interestingly enough he does not have Lamar Miller being drafted here.
- After Blackmon, the receivers picked in this mock are: Michael Floyd (7th), Dwight Jones (16th), Kendall Wright (19th), Juron Criner (26th) and Nick Toon (31st). No Alshon Jeffery and no Mohamed Sanu. Hmmm...