With the second pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams have two questions to answer. First, can they trade the pick? Many believe that Robert Griffin III will ignite a bidding war for the Rams' pick in the first round. If they keep the pick, there's nothing to say that the Vikings could just as easily trade their third pick, the Rams have to ask which direction they go with it.
The two most popular picks if the Rams do stay in the second spot are USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil and Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon. There's a compelling case to be made for both players.
In a mock draft over at the National Football Post, draft guru Wes Bunting predicts the Rams going with the playmaking Blackmon.
It's very possible the Rams will at look at USC OT Matt Kalil here. However, they have invested a ton of money on the offensive line in recent years and getting a big-play receiver for quarterback Sam Bradford and then looking to fix the offensive line later on might be a better play.
After watching the Rams offense struggle in the last few seasons, I'm really leaning in this direction. With just $10 million in cap space for 2012, the Rams would have very limited options for signing a free agent. Once franchise tags are handed out and teams re-sign their potential free agents, the pool is likely to be pretty shallow. Blackmon might be the best receiver available in the draft or free agency, and with the new rookie salary structure, he might also be the most cost-effective way for the Rams to add a top tier receiver.