2012 NFL Mock Draft: Have The Rams Been Aiming For Justin Blackmon All Along?

Don Banks at SI.com rolled out his latest and greatest 2012 NFL mock draft on Wednesday morning. There are relatively few surprises in the top six picks, and Banks does not project trades as others have done recently. Banks puts Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon in the sixth spot for the St. Louis Rams. The selection in and of itself it not a surprise. What is a surprise is what Banks says in the description.

Here's Banks:

Like the No. 4 Browns, the Rams have a third-year quarterback in need of some help. I think Blackmon was the player St. Louis had targeted long before it even pulled off that blockbuster deal with the Redskins, and lo and behold, the plan works flawlessly.

He's not really citing any sources, which he makes clear. The Rams have been behind the eight ball on draft prep because of the leadership changes. Jeff Fisher gave some insight into where the team stood on its draft prep after practice on Tuesday.

"The process is going well," Fisher said. "The scouts have done a terrific job doing their research and their homework and the discussions and the conversations are going well. We start position-by-position and we start putting the board together. We're probably three quarters of the way through it, which is good."

We should know more next Thursday.