Once it looked like a sure thing that the St. Louis Rams would draft Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon. In the weeks since the Combine and the Rams' blockbuster trade with Washington, the debate about whether or not Blackmon merits the Rams' first-round pick has heated up among pundits and fans. Don Banks sticks to the Blackmon-Rams thinking in his latest mock draft at SI.com, one day after Michael Floyd's pro day workout reignited the debate about the draft's best receiver.
Here is Banks' thinking on the pick:
New Rams head coach Jeff Fisher last week broached the idea of trading down again if the opportunity presents itself. But not in this scenario. Not if Blackmon is sitting there for the taking. Getting Sam Bradford a No. 1 receiver to grow with would put the cherry on top of last month's blockbuster trade with Washington.
Gil Brandt from the NFL Network argued that Floyd was the better receiver following Floyd's workout on Tuesday. Here's Brandt:
Floyd really moved himself up the charts Tuesday, and again, his performance should at least have people putting him side-by-side with Blackmon; as I wrote, personally, I would rank Floyd higher. Floyd is a little faster and a little taller, and he's been pretty productive in college. I think he should be taken with the 11th or 12th pick in the draft.
Expect the debate to continue.