St. Louis Rams Mock Draft: Evaluating Walter Football's Latest Predictions

The 2012 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and the St. Louis Rams will be on the clock with the No. 6 pick in just about a month.  

In the meantime, NFL mock drafts, such as the popular mock from walterfootball.com, will demand ever-increasing attention from NFL fans at large and Rams Nation, specifically. 

Please note, the Walter Football mock draft is only five rounds long.  Since St. Louis does not currently possess a fifth round pick, we will only analyze the Rams' first through fourth-round projections. 

I will be grading each of the Walter Football choices in the following slides as well as offering alternative suggestions for each.  That said, let us jump right to the evaluation of the aforementioned site's latest mock draft for St. Louis.

Round 1 (6): Justin Blackmon, WR

If the poll in my recent article is any indication, Walter Football has made a big percentage of Rams Nation happy with the selection of Justin Blackmon at No. 6.  

Of nearly 1,800 voters, 55 percent want Blackmon at No. 6 over Matt  Kalil, Morris Claiborne or Trent Richardson, assuming all four were theoretically available there. 

Considering the vote is split four ways, Blackmon's 55 percent take shows that he is the overwhelming choice of Rams Nation. 

In the Walter Football mock, Kalil and Richardson are off the board, and they send Blackmon to St. Louis over Claiborne or another potential pick at six, such as Dontari Poe, for example. 

As for Blackmon over Claiborne, the Rams likely have both stacked very similarly on their draft board, especially in regard to overall player value.

If so, that would make the Blackmon choice the right call as the need at wide receiver would appear to edge out the need at the cornerback position, particularly after the signing of free agent Cortland Finnegan, the return of Jerome Murphy from the injured reserve and the hopeful return of Bradley Fletcher, among others.

The Rams offense averaged a meager 12 points per game last season, a number that must improve.

Although the pass protection was inconsistent and sub-par overall, the receivers oftentimes were unable to attain separation even on the too-rare occasions when Bradford (or another quarterback) had ample time to throw.

Head coach Jeff Fisher believes they can grab offensive lineman in Rounds 2-4, and I would expect that to occur in 2012.

Although I am not one who thinks Blackmon stands head and shoulders above the other wide receiver prospects in the 2012 NFL Draft, I do see his future being bright in the league. 

That said, if the Rams do indeed pass on Blackmon or if he is taken by the time St. Louis selects, there are some terrific WR prospects in this draft, particularly in Rounds 2-4 (and I could see the Rams grabbing a couple of them there.) 

Another option would be to trade down from No. 6, something I believe St. Louis would be very willing to do if the right trade offer presented itself. 

If St. Louis ultimately trades down on April 26, I look for the Rams to target one of the following players: Dontari Poe, Michael Floyd, Kendall Wright, David DeCastro, Cordy Glenn, Jonathan Martin, Dre Kirkpatrick or Stephon Gilmore. 

Gray's Grade:  A-

Shane's Suggestion: Trade down for an aforementioned player and add additional picks to help solidify a roster with an abundance of holes. 

Round 2 (1): Mike Adams, OT

Mike Adams looks to me like the classic boom or bust candidate.  

In fact, many draft evaluators and sites (including Walter Football themselves) believe that Adams could certainly bust.

Sure, he has the prototypical long arms, feet and size that NFL teams love at offensive tackle.

On the other hand, Adams has questionable technique, struggles at times in space or on counter moves against quick rushers and has a history of suspensions and off-the-field issues.

Furthermore, Adams was atrocious in the bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine with just 19 repetitions at 225 pounds, raising a few red flags there.  

To put it in perspective, fellow tackle Matt Kalil had 30 reps and Zebrie Sanders, a tackle slated by most to go around the same time as Adams in the draft, had 28.  

In addition, there is talk of him perhaps being better suited for the right side, which would quell any hopes that St. Louis might have of moving Rodger Saffold there.

All in all, there are too many question marks, both on and off the field, to take Adams here, especially with prospects I like better likely to be available here or later.

Gray's Grade: B-

Shane's Suggestion: Grab either Zebrie Sanders or Bobby Massie (both OTs) either with the second of two second-round picks or the team's third rounder and grab outside linebacker Zach Brown here, especially after losing OLB Chris Chamberlain to the Saints.  

Round 2 (7): Kendall Reyes, DT

Like the pick of Adams on the previous slide, I love the position selected (as both are need relevant) but do not love the specific player pegged for the spot.  

After signing Kendall Langford from the Miami Dolphins (who will play primarily as a three technique defensive tackle), St. Louis would ideally land a big one or two technique DT to complement the skill set and abilities of Langford inside.

That said, I like this projection much more than the Adams pick because Reyes, at the very least, has the look of a solid contributor rather than a potential bust, unlike Adams.

Again, nothing wrong with Reyes in and of himself, but he is very similar to Langford as he to projects as a 3-4 defensive end (the position Langford played in Miami) or a 4-3 defensive tackle.

St. Louis has lacked a big beast in the middle of the defensive line for a long time and has struggled in recent years versus the run partially because of that.

A big-bodied run stuffer would be a tremendous fit for the Rams based on the current makeup of the personnel at defensive line and the Jeff Fisher defensive scheme. 

Gray's Grade: B

Shane's Suggestion: If looking DT, grab Brandon Thompson here or Alameda Ta'amu at the top of round three, as both look to be better fits for the Rams.

Round 3 (2): Lavonte David, OLB

Of all the Walter Football Rams picks, I like the Lavonte David selection best. 

Although some say he is a bit undersized at 6'1" and just over 230 pounds, David's overall value and the many assets he brings to the table outweigh any concerns regarding his size, especially at this point in the draft. 

David is a very productive player and a good athlete.  Rams general manager Les Snead has talked about adding players with short area explosiveness, and David would certainly feel the bill. 

David is not only strong versus the run and a sure tackler but performs well in pass coverage. 

If St. Louis has not selected an outside linebacker by this point in the draft, nabbing David here would be a very solid move, especially after losing 2011 starter Chris Chamberlain to the New Orleans Saints. 

Unless St. Louis prefers a bigger outside linebacker who likely falls into this area of the draft (like Ronnell Lewis or Bruce Irvin) David would seem to be a solid pick and one who bring bring good value and intangibles to the Rams. 

Gray's Grade: A-

Shane's Suggestion: Grab the bigger, faster Zach Brown in round 2 instead of David here and target the best player available at either wide receiver, offensive tackle or offensive guard with this pick.  

Round 4 (1): Jamell Fleming, CB

Jamell Fleming performed well at the NFL Scouting Combine and during his pro day, so, predictably, he is rising on draft boards. 

For some perspective, cbssports.com has given Fleming a second-round grade.

Although Fleming would not be my first choice for corner, getting a player in round four who is being given a second-round grade by the likes of cbssports.com and the well-respected veteran talent evaluator Gil Brandt, it is hard to squabble with this selection.  

Fleming is capable of playing some strong bump and run (a trait highly desirable in Fisher's high pressure scheme) and he displayed 4.4 speed at the NFL Combine. 

He, like Cortland Finnegan and Jerome Murphy, is known as a tough and feisty player who is good in run support, another highly-coveted aspect of Fleming's game for Fisher and defensive backs coach Chuck Cecil to like. 

In today's pass-happy NFL, it is impossible to have too many corners.  

Even if Bradley Fletcher returns to the defensive backfield full-go with fellow 2011 injured reserve buddy Jerome Murphy to team with Cortland Finnegan, St. Louis is still far from elite at the position, at least until proven otherwise. 

With that established, the selection of Fleming here makes sense and would add quality depth to a position that needs it in abundance. 

Gray's Grade: B+

Shane's Suggestion: i would grab and offensive guard like Brandon Brooks or Lucas Nix or a wide receiver like Brian Quick or Nick Toon (if available.) 

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year-round. You are encouraged to check out the rest of his work here and to follow him on Twitter.