2012 NFL Mock Draft: Why St. Louis Rams Must Trade out of No. 2 Spot

Robert Griffin III lit up the NFL Scouting Combine this weekend, wowing everyone in attendance with his incredible athleticism. It is now more clear that ever that quarterback-needy teams will be desperate to get their hands on the Baylor product and will likely be willing to trade up in the draft to get him. That makes the St. Louis Rams incredibly powerful, as they own the No. 2 overall selection.

As it stands right now, I can't see any reason for the Rams to hold on to the No. 2 pick. The Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins are all likely trade partners for St. Louis as they need quarterback help and are sure to want Griffin.

The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner wowed scouts with a 4.41 40-yard dash, while measuring in at 6'2" and 223 pounds. Some were afraid Griffin would come in much shorter and lighter than advertised, but almost everyone was pleasantly surprised with his measurements. 

Unless Griffin has an absolutely disastrous afternoon throwing the ball at his pro day, it is safe to say he will be the second quarterback off the board and is almost certain to be a top-five pick.

In my most recent mock draft, I have him falling to the Washington Redskins at No. 6, but that is only because I have not factored in possible trades. If I were to consider that kind of movement, I truly believe Griffin will be the No. 2 overall pick.

The Rams now are in a position of power, and they should exercise it. After a 2-14 season, St. Louis has enough holes on its roster where trading down and stockpiling picks and/or players would accelerate the rebuilding process. 

With the No. 2 pick, the Rams could take Oklahoma State wide receiver James Blackmon or USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil. But the team's best bet would be to trade out of that spot, move down and add more pieces.

2012 NFL Mock Draft      

1.  Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2.  St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

3.  Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC  

4.  Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

5.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU 

6.  Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

7.  Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

8.  Carolina Panthers: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

9.  Miami Dolphins: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

10.  Buffalo Bills: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama

11.  Kansas City Chiefs: Devon Still, DT, Penn State

12.  Seattle Seahawks: Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina

13.  Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

14.  Dallas Cowboys: David DeCastro, G, Stanford

15.  Philadelphia Eagles: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

16.  New York Jets: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

17.  Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders): Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

18.  San Diego Chargers: Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia 

19.  Chicago Bears: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

20.  Tennessee Titans: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC

21.  Cincinnati Bengals: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

22.  Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta Falcons): Mark Barron, S, Alabama  

23.  Detroit Lions: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

24.  Pittsburgh Steelers: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

25.  Denver Broncos: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

26.  Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

27.  New England Patriots: Michael Brockers, DT/DE, LSU

28.  Green Bay Packers: Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois   

29.  Baltimore Ravens: Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State

30.  San Francisco 49ers: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

31. New England Patriots: Andre Branch, OLB, Clemson

32.  New York Giants: Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina