The Rams are waking up satisfied this morning, knowing they drafted a player they like a lot in the first round in Michael Brockers, and knowing they’ll be in the driver’s seat tonight after acquiring two additional second-round picks. But that’s not to say everything played out just how the Rams wanted.
In fact, what the Rams were really hoping for was Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon. Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Rams’ first choice was Alabama running back Trent Richardson, but it never seemed realistic that he’d fall to them with the No. 6 overall pick. Their second choice was Blackmon, and they thought they were about to acquire him until the Jaguars traded ahead of them and drafted Blackmon.
Silver writes that when the Rams found out the Jags had jumped them and would take Blackmon fifth overall, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher slammed his eyeglasses onto the table and uttered a one-syllable expletive. But Fisher recovered quickly and was thrilled with what followed: The Rams moved down to No. 14 in a trade that got them the Cowboys’ second-round pick, and the player the Rams chose at 14, Brockers, is someone they liked well enough that they would have considered taking him sixth.
Now the Rams are enjoying a Friday in which they’ll surely field many trade offers for the first overall pick in the second round. If they get an offer they like, they’ll continue doing what they’ve already done twice with picks in this draft, and gain value for a trade down. If not, they’ll begin tonight owning the 33rd, 39th, 45th and 65th overall picks, and knowing they’ll keep improving their team. Even after missing out on Blackmon.