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With only four NFL teams still playing, we have entered the “other” season of the NFL. Not the preseason, the regular season or the postseason. I am talking about mock draft season. Between now and the actual draft, thousands of websites will deliver hundreds of their own mock drafts. Some sites hold more credibility than others, and those are the ones we keep an eye out for.
The first mock draft that caught our eyes was that of NFL.com’s Gil Brandt. He compiled his 2013 mock draft and the Rams’ two selections in the first round are compelling.
With their first pick (16th overall) in the first round, Brandt has the Rams taking Alabama running back Eddie Lacy. The pick is intriguing, especially with the future of Steven Jackson in limbo. Lacy, is a Jackson clone. He isn’t as tall as Steven, or as heavy (yet), but he is a bulldozer of a back and will knock people over. Lacy finished with 1,322 yards and 17 scores this year at Alabama. Brandt has him as the first running back coming off of the board.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPrnpAK4n5Y[/youtube]
With their second first rounder (23rd overall) Brandt has the Rams upgrading the wide receiver position and selecting Keenan Allen out of Cal. Here is CBSSportsline.com’s scouting report on Allen:
Strengths: Has a long, tapered build with prototypical height for the position. Very good all-around athlete. Good initial quickness, balance and lateral agility. Is a smooth accelerator with sneaky build-up speed. Natural big play threat who isn't afraid of contact and has very good vision and patience to set up blocks. Rarely allows passes to get past his hands and into his chest. Typically snatches passes out of the air, showing very good hand-eye coordination and a wide catching radius due to his length, flexibility and big hands. Tracks the ball well over his shoulder. Experienced route-runner who has extensive experience lining up outside and in the slot. Quick hands and feet to slip past press coverage. Shows a natural savvy running his routes, altering his speeds, dipping his shoulder and exploding out of his cuts to generate separation from the defender. Does a nice job of shielding defensive backs from the ball with his size. Wastes little time getting upfield. Competitive, attentive downfield blocker.
Weaknesses: Lacks elite straight-line speed. Is quicker and more agile than his size would indicate but does not possess the elite elusiveness to consistently make defenders miss in tight quarters. Will occasionally drop catchable passes, though this typically occurs when he's in traffic and attempting to make a defender miss before securing the ball. Missed the final three games of the 2012 season with a left knee injury that will need to be evaluated at the Combine.
Compares To: Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers -- Like Nelson, Allen possesses just enough straight-line speed to beat defenders on the outside, as well as the size, toughness and sure hands to attack over the middle.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sskHoNba-JE[/youtube]
