The St. Louis, fresh off of a 2-14 season in 2011, made a surprising run in the NFC West last season in Jeff Fisher’s first year as a head coach despite one of the least explosive offenses in the NFL. In desperate need of play-makers and more speed at the skill positions, the Rams seem like a virtual lock to take a wideout early in the 2013 NFL Draft. Which one will strike their fancy?
2013 NFL mock draft: Tavon Austin to St. Louis Rams
Which receiver will strike the Rams’ fancy this year?
Justin K. Aller
| Team | Player | Position | Height | Weight | Class |
| 16. St. Louis Rams | Tavon Austin, West Virginia | WR | 5'9" | 174 | SR |
Ryan Van Bibber: "The Rams offense scored a grand average of 18.7 points per game; only five teams in the NFL were worse. That’s actually a big improvement from the 12 points per game the Rams scored the year before, but it’s not enough to be a winning football team. Since drafting Sam Bradford first overall in 2010, the Rams have lacked two things very important to a quarterback’s development: blockers and playmakers. Enter Tavon Austin. The West Virginia product’s quickness and ability to move with the ball in his hands is unlike anything the Rams have had in almost a decade. Paired with tight end Jared Cook and second-year receiver Chris Givens, the Rams offense would finally have more speed than it does plodding chain-movers who disappear inside the 25-yard line. Yes, Austin is a little guy with all the injury concerns that go with it. He never missed so much as a practice during his college days. Besides, the immediate future of the NFL is smaller and a faster anyway." |  | ||||
Here’s our own Dan Kadar to break down the pick:
It’s highly likely the Rams will take a wide receiver in the first round. No player on the team topped 700 yards receiving last season, so it’s clear more weapons need to be given to Sam Bradford. It’s just a matter of figuring out which one fits their system the best. There is a distinct difference in what the Rams could do with a player like Austin compared to a player like Keenan Allen or DeAndre Hopkins. If the Rams want a player that can do multiple things and be a touchdown threat every time he touches the ball, someone like Cordarrelle Patterson seems like a better choice.
We'll move into the second half of Round 1 at Noon, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Behind the Steel Curtain getting the ball rolling with pick No. 17.
| # | Player | Pos. | College | Ht. | Wt. |
| 5 | Sheldon Richardson * | DT | Missouri | 6'3" | 294 |
| 11 | Bjoern Werner * | DE | Florida State | 6'3" | 266 |
| 12 | Jonathan Cooper | OG | North Carolina | 6'2" | 311 |
| 15 | Arthur Brown | LB | Kansas State | 6'0" | 241 |
| 16 | Kenny Vaccaro | S | Texas | 6'1" | 215 |
| No. | Team | Player | Pos. | College |
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | Luke Joeckel | OT | Texas A&M |
| 2 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Geno Smith | QB | West Virginia |
| 3 | Oakland Raiders | Sharrif Floyd | DT | Florida |
| 4 | Philadelphia Eagles | Eric Fisher | OT | Central Michigan |
| 5 | Detroit Lions | Ezekiel Ansah | DE | BYU |
| 6 | Cleveland Browns | Dion Jordan | OLB | Oregon |
| 7 | Arizona Cardinals | Barkevious Mingo | OLB | LSU |
| 8 | Buffalo Bills | Jarvis Jones | OLB | Georgia |
| 9 | New York Jets | Chance Warmack | OG | Alabama |
| 10 | Tennessee Titans | Dee Milliner | CB | Alabama |
| 11 | San Diego Chargers | Star Lotulelei | DT | Utah |
| 12 | Miami Dolphins | Desmond Trufant | CB | Washington |
| 13 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Xavier Rhodes | CB | Florida State |
| 14 | Carolina Panthers | Lane Johnson | OT | Oklahoma |
| 15 | New Orleans Saints | Alec Ogletree | LB | Georgia |
| 16 | St. Louis Rams | Tavon Austin | WR | West Virginia |
See More:
