How the NFC West is stacking up in the draft
Apr 27, 2012, 4:30 AM | Updated: 7:05 am
The Arizona Cardinals drafted talented wideout Michael
Floyd from Notre Dame with the 13th overall pick in the
first round of the NFL Draft. While Arizona’s selection of
Floyd has been widely lauded, let’s take a look at where
the Cardinals divisional rivals stand after Day One of the
draft and what’s still to come for the NFC West.
Trades were plentiful in Day One of the draft, and the NFC
West was particularly active.
St. Louis Rams
Round 1: The St. Louis Rams traded the sixth pick
to the Dallas Cowboys and received the 14th overall pick
in return, in addition to the Cowboys second round
selection.
In what was new head coach Jeff Fisher’s first selection
as part of the Rams contingent, the Rams used the 14th
pick on defensive tackle Michael Brockers from LSU.
Brockers is a solid, albeit not flashy addition. He’s
likely to solidify a defense that desperately needed to be
shored up.
Still to come: The Rams now possess three of the
first 13 picks in the second round of the draft, including
the first pick of the day Friday. St. Louis also holds a
third, fourth, sixth and two seventh round selections.
Seattle Seahawks
Round 1: Seattle also decided to trade down in the
first round in an effort to add more picks for later
rounds. The Seahawks struck a deal with the Philadelphia
Eagles, who were coveting defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.
In return for trading the 12th pick to the Eagles, the
Seahawks received the 15th, 114th (4th round) and 172nd
(6th round) picks in the draft.
With the 15th overall selection, the Seahawks drafted
defensive end Bruce Irvin from West Virginia to help
bolster their pass rush defense.
Still to come: The Seahawks are penciled in with
the 43rd pick in the second round, in addition to their
newly acquired fourth and sixth round picks from
Philadelphia. Seattle also holds one third, two fourth and
sixth round picks, along with one seventh round selection.
San Francisco 49ers
Round 1: Unlike their division foes, San Francisco
did not make a deal to move up the draft boards. Instead,
the 49ers surprised some by using their 30th pick on
Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins. The Niners believe
his speed could light up opposing teams’ defenses.
Still to come: The 49ers still hold a plethora of
picks, including the 61st selection in the second round
along with a pick in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and
seventh round, respectively.
