January 12th, 2011 
Jeff 
Posted in 
The Rams chances of taking an impact wide receiver with their first round pick in the 2011 NFL draft took a combination of a right hook and a left uppercut today as both Malcolm Floyd of Notre Dame and Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State returned to school. These two players opting out of the draft weakens the wide receiver draft class significantly and not only increases the chances that the Rams will not take a wide receiver in the first round, it increases the chances that Julio Jones will not fall to 14. Without Floyd or Blackmon, Jones will be the consensus #2 wide receiver and at this point it looks like he will be picked in the top 10-12 picks.
Jonathan Baldwin out of Pittsburgh would be the only other wide receiver in the draft that looks to have a #1 receiver upside and he does not look like a top 15 pick at this point in the process.
These decisions deal a huge blow to the Rams hope of finding a top-end wide receiver through the draft. This may force the Rams to find an option in free agency (when it opens) and draft a 2nd or 3rd round wide receiver that is a little more raw and needs some work (like Mardy Gilyard – but not as raw).
Tags: 
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by St. Louis Rams. St. Louis Rams said: WRs Floyd and Blackmon Returning To School: The Rams chances of taking an impact wide receiver with their first… http://bit.ly/epKq5n […]