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The St. Louis Rams used six of the 17 choices for NFC West teams through the first four rounds of the 2012 NFL draft.

I've shaded the Rams' choices for easier identification in the chart.

Note that three of the first five choices used by NFC West teams went for wide receivers.

Player counts so far: Rams 6, Seattle Seahawks 5, San Francisco 49ers 3, Arizona Cardinals 3.

OK, Arizona Cardinals fans, time to back off a little.

Your team finally selected an offensive tackle in the 2012 NFL draft. Bobby Massie from Mississippi was projected as a second-round choice by some draft analysts; the Cardinals did not have a choice in that round, but they did have a need for a tackle (the headline was intended in good fun).

Massie stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 316 pounds. He projects as a potential starter for the Cardinals, presumably at right tackle, with Levi Brown the leading candidate on the left side. Scouts Inc. gave Massie above-average marks in most categories.

The Cardinals need to improve their pass protection for quarterbacks Kevin Kolb and John Skelton. They haven't used early choices for their line since 2007. Massie was a fourth-round pick, chosen 112th overall, two spots before Seattle selected Florida defensive tackle Jaye Howard.

"Above-average upside in this area," Scouts Inc. wrote of Massie's pass protection. "Sets too high and gets knocked off balance by power rush, but ability to recover from initial power surge and reset is excellent. Protects the edge well even though initial quickness is just average."

There was also this from Nolan Nawrocki, draft analyst for Pro Football Weekly: "A big, surprisingly athletic right tackle who appears to be more naturally suited for the left side. Flew under the radar in the fall, but has shown well against better competition."

That included what Nawrocki described as a pancake block against LSU's Michael Brockers, the St. Louis Rams' first-round choice.

The San Francisco 49ers have added one third-round choice and two sixths, all in 2013, with some wheeling and dealing during the fourth round of the 2012 draft.

Adding future picks could make sense for the 49ers given that they have relatively few roster spots open this season.

More in a bit. The Arizona Cardinals just drafted a tackle, Bobby Massie, from Mississippi, with the 112th overall choice.

RENTON, Wash. -- Where NFC West teams still have needs heading into the final four rounds of the 2012 NFL draft:

• Arizona Cardinals: offensive tackle. The team chose receiver Michael Floyd over tackle Riley Reiff in the first round. That was understandable, but without a second-round choice, the Cardinals weren't going to find a starting tackle in this draft, most likely. Taking cornerback Jamell Fleming in the third round drove home that reality.
• St. Louis Rams: outside linebacker. Other teams in the division have found starters after the first couple of rounds. Seattle did it with K.J. Wright in the fourth round last year. Previously, San Francisco found NaVorro Bowman in the third. The Rams have the first pick of the fourth round Saturday. Perhaps there's a linebacker worth taking there.
• San Francisco 49ers: guard. The 49ers traded back from the third round into the early fourth. Finding an interior offensive lineman isn't a huge priority at this point. Only seven linemen are active on game days, anyway. But if the 49ers saw one good enough to push Daniel Kilgore and Alex Boone for the starting job at right guard, that could be a consideration.
• Seattle Seahawks: tight end. The team lost John Carlson in free agency and decided against signing 32-year-old Visanthe Shiancoe before the draft. Shiancoe could still be a fallback, presumably, but with only three tight ends off the board in the first three rounds, that could be a position to consider.

Should be another fun day. I'm set up and ready to go. The video above does feature some NFC West talk. Jon Gruden's thoughts on Russell Wilson were interesting. Gruden likes the new Seattle quarterback's potential.

The joke from Arizona Cardinals general manager Rod Graves was that his team, without a second-round choice and having passed on Riley Reiff in the first round, would consider taking the Iowa tackle in the third.

Graves knew Reiff would be long gone by then, but if he and the Cardinals were stressing over their perceived need for a tackle, they hid their discomfort well.

Using a third-round choice for Oklahoma cornerback Jamell Fleming, chosen 80th overall Friday, showed the Cardinals weren't going to reach for help at tackle.

The team liked its depth at corner and felt as though four of its players at the position could start: Patrick Peterson, A.J. Jefferson, William Gay and Greg Toler. But with Toler coming off knee surgery and valuable veteran Richard Marshall having left in free agency, necessitating the move to sign Gay, the Cardinals had room for another young prospect at the position.

Coordinator Ray Horton expects his corners to support against the run. Scouts Inc. gave the 5-foot-10, 206-pound Fleming high marks in that area. Others weren't as convinced.

As for the need at tackle, consider that Kansas City selected Oklahoma's Donald Stephenson with the 74th choice, the first pure tackle selected since Cleveland chose Mitchell Schwartz with the 37th pick. The Cardinals aren't the only team avoiding tackles in this range of the draft, in other words. Arizona's next pick is 112th overall.

The NFL trend toward a state of (pass) happiness has not swept over the NFC West.

Go ahead and blame the quarterbacks, but realize, too, that the St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have sought run-oriented identities through their current head coaches.



The Rams' decision to draft defensive tackle Michael Brockers in the first round, understandable based on need alone, makes even more sense in a divisional context. The NFC West schedule delivers the Rams six games against Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore and Beanie Wells -- three physical backs coming off 1,000-yard seasons. The 49ers also added 260-pound Brandon Jacobs to their backfield.

The Rams ranked 31st in rushing yards allowed last season. They allowed 5.7 yards per carry on runs up the middle, including 3.2 before contact. Those figures were worst in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Brockers is 6-foot-5 and 322 pounds. Scouts Inc. rated him as exceptional or above average in every area except pass-rush ability, where his grade was average. Brockers' grades were exceptional for run defense and durability.

"He's what you want in a defensive tackle, especially in our division with the downhill runs and things like that," Rams general manager Les Snead told reporters Thursday night. "One person I know that’s smiling right now is (middle linebacker) James Laurinaitis."

How nice of Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman to lay out the NFC West welcome mat for new Arizona Cardinals first-round choice Michael Floyd.

Hold on a minute. That's not a welcome mat. It's a note on Floyd's new doorstep and a direct challenge to the wide receiver from Notre Dame.

"I'm going to wear him out again," Sherman tweeted. "We play them 1st game stay tuned."

The two matched up as college players in 2010, when Sherman was at Stanford. The Cardinal won that game, 37-14, but Floyd caught eight passes for 110 yards. Floyd gained 37 of those 110 yards on a third-and-12 reception in the final seven minutes, after Stanford had built a 34-6 lead.

I don't know how much Sherman was matched against Floyd that day, but when a Seahawks blogger suggested Floyd's selection by Arizona would be fine by him, Sherman re-tweeted the item and added a postscript: "Yep check my senior tape against ND."

According to Sherman, he dominated Floyd so thoroughly that Floyd's offensive coordinator approached Sherman after the game "and said he had no answer for me."

Floyd should not feel bad. Cornerbacks are notorious for their selective memories.

This approach appears to be Sherman's style. He called Cincinnati Bengals rookie A.J. Green "overrated" last season and then reminded skeptics Thursday night that he had "clamped" Green when the teams played last season. More recently, Sherman suggested Peyton Manning would have at least two tough games if the 49ers signed him.

Self-confidence is great, and Sherman did enjoy an outstanding rookie season. But he'll face some tough challenges in 2012, and even the best cornerbacks falter from time to time.

Floyd faces challenges, too. He comes to the NFC West at a time when teams in the division have upgraded their secondaries.

Seattle sent three defensive backs to the Pro Bowl last season. Sherman was not among them, but he arguably was their best corner by season's end. San Francisco placed two defensive backs in the Pro Bowl. The St. Louis Rams added tenacious corner Cortland Finnegan this offseason.

The St. Louis Rams enter the second round of the 2012 NFL draft with the 33rd, 39th and 45th overall choices.

They're in prime position to help themselves at wide receiver, in other words.

But they won't be upgrading with a certain receiver from the University of Illinois. That is because the San Francisco 49ers snapped up A.J. Jenkins with the 30th overall choice.

A.J. who? Well, turns out personnel people around the league, and specifically in St. Louis, knew plenty about Jenkins.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams had Jenkins ranked nearly as high as Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon, who went to Jacksonville with the fifth overall choice. He says the Rams "almost certainly" have to take a receiver with the first pick of the second round. Thomas: "League sources told the Post-Dispatch on Thursday afternoon that the Rams liked Jenkins so much that his grade wasn't much different than the one given Blackmon by the team's personnel department." Noted: That Thomas' sources passed along that information in the afternoon is noteworthy. At that point, the Rams presumably would have wanted to explain why they felt OK failing to land Blackmon. They would not have known Jenkins would land in San Francisco. This lends credence to the idea St. Louis liked Jenkins quite a bit. The Rams hold the first pick of the second round, so they'll have first crack at the next receiver, should they choose to target that position.

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains the thinking of Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher. Burwell: "I know it isn't that exciting. I know it's actually deflating to the casual fan who can only go on highlight films and drool over offensive weapons with which they are familiar such as Blackmon. But Snead and Fisher are convinced that they will use the four picks they have among the first 45 selections, as well as the early third-round pick, to come out of the draft having plugged quite a few holes."

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch generally approves of the Rams' approach Thursday. Miklasz: "If the Rams don't take a WR early in the second round, then I'll co-sign on your dissent. But at the end of the first day, as I write this late Thursday night/early Friday morning, I certainly won't rip Snead and Fisher team for drafting a promising run-stopping defensive tackle who kicked arse in the toughest college football conference in the nation. That would be the SEC. No, I'm not going to have a coronary episode over this pick after I've spent the last six years of Sundays watching this Rams defense getting prison-yard stomped by bullying offensive lines that rammed the football at will against soft or invisible DTs."

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News has this to say on Jenkins: "There's no assurance that Jenkins will be as good a receiver as Aldon Smith is as a pass rusher, but we know the 49ers have a similar feel for this. Can he give the 49ers a long-range deep threat? Who knows? It's a mystery. At this point, Baalke and Harbaugh are the ones who know best, and they love surprises. It's apparently how they do some of their best work." Noted: I'd resist any parallels to Smith. Jenkins was drafted much later, and at a position where it's tougher to make an immediate impact.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals' selection of receiver Michael Floyd puts pressure on quarterback Kevin Kolb to get more from the offense. Somers: "If Floyd is the player the Cardinals think he is, this offense has threats. Larry Fitzgerald, Beanie Wells, Ryan Williams (if healthy) and some tight ends who can catch the ball. Yes, the offensive line, (guard or tackle) still needs [to be] addressed. I look for that to happen Friday in the third round. But in Fitzgerald and Floyd, Kolb has two big receivers who have the size and skills to beat press coverage and make catches when tightly covered. That's essential in today's game." Noted: Failing to upgrade at offensive tackle could also put more pressure on Kolb, in the form of a pass rush.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune sees a pattern to the Seahawks' last couple first-round picks. Boling: "They love players who have unique physical gifts and fit special niches in their schemes. And you can see the positive effects of the approach in their first two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. But you start getting the sense they also take some extra joy in doing the unconventional, the unexpected, the risky. Going against the grain."

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks took an unconventional route by drafting Irvin. Kelley: "They had their pick of pass-rushers, and they chose the most obscure and the most controversial. Bruce Irvin better be good. And, both Carroll and general manager John Schneider practically promised he would be."

The first round of the 2012 NFL draft has come and gone. A few things I liked about the NFC West selections:

• St. Louis Rams: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU. Defensive tackle was a position of critical need for the Rams. Brockers projects as an instant starter with the versatility to play more than one position on the line. The Rams added a second-round choice for moving back from sixth to 14th overall. That was more than other teams trading back secured. Yes, the Rams still need a No. 1 receiver, but one school of though says this draft didn't feature a sure-fire one. No one can accuse the Rams of reaching. They got bigger and stronger on their defensive line. Having three second-round picks puts them in position to help the offense Friday.
• Arizona Cardinals: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame. Floyd comes to the Cardinals with an advantage. He already knows Larry Fitzgerald. Both players are from Minnesota. Fitzgerald publicly supported Floyd's selection heading into the draft. Floyd will get first-class mentoring from Fitzgerald, on and off the field. Fitzgerald has welcomed young players into his home and taken a direct interest in their development. That should help Floyd, who has a history of alcohol-related arrests.
• Seattle Seahawks: Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia. Coach Pete Carroll is personally and passionately invested in Irvin's success. Carroll and his defensive staff have enjoyed great success when matching players with specific traits to specific roles. Irvin possesses a very specific set of skills. He's a pass-rusher, plain and simple. That's all the Seahawks will ask him to do, at least initially. The 14-sack season San Francisco got from Aldon Smith in 2011 serves as a model for what the Seahawks will want from Irvin. Smith did not start a game, but he was a force in passing situations.
• San Francisco 49ers: A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois. The 49ers have time to develop Jenkins. Their depth at receiver should be sufficient in the short term, especially for a team that regularly uses two or more tight ends. That should give Jenkins time to improve his strength, an area of concern. Jenkins has the versatility to line up in more than one receiving spot, general manager Trent Baalke said. That's a bonus. I'm stretching a bit on Jenkins. That's no knock on him. It means I've got a lot to learn about him and about the 49ers' expectations for him.

Fun night. Back at it Friday.

RENTON, Wash. -- There were no bold strikes up the draft board for NFC West teams Thursday night.

There was resignation among those hoping the St. Louis Rams would emerge with a No. 1 wide receiver for quarterback Sam Bradford. The Rams traded down instead, taking LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers after wideouts Justin Blackmon and Michael Floyd vanished from the talent pool right before St. Louis picked.

There was the expected in Arizona, where the Cardinals went with Floyd over tackle Riley Reiff, no slam dunk but a widely projected scenario in recent weeks.

There was waiting in San Francisco, where the 49ers did not pick until No. 30, where they selected Illinois receiver A.J. Jenkins shortly after two top guards landed elsewhere.

And then there was utter shock in Seattle, where the Seahawks used the 15th overall choice for a player with more time logged in jail than in the mainstream media mock drafts circulating recently.

The Seahawks could have had pass-rushers Quinton Coples, Melvin Ingram or Chandler Jones, but instead they went with West Virginia's Bruce Irvin, a former junior-college transfer with a rough past, a sensational first step and a history with Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who once recruited him to USC.

Irvin is not Charles Haley, Chris Doleman, Derrick Thomas or Dwight Freeney. He is not even Von Miller or Jevon Kearse. The Seahawks think he'll become that type of player quickly, however, and they are not shy about leaving that impression. It's an upset if Irvin fails to reach double digits in sacks this season, to hear the Seahawks speak of him.

"This guy comes off the ball like Dwight Freeney and Von Miller and Jevon Kearse," general manager John Schneider said.

Irvin is not for everyone. At 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, he's a pure pass-rusher, not a player with the strength to anchor against the run on early downs. Irvin represents what Carroll wants for the "Leo" role manned capably by Chris Clemons in recent years. Irvin will play immediately as a situational pass-rusher. The plan will be to groom him as Clemons' successor eventually.

"He is exactly the makeup that you are looking for," Carroll said. "This goes all the way back to Charles Haley and Chris Doleman and Derrick Thomas. That is the kind of effect this guy has a chance to have. He has a lot to learn. He is going to have to grow up with us and learn our system. But the makeup of this player is so rare. He looks like a carbon copy of Von Miller rushing the passer."

Seattle spent big to retain run-stuffing defensive end Red Bryant in free agency. The money Bryant commanded means he'll be on the field for early downs. And with Clemons coming off an 11-sack season, that meant the Seahawks weren't looking for an every-down defensive end. They were looking for a player with a unique set of skills, and Irvin fits on that front. His 6.7-second time in the three-cone drill was the fastest for any player at the scouting combine.

"This position is so rare to find a guy that runs this fast," Carroll said.

Irvin follows a pattern in Seattle. Bryant is much bigger than the typical defensive end. Brandon Browner (6-4) and Richard Sherman (6-3) are taller than the typical cornerback. Kam Chancellor is the biggest strong safety in the league. Earl Thomas might be the NFL's fastest free safety. Linebacker K.J. Wright stands 6-4 and is rangier than most.

Now comes Irvin, who played wide receiver in high school before flunking out as a junior. Irvin was living on the streets for two years, at one point keeping his possessions in a bag. He spent a couple weeks in jail after allegedly robbing a drug dealer. Irvin pulled himself together, earned his GED and landed, eventually, on the football team at Mount San Antonio College.

"I went through a lot of stuff in my life," Irvin said. "I've seen a lot. The average person would not be on this call."

Nothing came of a more recent arrest for destruction of property.

"The Lord knew it was B.S.," Irvin said, drawing laughter from reporters huddled around a conference-call speaker at Seahawks headquarters.

A year ago, the Seahawks shocked draft analysts by selecting tackle James Carpenter with the 25th overall choice. Carpenter hadn't appeared in many first-round mock drafts, but the Seahawks weren't the only team with a first-round grade on him. Pittsburgh and Green Bay also liked him. An injury derailed Carpenter last season, making it tough to evaluate that choice. The Irvin selection was similar in that virtually no one projected the move.

So far, though, Carroll has usually been right when targeting specific defensive players for specific roles. And there is precedent within the division for surprise first-round selections making an immediate impact.

The 49ers selected Aldon Smith seventh overall last year when few projected the Missouri pass-rusher to San Francisco. Smith, unlike Irvin, was widely considered a top-15 prospect by analysts. Smith finished his rookie season with 14 sacks, finishing behind only Miller in defensive-rookie-of-the-year balloting, even though conventional wisdom suggested Smith would need time to develop.

Smith succeeded right away largely because the 49ers used him properly, asking him to do the one thing he could do best: rush the passer.

The bar has been set high for Irvin.

"I'm just a great athlete," Irvin said. "I'm going to do great things for this organization. The sky is the limit for me."

The Arizona Cardinals' decision to make Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd the 13th overall choice has implications throughout the NFC West.

For one, it gives quarterbacks Kevin Kolb and John Skelton another physically impressive weapon opposite Larry Fitzgerald. The move also made sure the division-rival St. Louis Rams would not emerge with one of the two highest-rated receivers in the draft. Left unknown: to what degree the Rams wanted one of those wideouts.

The Rams were scheduled to pick sixth overall when Jacksonville traded ahead of them to take Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, the highest-rated wideout in the draft. The Rams then traded back to No. 14. That selection was approaching when the Cardinals selected Floyd.

Arizona still needs an offensive tackle, in my view, and the team could have a tough time finding an immediate starter without a second-round choice this year.

Meanwhile, it's looking like the Rams will not find a receiving weapon until the second round, at the earliest. We'll find out soon enough. The Rams are on the clock.

RENTON, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks wanted to trade back from the 12th overall spot in the 2012 NFL draft.

General manager John Schneider indicated as much last week.

That's what happened Thursday when Seattle sent the 12th pick to Philadelphia for the 15th, 114th and 172nd overall choices.

That trade left the NFC West with the 13th (Arizona), 14th (St. Louis) and 15th overall choices.

Buckle up.

The Rams previously traded down from sixth to 14th with Dallas. Looks like the NFC West is valuing quantity over quality in this draft.

Seattle was without a fifth-round pick. The team now has two fourth-rounders and two sixth-rounders.

The Buffalo Bills' thinking at No. 10 in the 2012 draft had the potential to affect the Arizona Cardinals three picks later.

Both teams have needs at offensive tackle and wide receiver.

But with the Bills using the 10th choice for cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the Cardinals' pick approached with tackle Riley Reiff and receiver Michael Floyd both available. Kansas City (11th) and Seattle (12th) stand between Arizona and having a shot at those players.

Tackle is the bigger need for Arizona, in my view. How will the Cardinals value Reiff against the other available players?

Also: With linebacker Luke Kuechly going to Carolina at No. 9, the Seahawks appear more likely to address linebacker later than No. 12.

NFL teams routinely fly their new draft choices to team headquarters for news conferences and initial meetings with team brass.

The Arizona Cardinals' upcoming flight plans include escorting former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev from Phoenix to New York.

Add this unusual arrangement to the list of notable flights featuring Cardinals president Michael Bidwill behind the controls.

Bidwill, a pilot, has previously used his plane to bring relief to hurricane-ravaged residents of Mexico, and to personally deliver former Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin from New Jersey back to Phoenix following a frightening injury against the New York Jets several years ago.

These aren't the sorts of stories that command our attention on draft day. Most fans would probably rather know in advance which players the Cardinals might be targeting in the seventh round. The glasnost Gorbachev brought to international relations hasn't made it to the NFL. Bidwill won't be escorting Gorbachev until after the draft, anyway.

Draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. Todd McShay, Rob Rang and Nolan Nawrocki have published their final 2012 NFL mock drafts, with NFC West picks on display in the chart.

There's more consensus with the 30th overall choice than with the sixth overall choice. All four have San Francisco selecting a guard. Three of the four point to Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler as the one.

I'll revisit these after the draft and hand out awards as warranted.