Rams Mock: Round 2 Pick 39 – Janoris Jenkins

Up next in our mock is the second of the two second-round picks held by the Rams in the coming draft. Since the Rams have already selected in this round, they can afford to take a bit of a risk here and gamble that the positives heavily outweigh the negatives.

With the 39th pick in in 2012 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams select Janoris Jenkins, CB North Alabama.

Based on talent alone, Jenkins is a top ten pick and maybe the best corner in this class. Unfortunately, talent isn’t the only thing on which these players are evaluated. He has had numerous problems off the field, including several drug arrests and other issues. There’s no question that he’s a wild card, but I think the possible reward overshadows the risk at this point in the draft. The Rams will already have chosen two players with first-round talent, so if Jenkins craps out it won’t devastate the organization. If he stays clean and plays up to his potential, he could be a star in the NFL and the steal of the draft.

Under the old regime, Jenkins wouldn’t be a possibility. This isn’t the old regime, however, and I could see Jeff Fisher and company taking a chance here. It will depend who is still on the board and where the Rams have Jenkins placed on theirs, but he looks like a realistic option.