Nov 5, 2011; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes linebacker Sean Spence (31) in the game against the Duke Blue Devils at Sun Life Stadium. Miami defeated Duke 49-14. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

The first round of the real draft is only two short days away, and I just can’t wait. This is my favorite time of year, and all this mock draft discussion is only making me more excited. Let’s move ahead with our Rams mock, and tonight we are up to the fourth round. These are the picks that the Rams have struggled with in recent years, so hopefully the Jeff Fisher regime can find some impact players in the middle rounds.

With the 96th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Rams select Sean Spence, LB Miami.

There are certainly both positives and negatives with Spence. He is lightning fast and a great tackler, and he is pretty solid in coverage as well. He has a great nose for the ball, and he finishes plays.

Now, the negatives. He’s small. Spence is only 5-foot-11, 231 lbs, and although he played in the middle at “The U”, he’s going to play outside in the pros. He had trouble getting off blocks in college, and that issue doesn’t translate well to the NFL.

Even though he’s undersized, I think he would be a great pick here in the fourth. If he was bigger, he’d probably go in the first round, and I love the athleticism and toughness he brings. The Rams have struggled at OLB for a long time, so bringing in a talent like Spence will help. He projects as a plus special teams player as well, so that should help his value. He’s certainly not a sure thing, but the skills he brings to the table make him a nice pick in the fourth.

Assuming this deal is finalized, it represents another nice move by the Rams front office. Leber is a guy we talked about a lot during the lockout as a potential nice fit here in St. Louis, and he was one of the top players left in the free agent market. What makes this move even better is that the Seahawks were also in talks with Leber. That means that not only did we pick up a durable veteran player at a need position, but we also kept him away from Seattle. Leber gives the Rams some flexibility at the position after the signings of Zac Diles and Brady Poppinga, so it will be interesting to see how the starting positions shake out during camp. Overall, it looks like a win-win for the Rams.

As far as the actual location goes, they’re keeping it pretty tight-lipped. I obviously won’t be there since it’s in Arizona, but I have heard rumors that it will be in the Glendale area, so for anyone out in the desert keep a lookout. There have been varying opinions on how important these workouts are, but I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I would much rather have these guys together, working on their game, studying film, and just generally being around each other than sitting by themselves not doing anything. These workouts might not make a major difference in prep