Ravens 2013 Draft Thread
 

Yeah it's extremely early but the college season has started and so have the prospect evaluations. Who are you keeping an eye on as a potential Raven draftee?

Robert Lester, Alabama
Kevin Reddick, UNC
Khaled Holmes, USC
Jake Matthews, A&M
Jarvis Jones, UGA

Although in concept I don't really like to 'replace' quality, improving home grown starters with 1st round picks, however, if one of those big NT's fell say Johnathan Jenkins, I think it would certainly be something to look into. Cody has done a pretty good job but if we're being honest, he isn't much of an impact player. He does his job, he's in good position but he's not someone who really presents a lot of challenges for offenses. I've noticed Kemo has started stealing 1st and 2nd down reps from him already and has actually looked a bit better imo. This is going to be a tough year for us to peg a certain position of interest but it's something I think we'd certainly have to consider if a big, talented NT was sitting there in the late 1st.

Kemoeatu is actually starting over Cody but I don't like what I've seen from him. In my opinion he's been part of the problem that the team has had in stopping the run. He's not a bad player he just seems to be out of position more (he tries to make more impact plays I think, doesn't really work though) than Cody and that hurts the defense. I wouldn't consider NT at all at the top of the draft.

As it stands now in early October, we don't have many glaring needs and best defensive player on the board might be the best way to go. Our NT play is average and our run D hasn't been quite up to snuff (4 games in I realize). If the value was right I might like that pick if the player was right too. It'd be nice to have someone who could actually push the pocket vs. the pass on early downs. Really not giving up on Cody or trying to throw him under the bus. It's a position that kinda gets overlooked when we're talking draft and with the level of play there and TC in going into the last year of his deal, I don't think it should be.

I agree that they don't have any glaring needs at this point (assuming Suggs comes back and is effective) but I don't think that NT is any sort of need either. The reason that it gets overlooked is that there isn't really any need to actually look at it.

I would say that if we're talking just about caliber of player, Cody is at the same level as Ellerbe/McClain. We (the collective fanbase) have been wanting to upgrade that ILB spot since they got here and still do. All I'm saying is why would you not even consider upgrading arguably the weakest current spot on the defense if the opportunity presented itself.

Kevin Reddick out of UNC would be an ideal selection.. if he is available in the 2nd or 3rd I think he can pan out to be a very balanced LB.

That's where we differ then - I don't think NT is anywhere near as weak as #2 ILB with Ellerbe/McClain. I would list NT near the bottom if you ranked all of the positional needs.

What positions do we think we'll be looking at come April?

I'd love us to draft a true LT, but I doubt that we do given the coaching staff seem to believe that Oher is a decent LT and we have KO and Reid at RT.

LG is another big ?. We've started a raw LT project at the position so far but it looks like we're going to a vet who probably doesn't have much left in Williams. Do we draft a guy like Warmack and be content that we're set at G for the next ~4 years? Or do we shuffle the people we already have (to Oher-KO-Birk/Gradkowski-Yanda-Reid) and only draft for depth?

We obviously need an ILB to take over from Ray, but that's been said that for a couple of years now and we haven't done anything except pick up UDFAs.

I'd say that this period of time without Suggs has proven we need a true pass rusher, but we've already used 3 2nd round picks in the last 4 years at OLB so who knows how willing the FO would be to spend another high pick on the position.

If I had to order our needs I'd probably say (taking likelihood of taking a player at that position high into account):
1. ILB
2. OLB
3. FS
4. LT
5. DE
6. LG
7. WR (Maybe we let Boldin go after this year?)

Is anybody else really intrigued by Dion Jordan?

Yes, very much so. So much so I took him 29th in the forum mock we just recently had. Has been one of my favorite players in the draft since the offseason and has only grown on me more and more. A true freak athlete who is just a very, very good all around football player. Huge fan.

Scott's latest mock has the Ravens taking Arthur Brown. Any thoughts on this? Personally I like it a lot and he might be my favorite MLB prospect after Te'o.

I'd be a fan of that pick.

If Cary Williams leaves in FA, how early should we start looking at CB's?

I wouldn't want them to use a quality pick on one. Webb will be back and I highly doubt they look to replace Smith this soon so the starters are set. Graham is a decent option as a nickel and then you have Jackson and Brown to battle for that spot and fill out the depth. The biggest question is how will Webb look coming off of his injury but with the rest of the needs on the team I don't think they should spend much "just in case." I feel like the CB position is in one of the best situations on the team (especially the defense) regardless of what Williams does.

See, it's nice to have two legit outside CB's so we have the ability to play Webb inside given that he's the best nickelback in the league. I guess that's more of a luxury than a necessity. We will have a much better feel for the caliber of player Corey Graham (maybe Asa and Chykie as well) is by the end of the year.


And on the previous topic of ILB's, my favorite non-Teo prospect for us would have to be Kevin Minter from LSU. 6'2 245, Very explosive, can run and chase but also has noticeable power at the point of attack. He's an underclassmen so he may or may not declare but he'll be a first round prospect if he does.

This is a good year to need an athletic ILB.

I just hope they take advantage of it. There are quite a few ILB prospects I like at this point (even just counting the seniors) and it's as big of a need for the Ravens as it's ever been.

One pick for the Ravens I notice that keeps popping up in mock drafts is T.J. McDonald. No thank you.

I agree with you about TJ.

I've become a big fan of this guy as of late. Might end up being the best all-around backer Saban's had since he's been at Bama. I don't think he's far off from Te'o as a prospect.

Hi chaps. I'm new round here, and a Ravens fan from the UK. I've been watching the forums for a couple of years now but thought I'd get involved.

I've been reading some comments that NT isn't really much of a priority and I have to say I disagree. Kemo is a one year rental, and really isn't performing, and Cody... I just think the guy really looks lost in the NFL game. Having all that weight to throw around in college served him well but in the pros he needs technique and strength and really I don't see it. He's getting blocked one-on-one (which makes him a liability in the ravens scheme), he plays with no leverage and he is ending up on his ass as much as Kemo. Technique can help, but I just don't see him as that space clogging NT the Ravens need. Watching guards get up on the ILBs and RBs run for 5 yards a pop, if not more (after missed tackles) really doesn't give me much hope for the position.

I really think two things can help this D, a passrusher at the OLB or DE spot, we hoped that would be McPhee, but he doesn't seem to be performing well in more of an expanded role, and the loss of Redding does look like it has had an effect. The other thing would be a big block eating NT to slow down the opposing run game.

I agree that Kemoeatu isn't going to be around after this season. He probably shouldn't be on the team now with his play this year but he's not getting cut.

Cody is a different case. I think there's a couple of things that go into his under-performance this year. The first is scheme. I was a huge Cody detractor before the draft that the Ravens took him in mostly because Mattison was still the DC and if they were continuing with that kind of scheme then he would be rendered ineffective. Since Gregg was still on the team and starting we never had the opportunity to see Cody play in Mattison's scheme but now we have the privilege (meant with the most sarcasm possible) to see Pees call games and it's looking like what I would have expected. Cody, or any NT that doesn't offer much besides taking up space and blockers, is never going to succeed in a scheme as vanilla and useless as this one. Another thing to keep in mind is that this isn't the 3-4 over/under scheme that the Ravens have been using the past few seasons. It's much more of a basic 3-4 alignment (and there has been a lot of 4-3) and that changes things a bit. Last season under Pagano I don't think anybody can say that Cody didn't look like a good player. The whole defense looked better but the DL especially did and I don't think you can attribute it's decline to just Redding leaving and McPhee/Jones being the replacements.

The second reason is related to that last point - the guy playing next to Cody (that's not Ngata). McPhee has been very ineffective and he can usually be walled-off to the outside with the RT and that leaves Cody in a bad situation. Jones isn't any better although he's not trying to get around the edge as much. I don't think Redding is/was THAT good of a player but his replacements have been pretty bad.

If the team is moving towards a different kind of defensive scheme, like the one Pees calls (god I hope not), then NT is a need. But it has to be a dynamic NT and not just a big block eater as I don't think we would see any noticeable improvement in the run or pass defense. They might be better off moving Ngata inside and getting one or two new DE/5-techniques. If there's a new DC with a scheme () then the Ravens would be FAR better served looking to get improvements at DE, OLB, and ILB with their quality picks.

Welcome to the forums by the way. I hope you stick around, it's been a little dead in here lately.

I see your point, but in that scenario I think we'd need better play from DE anyway. Art Jones is starting to perform which is nice, but you have to wonder why it took so long and if he's going to be like Kruger and McPhee in the long run, a guy who is inconsistent and doesn't create enough to be comfortable in having him as a starter. I don't know where a good DE is going to come from TBH. Platooning is all well and good but when you get caught against a no-huddle offense then all of a sudden it leaves us with one-dimensional talent on the field.

As much as being in the playoffs for four straight seasons has been good, without sealing the deal it leaves the team consistently out of reach of getting a real playmaker in the first round and leaves the team with nothing to show for it. Hopefully there'll be some good compensatory picks this year, which might allow the Ravens to use their regular picks to move around (hopefully up) a bit more. At the moment we look like a one and done team which would leave us around the 20 slot I think?

The pain in the ass is, unless Pitt make the playoffs (which is a distinct possibility I admit), they'll likely be drafting before us and I can see them snagging one of those coveted ILBs like Mosely.

Damn Te'o for not coming out last year!

Arthur Brown. That is all.

Yeah I think they need someone better at that position regardless of who the DC is and what scheme he uses. I don't trust Jones to keep his level of play up at all and I'm not sure about McPhee either. I think a first round pick on the position isn't out of the question at all. Just not NT. :)

Yes. Right now he's my #2 ILB after Te'o. I just hope that the Ravens think he could play ILB in their system too. Of course I wouldn't be upset with Mosley either.