The 2014 Ravens Draft Thread

[ursula]

I would listen to the Niners dangling LaMichael James in a package for them to switch places with us in round 1. Probably would ask for another lower round pick as well.

[OhThePossibilities]

I would listen to the Niners dangling LaMichael James in a package for them to switch places with us in round 1. Probably would ask for another lower round pick as well.

"Probably"?

[The Excellector]

For the Board,

Based on our.....'strenuous' standards. How many prospects would we as a board honestly deem 'Worthy' of the 17 pick and/or moving up, because there certainly isn't 17 guys I would put in that category.

[OhThePossibilities]

For the Board,

Based on our.....'strenuous' standards. How many prospects would we as a board honestly deem 'Worthy' of the 17 pick and/or moving up, because there certainly isn't 17 guys I would put in that category.

Taking into account guys we know won't be there, I wouldn't be unhappy with:

Clowney
Mack
Barr
Donald
Watkins
Evans
Gilbert
Dennard
Verrett
Fuller
Robinson
Matthews
Lewan
Martin
Clinton-Dix
Pryor

That's 16 guys I wouldn't feel bad about if the team had to pick at 17. Would a couple of them be reaches? Yeah, but if the other dudes are gone off that list, I won't lose any sleep. I'm assuming at least one or two QBs go, and probably Ebron too, so I don't see this list being depleted by 17.

[AirFlacco]

Hortiz talks about these linemen in addition to Martin. We'll definitely get one of these guys. Some of them can play two positions - Martin - 3 positions.

______________________________


Ravens Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz broke down prospects at several positions of need leading up to the NFL Draft May 8-10. This is the third installment of a four-part series. Part 1 WRs | Part 2 Safeties |Part 3 TEs
The Ravens started their offseason by solidifying one of the most important positions on the field when they reached a five-year contract extension with left tackle Eugene Monroe.

Monroe will anchor the left side of the line for years to come, but the Ravens still have questions about who will book-end the offensive line.

Rick Wagner, last year’s fifth-round draft pick, would start at right tackle if the season opened today. But the Ravens have also expressed interest in adding some additional competition for that spot, and they may be able to find a starting right tackle in the first few rounds of next month’s NFL Draft..

“The offensive line as a whole is another good year,” Hortiz said. “We’ve been fortunate that colleges are producing a lot of tackles the last couple of years – and good tackles.”

The Ravens may be able to get one of the top four offensive tackles with the No. 17 pick, but even if they pass on an offensive lineman in the first round, there are still good options later in the draft. The other consideration is that some of the top offensive linemen have the ability to play tackle or guard, so the Ravens could consider them for fits at multiple positions.

Here are the scouting reports from Hortiz on some of the best tackles in this year’s class:

Zack Martin, Notre Dame
Senior; 6-foot-4, 308 pounds
“You could certainly say that he could be a guard. He worked there some at the Senior Bowl. But he can also certainly play tackle. He spent four years there, and he’s as durable as can be. He never missed a start at Notre Dame. He anchored down the left side there going against some pretty good pass rushers all across the country. He’s tough, he’s smart he’s competitive. He may not fit the ideal tackle mold in that he’s not 6-foot-7, 320 pounds. But when you watch him, he’s such an efficient player that you can’t say he can’t do it. He certainly has the ability to play tackle, but he also has the swing potential to play guard. Some people may even say that he could be a center.”

- Versatile player who could play multiple spots on the line

- Slightly undersized at tackle, but was a productive left tackle for four years in college

Taylor Lewan, Michigan
Senior; 6-7, 309
“He’s very athletic. He has good height and good length. From an athletic standpoint, Taylor is very gifted. He moves his feet well. He bends really well. He’s played a lot of ball. He came back for his senior year to be a captain, and to try to win the Big 10. People questioned why he came back, but it’s because he had goals – team and individual goals – that he wanted to achieve. You can’t fault a guy for that. I see a good competitor. I don’t see a mean, nasty guy on film. I almost feel like he’s mislabeled in that regard. You don’t see a guy taking cheap shots or just playing ugly or mean. You just see a good competitor on film.”

- Regarded as a potential top-10 pick, but could slide after an off-the-field issue later in the season where he was reportedly charged with assault

- Built as a prototypical tackle

Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
Junior; 6-7, 322
“He’s a long, athletic kid. He didn’t run that well in Indy, but he’s got length and range. He can get up to the second level and cover ground. I don’t have an issue with his speed, but he just didn’t run well in Indy. Most tackles need to get stronger, and while he doesn’t look like he needs to stronger, from a functional strength stand point, he’s going to have to get stronger. One thing that he lacks that these seniors have is polished technique. He probably needs a little more developing than your seniors, but he’s not that far off. And he certainly has the feet and athleticism and length.”

- Has the size of an elite offensive tackle

- Some teams reportedly found medical red flags with Kouandjio when examining his knee at the combine

Joel Bitonio, Nevada
Senior; 6-4, 302

“He could certainly be a tackle. He has the size to do it. He’s competitive. He’s tough. He has the strength. The question is if he has the length and athleticism to be a tackle, or do you feel like he’d be better suited as a guard. I don’t think you can ever pigeon hole these guys. Marshal Yanda was a guard, but he started 15 games at right tackle his rookie year. The good thing about guys like Martin and Bitonio is that you see position flexibility. To call him a guard or to call him a tackle, I just wouldn’t do it. What you say is that this guy has the potential to do both spots.”

- Swing player who could fit at guard or tackle

- Quick feet that he showed with impressive shuttle times at the combine

Morgan Moses, Virginia
Senior; 6-6, 314

“He’s a long, big guy. Light feet. He plays tall, but he gets away with it. But he’s so big and athletic that he can get away with it. He’s a long arm guy and he has light feet on the edge. Moses is a [add] fourth-year guy that is polished in seeing things with his technique in pass sets. You see a little bit more polish in his play style and technique.”

- Has ideal size for a tackle

- Quick feet to deal with speedy pass rushers

[JAB1985]

For the Board,

Based on our.....'strenuous' standards. How many prospects would we as a board honestly deem 'Worthy' of the 17 pick and/or moving up, because there certainly isn't 17 guys I would put in that category.

I rank a lot of the WRs on the same tier and pretty high on my board. Not sure if thats similar with others or not, but i dont see a lot of drop off with them so i have a bunch in my top 30-40. So worthy is a tricky word, if you stay true to your board I think theres plenty that are worthy of 17. If you go by where you think you can get them then theres obviously a lot less. It does seem like the top guys at most positions will be gone by then so any standout is probably unlikely, giving you a bit of a lull in talent. That lack of elite prospects probably makes trading down difficult as well. Has to be something there somebody wants to jump up for to make that work.

[LukeDaniel]

My last two mock drafts, I've wanted Kareem Martin from UNC as our 3rd round pick. I'd love some feedback from him from some of the draft gurus here (Wicked/careful).

On the optimistic side, what NFLer does he compare to most? What's his ceiling? What's his floor?

What are your thoughts on him as a target in the early 3rd (if we trade down and add an extra pick) or mid 3rd? I think he's a steal there, but wanted to make sure I wasn't guilty of a case of getting too attached to a prospect.

[LukeDaniel]

Taking into account guys we know won't be there, I wouldn't be unhappy with:

Clowney
Mack
Barr
Donald
Watkins
Evans
Gilbert
Dennard
Verrett
Fuller
Robinson
Matthews
Lewan
Martin
Clinton-Dix
Pryor

I highlighted the guys who I think would be realistically available at 17. I'd be okay with Donald, even though people here think he's a bad scheme fit. I just think he's a too darn talented and tenacious to write off that matter-of-factly. I'd be happy with Dennard and okay with Gilbert, but I wouldn't take Fuller or Verrett because I think there's a chance one might be available in round #2. I would not take Pryor with pick 17. I would rather trade down, pick up a 3rd rounder, and gamble on him later.

In most drafts, I would consider trading up for Mike Evans or Taylor Lewan. I think both are gamechangers. I think Taylor Lewan at RT makes our o-line exceptional. He will make every player on our offense better. He also gives a great option if Monroe gets hurt. I'd draft Evans because I think he's a dynamic talent, but also to keep him away from the Steelers. The only realistic pick the Ravens can use to trade up in the first round is our mid-3rd and I would really struggle rationalizing that move when in the 2014 draft you can get a darn, darn good player at that position.

[bt12483]

There will be a surprise pick or two in the top 16 before us. There always is.

[jonboy79]

IF Lewan makes it to the double digits I endorse moving up for him. Same for Evans, but I think he is less likely to drop that far.

I hear you on Donald, agree he is quite a talent, but I simply couldn't pull the trigger on him. We simply have FAR too many 3-4 pieces in house, including youngsters, and it simply wouldn't make sense to switch schemes for 1 player, or to draft a sub package player at 17. That said, A CB at 17 is a definite possibility, and while he would START OUT as our 3rd CB at best, I would want to draft a guy with starting potential, as what we need most is another outside corner, as Webb in the slot is almost too good to be true.

I pretty much agree with the list you quoted, and I too wouldn't be super excited with Verrett or Fuller at 17, but I would understand, particularly Fuller. I see almost no chance he makes it to the second round though.

[LukeDaniel]

IF Lewan makes it to the double digits I endorse moving up for him. Same for Evans, but I think he is less likely to drop that far.

I hear you on Donald, agree he is quite a talent, but I simply couldn't pull the trigger on him. We simply have FAR too many 3-4 pieces in house, including youngsters, and it simply wouldn't make sense to switch schemes for 1 player, or to draft a sub package player at 17. That said, A CB at 17 is a definite possibility, and while he would START OUT as our 3rd CB at best, I would want to draft a guy with starting potential, as what we need most is another outside corner, as Webb in the slot is almost too good to be true.

I pretty much agree with the list you quoted, and I too wouldn't be super excited with Verrett or Fuller at 17, but I would understand, particularly Fuller. I see almost no chance he makes it to the second round though.

Good stuff. I think the #3CB is really considered a starter in today's NFL, so if we got Dennard at 17 as a cornerback, I'd be A-Okay with that, even if he was not technically a starter for a few seasons. You could argue that for a lot of teams, the nickelback is one of the top ten valuable positions, ahead of even SS, so we are on the same page there.

I think Fuller is less likely to make it to us in round #2 than Verrett, but I don't think it's as unlikely that he slips into round #2 as you indicate. I'd be surprised to see Verrett go in round one.

Donald seems to be a polarizing player. I guess at times I just think you look at the player and say to yourself "Damn, he's a game changer" and figure out a way to use his talents. I wasn't advocating changing all the pieces of the defense around to fit one player. I guess I'm just struggling to fully understand why everyone seems to pigeon-hole Donald as only a 3-tech in a 4-3 defense. What about his makeup physically makes you feel like he can't handle the 5-tech on a 3-4. I understand that you ideally want your 5-tech to be 6-3+/300-315 and Donald is "just" 6-1/285. I think Donald is a freak of nature strength-wise, so even surrendering some weight at 285, he's not out of place there. I think the kid is just an incredible athlete-regardless of size- with rare instincts, and I would expect him to succeed even if they asked him to play middle linebacker (slight exaggeration).

It's unlikely that the Ravens ever drafted a player so early in a draft that isn't a perfect schematic fit for them, but if the Ravens drafted him, I'd be more excited than disappointed.

[BigPlayReceiver]

I went into a bit more detail 2-3 weeks ago, but if you can nab Lewan then we have a solid OL with the average age of 26; and the unit could be kept together with little financial heartache through the 2017 season. By...

-- Extending Yanda this fall...around his 30th birthday
-- Re-signing KO in the winter of '16
-- Next "tough" decision to make WRT the OL would be the '16 season/winter of '17: "has Lewan earned a(n) extension/re-sign?"

This all re-affirms my personal judgment of Lewan > just about anyone in the #17 range, if the situation presents itself b/c Lewan can pretty much execute the ZBS like a 1stTmPB'er tomorrow. None among Cooks, Evans, HHCD, Pryor, Moseley, OBJ et al., will be 1stTmPB'er-type performers for some time, if at all.