The 2014 Ravens Draft Thread

**pslholder96** · 04-21-2014, 12:12 PM

I believe Bortles will be the only QB drafted in the top 10 and even he might be a little bit of a reach. There are no slam dunks on the QBs this year and that's what making decisions for teams like the Jaguars, Browns and Vikings that much tougher.
Funny how year in and year out the QB position really sets the tone for the first round. A run on QBs allows quality players to fall to teams picking in the bottom half of the 1st round. This year is no different.

**Ravenswintitle** · 04-21-2014, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by ursula

I used to think that too, but where do these QB's,go since none of them are lead pipe locks?

- Jags are giving every indication that they want someone like Mack or Clowney in round 1 and will take their chances at the top of 2 since they have Henne back. They were recently burned and bad by Gabbert; they won't do the same this year by reaching.

- Clowns may pick a QB, particularly if Watkins is gone, but Watkins may be there and besides they have a late in the 1st round pick. They can wait as say Watkins or Mack and a late QB trumps an early QB and...Barr or Benjamin or Nix or something like that.

- Vikings...Peter King does a good job framing the Vikes though processes re: QB. They have a decent stop-gap with Cassel and they now have Norm Turner both evaluating him and guiding him. If they take a QB it will be for developmental purposes and they don't need to do that in round 1 where they have other needs.

- Arizona? Possible but again they have Palmer who will start again for at least next year and possibly a couple years after that so developmental QB = round 2.

- Houston? Possible but it will be a big big gamble to take a QB with the first pick with the other players all on the board and they pick at the top of round 2.

To sum up I now am seeing teams having very good reasons not to use their first pick on a QB. I'm guessing one team still will and I nominate the Clowns since they are the Clowns. But that's it.

Minnesota, Cleveland, Tampa and if they fall out of the top 10 who knows?

**wickedsolo** · 04-21-2014, 12:23 PM

I think there will be a couple of teams that could take a QB and surprise a lot of folks.

The Rams, Cardinals, Titans, and Raiders could all take QB's in round-1.

If teams like Jacksonville, Houston, or Cleveland pass on a QB...I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of those teams trying hard to trade back up into round-1.

**wickedsolo** · 04-21-2014, 12:28 PM

Could Houston go for Khalil Mack with the first overall pick?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...eveon-clowney/

That'd be something.

**JAB1985** · 04-21-2014, 12:33 PM

I dont think thats a bold statement like the author suggests. I think Mack is the top talent in this draft when you factor everything into it. If anything that points to Houston leaning towards QB or the least trading down if they have Clowney ranked lower.

**Raveninwoodlawn** · 04-21-2014, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

I think there will be a couple of teams that could take a QB and surprise a lot of folks.

The Rams, Cardinals, Titans, and Raiders could all take QB's in round-1.

If teams like Jacksonville, Houston, or Cleveland pass on a QB...I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of those teams trying hard to trade back up into round-1.

That could certainly happen, but I really thought that would have happened last year, and teams showed really good restraint.

As teams have gotten better at drafting...especially after looking back at the cluster you know what of overdrafted QB's in 2011 (all 3 overdrafted QB's are basically on their way out if not out already)...I think they are showing more restraint unless the QB is really a franchise guy.

We'll see...I just don't see teams reaching for Bridgewater, Manziel or Carr...the only top 20 pick I see a team taking in the first half of the draft is Bortles.

**bt12483** · 04-21-2014, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

I think there will be a couple of teams that could take a QB and surprise a lot of folks.

The Rams, Cardinals, Titans, and Raiders could all take QB's in round-1.

If teams like Jacksonville, Houston, or Cleveland pass on a QB...I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of those teams trying hard to trade back up into round-1.

I am surprised you don't hear more AZ QB buzz.

If the QBs really do drop...why would AZ not snatch one?

**Raveninwoodlawn** · 04-21-2014, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by bt12483

I am surprised you don't hear more AZ QB buzz.

If the QBs really do drop...why would AZ not snatch one?

I'm sure they will.

But it won't be in round 1. Maybe rounds 2-4

**JAB1985** · 04-21-2014, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by Raveninwoodlawn

I'm sure they will.

But it won't be in round 1. Maybe rounds 2-4

For some reason I think theyll target Garoppolo.

**pslholder96** · 04-21-2014, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

Could Houston go for Khalil Mack with the first overall pick?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...eveon-clowney/

That'd be something.

Smokescreen

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 04-21-2014, 01:06 PM

I personally like Mack better than Clowney in the Texans defence

**ursula** · 04-21-2014, 01:37 PM

Here's another way to look at the QB's. Think of the last several drafts and the quality of QB's that have been taken.

1) It is easy to see that none of this year's QB's has a grade anywhere near Luck or RGIII. That's a consensus here, right? I mean if you are gonna dispute that than...please don't post anything ever again! lol But basically there's no QB that has a top of the draft grade.

2) Now look for other recent QB's drafted high who turned out good. Let's pick one- Matt Ryan. Picked at #3 as you no doubt recall. Now are any of the current QB's regarded as highly as Ryan was pre-draft? Again, the answer is no. Ryan didn't have as high a grade as Luck but it was up there. How about Cam Newton? He also had a higher grade than any of this year's crop.

3) So now find a first round QB who has become a successful QB in the league who had roughly the same pre-draft grade as Bortles or Manziel or Bridgewater. I am asking you to skip the busts for now like Locker or Gabbert, etc. So who do you get? Yep-Joe Flacco. Drafted in the 18th position. Our guy did not have as high a grade as Luck or Ryan or Newton. He came from a small school which he transferred to. We knew he had a gun for an arm (better than any QB this year). Mobility was somewhat of an issue. Accuracy wasn't perfect. Great size though.

The point about Flacco back then was there were questions that he could become a franchise QB just like the top QB's this year. So middle to late of round 1 was the right place to pick him. For 2014 the quality of the QB's is in question and for the top half of round 1 you can't say that any of the QBs has the value of Clowney or Watkins or Matthews or Mack or Evans, etc. But when you drop down tot he second half of round 1 then you are talking about the QB's being equal to the non-QBs there. That's where their value is-bottom of round 1 to top half of round 2.

Thus if you see a QB being taken in the top of round 1 you are seeing a team taking a big gamble. They are bypassing a player or several players that not only just plain grade better than any of the QBs but are pretty much guaranteed to help those teams. Plus all of these teams with QB needs are picking early in round 2 (or in Cleveland's case the end of round 1) so they can in theory wait for one of the QBs to fall to them. Or 2) they can move up into the bottom of round 1 and still grab a QB while having already picked a stud non-QB. Definitely it will be tempting for teams to do #2 but IMO it will be the less likely outcome.