Who are some recent Ravens draft successes?

**DC Raven** · 04-22-2016, 04:38 PM

It seems to be widely agreed upon by Ravens fans (particularly on this board) that Ozzie and DeCosta and had some pretty poor draft performances as of late. We can all recite, by now, the long list of draft misses/busts/disappointments: Sergio Kindle, Terrance Cody, Matt Elam, Arthur Brown, etc. It feels like too long since we've all been unanimously pleased with a draft pick (at least not once they get on the field).

I thought now that we are T-minus 6 days from the draft, it would be fun to get a little optimism going in here and remember some of the best recent draft successes for a change.

I'll admit, though, I struggled to think of too many as I was writing this post. We have plenty of guys who sort of performed at a satisfactory level relative to their draft position, but not too many guys that make you say "hell yeah! what a steal".

I'll start with one of the best and most obvious: Brandon Williams. As a late 3rd round draft pick (no. 94 overall), you'd hope to get a guy that could contribute rotationally and maybe start at some point. Brandon has instead become a top DT/NT in the game, possibly surpassed only by Aaron Donald of the Rams. He is maybe the stoutest run-stopping DL in the game and still manages to contribute a bit in terms of pass rush and collapsing the pocket. If the 2013 were re-drafted tomorrow, I am sure he would be selected in the late 1st round, early 2nd at worst.

Share other examples so we can get pumped about our soon-to-be Ravens rookies!

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 04-22-2016, 04:40 PM

Biggest gym lately is RT Ricky Wagner.

He had a down year last year, but he graded top 10 in 2014. The eye test definitely agreed.

If he can return to form he'd probably be one of our biggest steals in recent memory.

**GirlsKickButt** · 04-22-2016, 04:44 PM

UDFA Justin Tucker!

I think in all the draft hype, we tend to miss Ozzie's ability to get some pretty good UDFA after the draft. I think Zach Orr was another UDFA that's in line for possibly starting next to Mosley.

And Mosley is shaping up to be a solid 1st round pick.

**HotInHere** · 04-22-2016, 04:56 PM

CJ Mosley -- Hell yeah, what a steal! We got him at 17, he was the second best defender in that draft.
Kyle Juszczyk -- Hell yeah, what a steal! Fourth rounder is one of the top fullbacks in the NFL (although there aren't really that many fullbacks in the NFL anymore.)
John Urschel -- Hell yeah, what a steal! When you can get starter quality in the fifth round or later you are doing well.
Ryan Jensen -- Hell yeah, what a steal! Ditto John Urschel, but in the SIXTH round. (I really like this guy. He's got a mean streak. And he looks like CarrotTop on 'roids.)

And that's all in two drafts, and I didn't include Jernigan. He hasn't out-performed his second-round status yet, but I'm hoping for a breakout year.

Then there's Gillmore, Maxx, Buck Allen, Z Smith, Perriman, Carl Davis, and Nick Boyle. All of those guys are too soon to tell. But all of them have potential.

**Sarcasticfury** · 04-22-2016, 04:57 PM

Gillmore. His health is an issue, but he's a good blocker, a reliable weapon, and he's better than most of the guys taken before him.

**Jsmoove** · 04-22-2016, 05:00 PM

It's hard to tell for me right now, we have a bunch of "good" players but no great players but no superstars have been drafted lately. Maybe another year or two one will emerge. I mean outside of the guys we know like Flacco, Suggs etc, the last 3 maybe 4 draft classes have yet to see a standout out player. Maybe I am wrong? But we have a lot of guys that are good or have good potential.

**DC Raven** · 04-22-2016, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by Jsmoove

It's hard to tell for me right now, we have a bunch of "good" players but no great players but no superstars have been drafted lately. Maybe another year or two one will emerge. I mean outside of the guys we know like Flacco, Suggs etc, the last 3 maybe 4 draft classes have yet to see a standout out player. Maybe I am wrong? But we have a lot of guys that are good or have good potential.

That's kinda how I feel. Like SarcasticFury mentioned Crockett Gilmore above, but I'm not sure he fits the mold of a real "draft success". He's what I would basically expect for a 3rd round pick at TE. Now, let me say I do really like his potential. But he's been a decent (not great) blocker, made 3-4 stand out plays in limited playing time over 2 years, and has what - 500 yards 3 TDs in his 2 seasons combined?

He's certainly not a failure or disappointment. Just saying we haven't had a lot of guys exceed expectations for their draft slot recently, which is what you need to be successful. You have to out-draft everyone else.

**Jsmoove** · 04-22-2016, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by DC Raven

That's kinda how I feel. Like SarcasticFury mentioned Crockett Gilmore above, but I'm not sure he fits the mold of a real "draft success". He's what I would basically expect for a 3rd round pick at TE. Now, let me say I do really like his potential. But he's been a decent (not great) blocker, made 3-4 stand out plays in limited playing time over 2 years, and has what - 500 yards 3 TDs in his 2 seasons combined?

He's certainly not a failure or disappointment. Just saying we haven't had a lot of guys exceed expectations for their draft slot recently, which is what you need to be successful. You have to out-draft everyone else.

agreed, we have team with draft players that are kinda in the middle they can start and be productive but they won't take over games or make impact plays week in week out, there's not a superstar player there, not yet anyways,maybe in about 2-3 years we will see one emerge. The closest one right now that has some superstar potential is CJ Mosely and Jimmy Smith when he's healthy in a good defense scheme.

**Jsmoove** · 04-22-2016, 05:18 PM

maybe I am spoiled as Raven fan when you say draft success because we think of Ray, Ed, Ogden, Boulware, Sharper, C-Mac, Bart Scott (undrafted), Kelly Gregg, Jamal Lewis, Priest holmes, JJ the list goes on so when you say success I am looking at the bar that's been set by former draftees.

**DC Raven** · 04-22-2016, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by Jsmoove

maybe I am spoiled as Raven fan when you say draft success because we think of Ray, Ed, Ogden, Boulware, Sharper, C-Mac, Bart Scott (undrafted), Kelly Gregg, Jamal Lewis, Priest holmes, JJ the list goes on so when you say success I am looking at the bar that's been set by former draftees.

I feel that. My point in making the original post was not necessarily to set a bar that high, but just to identify picks that make you say "yeah, that was a real good pick".

This is in contrast to all the negativity we read on here where people say "Elam fucking blows, wtf is up with Arthur Brown, Sergio Kindle lolololol", etc.

I think by either standard, we don't have as many examples as we need if we want to be a top team again.

**lovefootball** · 04-22-2016, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by DC Raven

I feel that. My point in making the original post was not necessarily to set a bar that high, but just to identify picks that make you say "yeah, that was a real good pick".

This is in contrast to all the negativity we read on here where people say "Elam fucking blows, wtf is up with Arthur Brown, Sergio Kindle lolololol", etc.

I think by either standard, we don't have as many examples as we need if we want to be a top team again.

If you're saying "impact players", no lately. If you mean players that fit the Ravens "play like a Raven", again, nobody. If you are saying" players that could make the team better", there are a few. Even Ozzie said he has not drafted players to the Ravens mold. But he set the bar when he drafted the early players of the raven years.

Seems a lot has gone wrong with recent drafted players and it's still out on where the problem lies. Poor players or the coaching. That's the hardest pill to swallow with this upcoming draft. Draft good college players who may regress in the nfl with the ravens. Hope it doesn't happen, but it is plausible.

Kind of like the browns have done with their draft picks, LOL. Just kidding or am I? Other teams have had failures too.

Best recent draft pick was Joe Flacco, a small college player who made his mark in the nfl in his 1st year. Really haven't had a player join the team from the college ranks since then to make such a big impact. LOL
Just my opinion.

**SquirrelDance** · 04-22-2016, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by HotInHere

CJ Mosley -- Hell yeah, what a steal! We got him at 17, he was the second best defender in that draft.
Kyle Juszczyk -- Hell yeah, what a steal! Fourth rounder is one of the top fullbacks in the NFL (although there aren't really that many fullbacks in the NFL anymore.)
John Urschel -- Hell yeah, what a steal! When you can get starter quality in the fifth round or later you are doing well.
Ryan Jensen -- Hell yeah, what a steal! Ditto John Urschel, but in the SIXTH round. (I really like this guy. He's got a mean streak. And he looks like CarrotTop on 'roids.)

And that's all in two drafts, and I didn't include Jernigan. He hasn't out-performed his second-round status yet, but I'm hoping for a breakout year.

Then there's Gillmore, Maxx, Buck Allen, Z Smith, Perriman, Carl Davis, and Nick Boyle. All of those guys are too soon to tell. But all of them have potential.

CarrotTop is on 'roids. Pretty sure him randomly surfacing in public as super jacked was the only thing that got him any notoriety since like 1993.