The Ravens will have a clear gameplan when they step into the "war room" tonight.
They have plans in place for a variety of scenarios, and will implement that strategy based on how the board falls.
The Ravens aren't scheduled to pick until late in the night, and moves made in the first half of the draft could significantly alter whether they stay at No. 32, and what they ultimately do when they get on the clock.
Here are five scenarios that could affect the Ravens' pick:
Left Tackle Falls Down BoardThe Ravens would like to add a left tackle in the draft, but the franchise left tackles typically aren't available at the end of the first round. This year's draft has three players considered to be franchise left tackles – Luke Joekel, Eric Fisher, and Lane Johnson – and all of them are expected to be gone within the first 15 picks. Some experts have all three of them gone by pick No. 8, but others have Johnson sliding into the teens. If he were to fall down the board into the late teens, then the Ravens could consider working the phone lines to move up and take him.
Inside Linebackers All GoneWith Ray Lewis and Dannell Ellerbe both gone, inside linebacker is a clear position that the Ravens would like to upgrade. Several mock drafts have them drafting Notre Dame's Manti Te'o, Georgia's Alec Ogletree or LSU's Kevin Minter with the No. 32 pick. But all three of them could possibly be gone by the time the Ravens are on the clock, so they could have to go in a different direction. If the top inside linebackers are gone, then the Ravens could look to move back into the second round and add an extra pick. But it could also mean that some of the top safeties, wide receivers and possibly an elite pass rusher are still on the board, which may entice Baltimore to stay put.
Tavon Austin SlidesThe dynamic wide receiver and Baltimore native has ascended the draft board since the combine, and he's regarded as the top wideout in this year's draft. Most draft experts think he's going to be gone by pick No. 16, and possibly even in the top 10. But if he slides past the Rams at No. 16, then the Ravens may be interested in trying to package their late-round picks to move up and get him. Austin is a playmaker that excels in the slot, and he could bring some additional explosiveness to the offense along with Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones.
Push From Other Teams To Get Back Into First RoundThe Ravens have shown in recent years that they love draft picks and are always willing to listen to offers to move back. They did it last year and were still able to get their target, Courtney Upshaw, in the second round. As the first night progresses, General Manager Ozzie Newsome could start to get calls from teams interested in moving up into the first round. If Newsome doesn't like the way the board is falling, or if he thinks he could still get his target in the second round, then don't be surprised to see the Ravens trade out of the first round for the third time in the last four years.
A Run On Quarterbacks
This year's quarterback class is not considered to have the elite talent as in recent years, but there are still plenty of quarterback-hungry teams looking for a signal caller. Some of the potential first-round quarterbacks are West Virginia's Geno Smith, Syracuse's Ryan Nassib, USC's Matt Barkley and Florida State's E.J. Manuel. It's good news for the Ravens if the quarterbacks all start to come off the board because Baltimore already has its quarterback. Each time a quarterback gets taken in the first round, that leaves a position player on the board that the Ravens could potentially be targeting.
