Three-Round Ravens Mock Draft
Ravens first-round mock drafts have become predictable.
It's rare to see someone outside of tackle Zack Martin or one of the top safeties in Calvin Pryor or Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. You might see a projected late-round wide receiver here or there, or maybe a prediction that tight end Eric Ebron will fall. But there's little outside of that.
So let's expand beyond the first round and see what the Ravens could do with their top four picks.
ESPN draftniks Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay teamed up for a three-round mock draft, rotating even- and odd-numbered picks. The pair addressed several positions of need for the Ravens (offensive tackle, safety, wide receiver and running back) with their top picks, but many names will be unfamiliar.
Below are the four players the Ravens came away with, including two third-rounders:
First Round No. 17: OT Morgan Moses, Virginia
"We'd love to get Zack Martin at this spot, but he's gone," McShay wrote. "Same goes for Eric Ebron and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but they're also gone. But I really like Moses, as he's the No. 14 player on my board, and he fills a need for Baltimore."
**Scouting report**:Fifth-ranked player at the position by NFLDraftScout.com, and the top four were off the board by the time the Ravens were on the clock. At 6-foot-6 and 314 pounds, Moses has the ideal size for the NFL and compares to Broncos tackle Ryan Clady. He pairs his mammoth size with nimble feet, but needs to refine his technique and his work ethic has been questioned.
Second Round No. 48: S Deone Bucannon, Washington State
"I need another safety to pair with Matt Elam, and I have major questions about what kind of early impact I'll get if I pass on Bucannon here and someone else gets him," Kiper explained. "It could be 25-30 picks before the next safety is taken."
**Scouting report**:He's the second-ranked strong safety by* *NFLDraftScout.com (Clinton-Dix and Pryor are the top two free safeties. Bucannon earns high marks for his work near the line of scrimmage and hard-hitting style, but his coverage skills have been knocked. ESPN's Jamison Hensley says Bucannon has the potential to be the best safety in this draft class.
Third Round No. 79: WR Brandon Coleman, Rutgers
"We need to get Joe Flacco a pass-catcher and haven't yet gotten one in this draft, so I'll go with Coleman, a huge target (6-6, 225 pounds) with good top-end speed," McShay noted.
**Scouting report**:If you want a big-bodied wide receiver, you got him in Coleman, who is the 21st-ranked pass catcher by NFLDraftScout.com. He has surprising speed for a big fella and plucks the ball out of the air as he towers over corners. He's knocked for his lack of physicality despite his size.
No. 99: RB Charles Sims, West Virginia
"Sims' ability to stick his foot in the turf and accelerate quickly through the hole makes him an ideal fit for Gary Kubiak's zone-blocking approach in the running game," Kiper wrote.
Scouting report: Ninth-ranked running back with the No. 99 pick represents good value. After rushing for 1,095 yards and adding another 401 yards as a receiver last season, Sims earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. He is a one-cut back, which fits well in Kubiak's system and has the ability to be a three-down back.
Ravens Looking To End Draft Drought
The Ravens have gone five drafts without selecting a Pro Bowl player, and have a chance to break that drought with their highest pick since taking Joe Flacco in 2008. Their last Pro Bowler was selected that year in running back Ray Rice.
"No one could have envisioned such a stretch from the Ravens, who have drafted the likes of Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Ed Reed, Jamal Lewis and Terrell Suggs," wrote Hensley. "In the franchise's first 13 drafts, the Ravens selected 19 Pro Bowl players, which was tied with the New England Patriots for the most during that period. Now, the Ravens are one of four teams who have failed to select a Pro Bowl player since 2009, and the others (Jaguars, Jets and Raiders) have all fired their general managers during that time.
"You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the NFL who would suggest Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and assistant general manager Eric DeCosta have lost their touch. It's just a startling trend for a franchise that has not only drafted NFL defensive and offensive players of the year but potentially three Hall of Fame ones."
Hensley points out that despite the Pro Bowl honors, the bigger prize was taken with the Lombardi Trophy during the 2012 season. It should also be pointed out that the Ravens signed undrafted free agent kicker Justin Tucker, who went to last year's Pro Bowl.
Congrats To Cody For Graduating!
Good for you, Terrence Cody.
Four years after being selected by the Ravens in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft, the defensive tackle was one of 58 Alabama student-athletes that graduated Saturday.
While Cody hasn't yet lived up to expectations in Baltimore (the Ravens signed him to a one-year deal after his rookie contract came to end after the 2013 season) his hard work and dedication in the classroom got him a degree that he will have for a lifetime.
"Congrats to @TerrenceCody, a UA alumnus this weekend! #BuiltByBama," Cody re-tweeted from @TheSabanFactor.
Four-Day Draft Idea
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will consider stretching the NFL draft across four days instead of the three-day Thursday-Saturday coverage we have now.
You can find plenty of people criticizing the idea, but Sports Illustrated's Peter King is not one of them … as long as the league puts the draft back in April.
"I actually don't think a four-day draft is a terrible idea," King wrote. "I don't love it, but digest how the draft breaks down now."
Current Format:
Day 1: 32 picks (Round 1)
Day 2: 68 picks (Rounds 2-3)
Day 3: 156 picks (Rounds 4-7)
King's Proposed Format
Day 1: 32 picks (Round 1)
Day 2: 68 picks (Rounds 2-3)
Day 3: 76 picks (Rounds 4-5)
Day 4: 80 picks (Rounds 6-7) … plus a two-hour "Top Undrafted Free Agents Show"
"If 7.5 million people watch some portion of the NFL Scouting Combine, then some appreciable fraction of that will watch to see who has a shot to be the next Arian Foster or Kurt Warner," King wrote. "ESPN would drop off at the end of the seventh round, most likely, and the NFL could get ratings juice by putting two hours of Daniel Jeremiah and (if he still has a voice left) Mike Mayock on NFL Network breaking down the first two hours of the annual post-draft land rush that sees teams sprinting to sign preferred undrafted players."
Quick Hits
- Enemy intel: the Bengals may be targeting Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with their No. 24 pick. "If that happens, [starter Andy] Dalton would enter the final year of his contract looking over his shoulder at Bridgewater, one of the most compelling figures in this draft," wrote Clifton Brown. [CSNBaltimore.com]
- In a four-year draft review, ESPN staff writers declare the best player selected was wide receiver Torrey Smith (noting Jimmy Smith was a close second), the best value player was tight end Dennis Pitta (fourth round) and the biggest disappointment was pass rusher Sergio Kindle (second round). [ESPN]
- @AndrewSiciliano [NFL Network]: As noted by @GregABedard, Ray Farmer picks #4 & #26 after replacing Mike Lombardi, exactly the same position for Ozzie Newsome back in ’96.
- @aebarron [teacher]: So thankful @TyrodTaylor took the time to encourage my 4th graders (& play some football with them) #rolemodel [Twitter]
- Ravens still see value in small-school prospects [The Baltimore Sun]
- For the Ravens, the NFL Draft has been a combination of strategy, skill and luck. [The Baltimore Sun]
- Ray Rice's case in N.J. highlights the debate over courtroom cameras. [The Baltimore Sun]
- Ravens Hall of Fame offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden talks about his 1996 draft-day memories, including feeling "disconcerted" after he was passed over at No. 3. [NFL Network]
- @KyleJakobe [personal trainer]: For the record, it's 5/2/2014 and Ray is in unreal shape. [Twitter/Instagram]
