In order to practice his "best player available" draft mantra, Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome can't have glaring holes on his roster when making his picks.
Thus, Newsome has filled a number of different needs via free agency heading into the draft. He signed wide receiver Steve Smith, Sr., tight end Owen Daniels, safety Darian Stewart and running back Justin Forsett, and traded for center Jeremy Zuttah.
Here are five other potential areas of need. Which is the biggest?* *
Free safety
Baltimore added Stewart, who started 19 career games in four years in St. Louis. But all of those games were at strong safety. The Ravens and Stewart's former head coach, Jeff Fisher, believe he is interchangeable. Stewart has also had injury problems in the past that have kept him out of a 11 games in four years. The Ravens would like to move Matt Elam to strong safety.* *
Right tackleAs of now, 2013 fifth-round pick Ricky Wagner is the leading candidate to man the right tackle spot. He'll compete with Jah Reid for the starting position. Wagner was solid last year when used in jumbo formations, but he's still young and needs to develop more confidence in the system. He struggled early on last year, but improved greatly.* *
Wide receiver
The Ravens' wide receiver corps looks more stacked than in recent years with the addition of Smith, Sr., and the return of Jacoby Jones. Baltimore has four strong receivers in Smith, Sr., Torrey Smith, Jones and Marlon Brown. But is that enough? Ravens fans have long desired a big, young playmaker to line up outside. The Ravens could use a long-term option considering Smith, Sr., is on the back end of his career.* *
Running back
The Ravens wanted to add another piece to the backfield before Ray Rice ran into legal issues off the field. Now that he faces possible jail time or suspension, the need is greater. Baltimore has Rice, Bernard Pierce and Forsett. The team ranked last in average yards per carry (3.1) last year, and could use an injection of new blood.* *
Quarterback
Baltimore doesn't have a need for a starter, but wants to add competition at backup quarterback. Tyrod Taylor is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and hasn't sparkled in his limited game action. Joe Flacco has never missed a start during his six-year career, but backup quarterbacks are critical in case of injury.* *
Cornerback
The Ravens lost cornerback Corey Graham to the Buffalo Bills in free agency. Baltimore's starters are Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith, but the nickel cornerback gets a lot of action in today's pass-heavy NFL, so it's a critical position too. As of now, Chykie Brown and Asa Jackson are the leading candidates for the job.* *
Defensive tackle/end
Arthur Jones left for Indianapolis, leaving his starting position vacant. The Ravens can fill it with a combination of Chris Canty, Brandon Williams, Kapron Lewis-Moore and DeAngelo Tyson, but they need more depth and a potential future starter. The defensive line is where it starts with Baltimore's defense, and not an area where they want to have too few options.
