Did you get any indication that when the Ravens were going to be on the clock, that you were going to be their pick at that point? (Jamison Hensley) "No, sir. Just before I got the call, I really didn't have too much of an insight into where I was going. I spoke to my agent a little bit; he kind of had a little bit to say to me, but I don't know exactly."
I think a lot of draft analysts had you as an early Day Two pick, even some in the first round, and here you are in the fourth. What do you think kind of led to that? And does that put a chip on your shoulder to prove people wrong that a lot of teams missed out on a really good corner? (Ryan Mink) "They always say the draft is unpredictable, and of course, I would have liked to have gone earlier. And it's definitely a chip on my shoulder from here on out; for all the teams that skipped me and all the corners that went before me, and I'm going to use that as fuel every day."
Two things, first, what does the T.J. stand for? (Brian Wacker) "Tampa junior. It's like an acronym."
How did you come up with Tampa? Did you just want to go with Tampa Tampa? (Brian Wacker) "I didn't come up with the nickname, I just kind of grew up on it."
And secondly, how do you think you'll fit into the Ravens' scheme based off what you know and what you've seen? I don't know how familiar you are with it. (Brian Wacker) "I feel like I'll fit in perfectly. I know the Ravens do a great job of developing corners, and there's a big corner [in] Marlon Humphrey – getting to learn from him as much as I can. They take pride, toughness is something that they take seriously, and I feel like I'll fit perfectly."
Obviously, the Ravens took CB Nate Wiggins in the first round. I'm curious, do you guys have any relationship? Did you get to know each other at all during the pre-Draft process? And what are your thoughts of teaming up with him here? (Garrett Downing) "We were actually Combine roommates, so I got to speak to him a lot then. That's something crazy that happened, so I got to speak to him a lot."
And was it just a random thing that you and CB Nate Wiggins ended up being Combine roommates? (Garrett Downing) "Yes, sir. We didn't know each other before that."
What kind of stands out to you about CB Nate Wiggins' game? What are your thoughts about teaming up on the same defense? (Garrett Downing) "Yes, [Nate Wiggins] is a great corner. Of course, speed is a big thing. He's a ballhawk – everything. I can't wait to learn from him and compete with him in practice."
What was the experience of rooming with CB Nate Wiggins at the Combine like? Do you have any stories from your time together? (Jamison Hensley) "We really don't get to talk too much, because we're busy all day. The most I ever asked him [about was] when he [was] setting his alarm, so that's about the only thing [that] we got to talk about."
What do you believe are your strengths as a player? (Ryan Mink) "Definitely, physicality in all aspects of the game – if that's point of contact, getting off of blocks, making tackles, being a willing tackler, just press, getting hands on, getting receivers [off] their routes."
You talked about having a chip on your shoulder. What message do you have for Ravens fans? Who are they getting, and what should they expect? (Carita Parks) "I would just say that you're getting somebody that's going to work hard every day. I've been at the bottom of a depth chart before, and I'm willing to work my way up again, and that's going to be a chip on my shoulder every day. I can't wait to get started, [and I'm] excited to get started."
Do you have any relationship with TE Charlie Kolar from your time together at Iowa State? And also, do you know any other Ravens? And what do you know about the Ravens culture and tradition here in Baltimore? (Cliff Brown) "Charlie [Kolar], yes, we're cool. Of course, we don't talk, like, a lot, but when we see each other, it's always a good conversation and catching up. And yes, the Ravens, they're big on pride and toughness throughout all [of] their positions, and they're going to compete with you, no matter what, the whole game. So, this is an organization that I would love to play for."
I know you were saying you weren't expecting the Ravens specifically, so when they called you, what was that call like? Who did you get to talk to and what did they tell you? (Giana Han) "It's so much going on, it was just a thrill just getting that call and being able to talk to the defensive coordinator [Zach Orr] and hearing everybody and how they were excited to have me. It's good hearing that coming from them, and [I'm] just even more excited to get started."
Just read that after you committed to Iowa State, Kirby Smart from Georgia was making a big push to sign you to Georgia after seeing you at a 7-on-7 tournament. Can you talk about why you remained loyal to Iowa State and is that a big value of yours? What does that kind of mean to you?" (Kyle Phoenix) "I trusted in [Iowa State head] Coach [Matt] Campbell and the whole organization from Day One, and they trusted in me from Day One. I feel like [when] I had chances to leave, I never wanted to, because they believed in me, and they stayed true to their word every step of the way. I could never leave them. I love everybody there, and I love the fans, the culture and everybody."
What was your day like yesterday as you were waiting for the pick? What was going through your mind as you went to bed yesterday, and how tough was that wait this whole time?" (Ryan Mink) "It's always tough just sitting there patiently waiting – waiting for your name to get called – and then it doesn't. You can't think too heavily on it. You can't drift away anywhere. You just have to stay locked in and know that your name is going to get called and be ready whenever you get there."
