The Ravens were minutes away from making back-to-back fourth-round picks.
They had drafted defensive players in the first three rounds, and had yet to address any needs on the offensive side. Draft analysts predicted that the Ravens might use one of their fourth-round picks on a wide receiver to help replace Anquan Boldin, and Louisiana Tech's Quinton Patton was regarded as the top wideout left on the board.
That's when the San Francisco 49ers – just one pick (No. 128) before the Ravens – snatched up Patton. Then the Ravens ended up selecting Ohio State linebacker John Simon and Harvard fullback Kyle Juszczyk with their next two picks (Nos. 129 and 130).
While it looked like the 49ers appeared to take a potential target away from Baltimore, the Ravens weren't planning to take Patton after all.
"Did one receiver get taken when we were set to take the guy? No, that did not happen at that point," General Manager Ozzie Newsome said after the draft.
Patton, 6-foot-0 and 204 pounds, was a highly productive college receiver who hauled in 104 catches for 1,392 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. He's a big receiver who was linked to the Ravens as a potential first-round pick, and having him available in the fourth round looked like a potential steal.
Newsome, however, said that the Ravens had a different direction in mind with their two fourth-round picks, regardless of what the 49ers did.
And while the Ravens looked at receivers in every round, they opted to hold off on* *addressing that position until the seventh round when they picked Elon's Aaron Mellette.
"Were there receivers in every round that we considered? Yes," Newsome said. "As far as Aaron, when we got to that point in the draft, he was our highest-rated guy, and that's why we decided to take him."
