Let's dive right back into the draft analysis:
CHRISTIAN THOMPSON, FS- This pick is much better than I think most fans probably assume. Christian Thompson has already been mentored by Ed Reed for months now, and that gives him a huge advantage over most other safeties in this draft. Lardarius Webb has been mentored by Ed Reed for the last few years, and the ball hawking star corner attributes his recent explosion of production to Ed Reed's teaching. Thompson not only has the benefit of guidance from the greatest free safety of all time, he also has the physical talent to help convert the knowledge he gains into big plays on the field. Thompson ran the fastest 40 time of any safety at the combine (4.50), and he bench pressed 18 reps with 225, which was the same number as Peter Konz (kinda glad the Ravens didn't pick him, by the way). Thompson has good enough size to cover most receivers in the NFL (6'0", 211 pounds), and he tackles well against the pass. He doesn't have the experience against tough competition that a top rated safety such as Mark Baron or Harrison Smith possesses, but he has the speed and athleticism to contribute immediately on special teams, and I have a strong hunch that it won't take long for him to turn into another Webb under the tutelage of number 20.
ASA JACKSON, CB- Jackson's combine stats are just a hair better than Christian Thompson's in a couple of notable ways. He ran his official 40 in 4.49 seconds and performed 19 reps with 225 pounds despite weighing 20 pounds less than Thompson. Asa Jackson is 5'10 and 191 pounds, and he also comes from a small school, Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. Jackson will certainly add to the already fairly deep pool of Ravens corner backs, but he was most likely selected to serve as a return specialist to spare the knee ligaments of Lardarius Webb. At least for now, punt and kick returner would be a great job for Jackson. His highlights show him to have good down-field vision and hands as he turns interceptions and forced fumbles into long runs: ASA JACKSON HIGHLIGHTS. Jackson also displays some impressive tackling intensity for a guy who weighs under 200 pounds. This is a solid 5th round pick and helps to fill a special teams need.
TOMMY STREETER, WR- This pick made me more pumped and excited than just about any 6th round pick initially ever has. I had clamored for months that the Ravens should go out and get Stephen Hill because of his blinding speed and height. I talked about what a tall deep threat could do for an offense that already has a quarterback with one of the strongest arms in football and one of the best young deep threats in the NFL. In hindsight, taking Stephen Hill with the Ravens' first pick would have been risky even though it may have ultimately been quite productive. Hill had limited experience in college with only 29 catches, and he probably wouldn't have been able to contribute immediately. Courtney Upshaw, on the other hand will most likely be able to contribute from the start. Tommy Streeter also may not be an immediate contributor....BUT THE RAVENS SNAGGED HIM IN THE 6TH ROUND!!! It doesn't matter that Streeter may not an immediate impact player because he was such a low risk, late pick. He did drop some passes at the combine, but he caught plenty more in actual games last year as a starting wideout for the Miami Hurricanes. Take a look at some of his most impressive moments: TOMMY STREETER HIGHLIGHTS. Streeter almost as fast as Hill and even an inch taller at 6'5". As you can see, he gets behind defenses and catches passes that are far too high for a corner to reach. He ran his official combine 40 in 4.40 seconds, which is right on par with Torrey Smith's from 2011. Streeter fills a Ravens need for a speedy, big bodied receiver, and there are no longer any notable free agents of that kind on the market. I don't think it'll be long before Touchdown Tommy becomes a household name in the greater Baltimore area.
DEANGELO TYSON, DL- Taking a defensive lineman in the final round of the draft wasn't a total shock to me as the Ravens lost Cory Redding and Brandon McKinney in free agency to the Chuck Pagano and the Colts. Tyson is an impressive physical specimen at 6'2", 315 pounds. He ran his 40 yard dash in an impressive 5.0 seconds and bench pressed a strong 30 reps of 225 pounds. Tyson has a good work ethic to compliment his athleticism and strength. His work ethic will most likely be a huge factor in his role with the team. This pick isn't a huge steal, but it's solid and addresses depth concerns left by departed veterans.
PURPLE NIGHTMARE'S OVERALL DRAFT GRADE
I don't think you can please everyone in any given year with a draft. A draft is about choosing a handful of players from a group of hundreds. Eric DeCosta remarked this morning on 105.7 that there was similar criticism from fans after the 2007 draft when the Ravens picked Ben Grubbs, Le'Ron McClain, and Marshall Yanda among others. DeCosta pointed out, however, that all three of the aforementioned picks subsequently became pro-bowlers...think about that for a second. The 2011 draft proved better than expected as Pernell McPhee turned out to be a total monster on the field and Torrey Smith, despite heavy early criticism, set a franchise rookie record and led the team with 7 receiving touchdowns. I would argue that many fans are so worried, hurt, and offended by the Ravens trading out of the first round that they will criticize just about anyone that Ozzie chooses from the second round on. Many fans also get nervous and cringe every time a good player is picked by another team.
If you are one of those people who panicked just because the Patriots got Donta Hightower or because the Steelers got David DeCastro, please understand that Ravens cannot pick all of the players you want in the draft. There are far too many college programs and players that come out of them for the average fan to be truly aware of all of the talent in the draft. Most fans become immediately enamored with players from big football schools whose games are widely televised. Sometimes being a part of a good program will seriously maximize a player's NFL potential from a developmental standpoint. Sometimes, however, a big name player looked good during college BECAUSE he was a part of a great college system and may have been surrounded by talented teammates and intelligent coaches. In those cases, that player that you pined after and cursed your team for not picking up ultimately ends up being a total bust.
The bottom line is that the Ravens are great evaluators of individual talent and potential. They're able to put players into the context of the system they played in during college and determine how they'll fit into the Ravens' scheme. I'm quite confident that the Ravens picked the best available player in each round that filled a need on their roster. I still trust in Ozzie, and I think his patience is what makes him contrast so starkly with whoever it is that was responsible for mortgaging the Redskins' draft future away for the next few years simply to move up 4 spots in the first round. Please note that I'm not saying that RG3 won't be a great player, but please think about what they gave up to move up FOUR SPOTS IN THE FIRST ROUND!!
Anyway, Upshaw was a steal in the second round, Osemele and Gradkowski are both safer and less risky picks than the injury-prone Peter Konz, Pierce will be a good #2 behind Ray Rice even if he was picked a round too early, Thompson will add speed and depth behind Ed Reed, Jackson will provide a boost to special teams, Tommy Streeter could reveal himself to be a total draft gem sooner than many might think, and Tyson could see some playing time with his work ethic and intensity.
I give the 2012 Ravens draft a solid A overall for adding talent and physicality in every position of need on their team without taking huge, costly risks. As always GO RAVENS!!!
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