I've read a copious volume of articles and comments stating that grading draft picks immediately following a draft is meaningless as teams, fans, and sports analysts have yet to actually see the new draft picks in real NFL action. I certainly agree that we can't fully assign a grade to a player until he has seen significant playing time, but post-draft grades aren't about full assessments of players. Post-draft, instead, are about simply grading the draft decisions of each team based on what we currently know about each player and what we know about each NFL team's needs and priorities. We can also judge value for each player based on the point at which they were drafted and what was given up make the pick. With that said, let's take an early look at how well Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta fared in the 2013 NFL Draft.
I have, for a number of years now, come to realize that Ravens fans tend to get upset and overreact during or immediately after the NFL Draft if the Ravens don't place early, high-round priority on "sexy" offensive weapons. There were undoubtedly fans with unrealistic hopes that the Ravens would find a way to draft Tavon Austin or some such flashy weapon. There were others that panicked because the Ravens didn't take a left tackle in the first or second round as well. The problem with that kind of reasoning is that the Ravens tend to pick the player with the best value at their draft position in each round--they don't simply trade everything they have to move up and draft a left tackle or a receiver because fans are terrified of the departure of Anquan Boldin and the potential departure of Bryant McKinnie.
As far as left tackle was concerned, the only left tackles worth picking in the first round were gone within the first 5 picks. If the Ravens had spent what it took to trade up to pick a player such as Lane Johnson, they would have hampered their own ability to fill major glaring needs in other positions and potentially mortgaged their future for a player who could have been a total bust for one reason or another. Instead, the Ravens got fantastic value with the final pick of the first round with Florida safety Matt Elam. The Ravens had a HUGE need at the safety position after the departure of Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard, and Matt Elam looks as though he could potentially be a serious upgrade in coverage over Pollard or a serious upgrade over the aging Ed Reed in the tackling department. This is a fantastic pick as it demonstrates the patience and even hand of Ozzie Newsome as well as his ability to find value late in the first round (both Ed Reed and Ray Lewis were late first round draft picks).
The Ravens' second round pick, linebacker Arthur Brown, was almost as great a value pick as Matt Elam since Brown was slated by many to be a late first round talent. The Ravens decided to trade away a pair of late round draft picks to move their position up in the 2nd round in order to ensure the acquisition of Brown, and it is for that reason that Brown was a bit more costly and not quite the same high-value steal that Elam was in the previous round. With that said, the decision to trade up to get Brown was a shrewd one. There was reason to believe that Brown would have been taken before the Ravens original second round pick position came up, and trading up was the only way to ensure the Ravens would acquire first round talent at the linebacker position in the second round.
Brown was essentially the final available player of a top tier group of linebackers. Brown, however, was not the least talented of this group. I would argue that Brown could actually end up being the best middle linebacker of the 2013 draft class as he possesses a superior combination of instincts, speed, athleticism, tackling ability, intensity, and pass coverage skills that not a single other linebacker in this draft could match. His ability to cover sideline to sideline is reminiscent of a young Ray Lewis, and questions about his size (6'0" 240) are a tad overblown considering just how easy it will be for the young athlete to put on 10-15 lean pounds of muscle within his first couple of seasons in the league. The Ravens are the best in the league at developing linebackers, and I have little doubt that Ravens fans and football fans alike will soon marvel in the finished product of Arthur Brown.
Arthur Brown wasn't as well known as Manti Te'o (for good reason) nor was he as well known as Alec Ogletree, or Kevin Minter. Brown, however, had drawn the attention of many Ravens fans in the final month leading up to the draft, and thus, many fans in the Baltimore area celebrated when he was picked. The Ravens 3rd round pick, however, was not a player with whom the vast majority of Ravens fans were familiar. Brandon Williams wasn't a division 1 college athlete, and his team didn't play in a major televised bowl game last year. Williams, nevertheless, appears to be great value and talent to fill a major need in the Ravens roster. This young athlete is a massive 335 pounds of tough, explosive force...oh and he's only 6'1". Williams can bench press 500 pounds without the aid of a spotter or questionable form (the video is on youtube if you want to take a look). He nailed 38 reps with 225 at the NFL combine and possesses incredible comparative leverage to get underneath the pads of opposing offensive linemen as the result of standing only 6 feet and 1 inch tall. For those who question the ability of a player that spent his season playing against inferior competition outside of division 1, Brandon Williams demonstated his physical dominance at the Senior Bowl and was an All-American 3 years in a row. Most importantly, Williams is a tough nose tackle who will hopefully be the player that Terrance Cody SHOULD have been,. At the very least Williams should add more size and depth to the Ravens defensive line in order to ensure that Haloti Ngata stays healthy and effective.
Most Ravens fans that I spoke to and listened to on the radio were fully content with the first three rounds of Ravens draft picks. Many seemed far more wary of the 4th round. After two days of watching the Ravens reload and bolster their interior defense, many fans assumed that a wide receiver was next on Ozzie Newsome's shopping list. Newsome, instead found the highest value by the time it was the Ravens turn to choose their first of two 4th round picks in a player named John Simon. Simon wasn't on the radar of most fans, and I must admit I hadn't heard his name before he was picked. This tough hybrid OLB/DE, however, was named 2012 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. For a player of that caliber to drop to the 4th round is astonishing, and it was a no-brainer for Ozzie to pull the trigger on that type of value. Simon has already drawn comparison's to former Raven Jarret Johnson, and he may end up playing a similar role in the next couple of years. Some may question this pick because of the number of players currently on the Ravens roster that can play OLB and DE, but adding to the youth and depth of the Ravens defensive front seven is always a wise idea.
The second pick of the 4th round is one about which I'm particularly enthusiastic. Kyle Juszcyk is yet another player of whom I had never heard, but after watching game tape of this bruiser I saw exactly why Ozzie pulled the trigger with this pick. Juszcyk played fullback at Harvard, but that's certainly not all he played. Part of what the 6'1" 250 pound Juszcyk brings to the Ravens is versatility. In college, he was also split out wide as a receiver and used as a tight end as well as other roles. Juszcyk may ultimately take the place of Vonta Leach, but he may also be used more in the passing game to add to tight end depth behind Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson. For his size and weight, this guy is quite tough to bring down and far more athletic than one would expect from a fullback. Check out Kyle Juszcyk's highlights on youtube, they're quite impressive.
The next few rounds of draft picks aren't thrilling, but it looks as though almost all of them will help to add depth in areas in which the Ravens lost veteran starters. The Ravens picked Wisconsin guard/tackle Ricky Wagner with their 5th round pick. Wagner started at left tackle for 26 games while at Wisconsin, but he'll likely play guard or possibly add depth at right tackle. If the Ravens decide not to re-sign Bryant McKinney they will likely start Kelechi Osemele at left tackle. Ricky Wagner could potentially take Osemele's old spot and play at left guard. With their first pick in the 6th round, the Ravens selected defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore. Lewis-Moore is currently recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in the National Championship game. As a sixth round pick, Lewis-Moore isn't a heavy investment, but his potential as a pass rusher makes him an intriguing future prospect. The second Ravens pick of the 6th round could prove more immediately useful as depth and competition with Gino Gradkowski at the center position on the offensive line. Ryan Jensen played at Colorado State-Pueblo and will provide good insurance behind Gradkowski with the departure of Matt Birk.
With their first pick of the seventh and final round of the NFL draft the Ravens selected a player that just might see some action on the field this season. Aaron Mallette is only the second receiver in the history of Elon Football to be drafted into the NFL. This young athlete brings impressive hands, 4.4-4.5 forty yard dash speed, and decent size at just shy of 6'3". Mallette could very well beat out the likes of David Reed or Tommy Streeter on the depth chart, but only time will tell. His game tape, however, speaks volumes to his level of athleticism and catching ability. Regardless of his final place on the wide receiver depth chart, Aaron Mallette is absolute steal as a 7th round pick and should help provide depth and competition in a wide receiver corps with a big void left by the trade of Anquan Boldin.
The final pick of the Ravens 2013 draft almost certainly did not blow anyone away. The Ravens did lose cornerback Cary Williams to the Eagles in free agency, but the return of Lardarius Webb and the rise of Corey Graham as a starter should mean the defensive back unit will be significantly improved in 2013. Nevertheless, because of the awkward directional nature of leg movement with the cornerback position, ACL tears are quite common among corners. No position on the Ravens roster has seen as many ACL tears in recent years as cornerback (Lardarius Webb tore BOTH of his in the last 4 seasons). It is for that reason that a team can seldom have too much depth at this incredibly important position. The University of California's Marc Anthony likely slipped to the 7th round because he ran his combine forty yard dash in the low 4.6 range, but his cover skills were still quite impressive and he has a knack for finding the ball. This is a solid pick considering it was the final one, but he'll likely mostly be used on special teams in the upcoming season.
I give the Ravens an overall grade of A- for the 2013 draft. They got fantastic value and immediate starter potential in the first 2 rounds to replace the two greatest Ravens in franchise history and they did so with late position in each of the first two rounds. The Ravens also addressed issues of depth at every postition where depth is in question, and they didn't have to mortgage their future to do so. I like Ozzie Newsome's ability to find great talent from small schools the way he did with Lardarius Webb 5 years ago. Part of what makes the Ravens special is their ability to take a players skills into context based on the college program and conference in which they played. Sometimes draftable talent isn't quite as visible because a player isn't part of a program that gets a lot of national attention, but that never stopped Ozzie. The Ravens simply know how to evaluate talent, and they have confidence in their ability to develop talent once they've acquired it.
On a final note, I'm proud to announce that the Ravens signed former Terp tight end Matt Furstenburg as an undrafted free agent. Anyone who follows Terp football knows exactly what this young guy can do on the field, and I can't wait to see him suit up in purple and black!
IT'S THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA IN BALTIMORE
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!!
