With the 2013 Draft now finally behind us it’s time to take a look at what the Ravens have added to their championship team.
- 1st Round: Matt Elam – S – Florida (#32) : General manager Ozzie Newsome doesn’t normally make it a habit to gush over prospects but I found his comments about his number one draft pick quite interesting. “It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a player on tape and play after play you just go, ‘Wow, oh wow.’ The way he played on tape is the way you have to play in the AFC North.” With praise like that the expectations for the Florida product will be high and I’m sure everyone wonders if he’ll be up to the task. I had some doubts on Thursday about choosing Elam over an Inside linebacker or even fellow Safety Jonathan Cyprien but since then I’ve gotten more excited about the selection. Almost every scouting report makes note of his “ball skills” which makes me wonder what that even means. Is it that he plays football well? If that’s the case then I think we should be pretty pleased that Elam is with Baltimore. He has speed, can tackle, and can lay big hits when needed. The real question is, will he be able to step in a pair with Michael Huff to protect the back end of the defense?
- 2nd Round: Arthur Brown – ILB – Kansas St. (#56) : Any concerns about the Ravens passing over linebackers like Kevin Minter and Manti Te’o were eased once Baltimore traded up six spots to get a guy they coveted in Brown. Brown had received a lot of pre-draft buzz in the past few weeks and some had him predicted to go in the Round One. Brown was labeled a “Red-Star” player by Ravens brass who was a two-time captain for the Wildcats and who they hope will plug into Ray Lewis’ vacated spot in the middle of the defense. I’ll admit that it’s hard not to dismiss some of the comparisons made about Brown to the sure-fire Hall of Famer. He’s a hard nosed player of shorter stature (6’0″) known for his leadership and often plays with passion sideline to sideline. He also spent some time at the “U” before transferring. It all sounds too perfect. I just hope fans will allow him to get comfortable and let him become his own player and not just Lewis’ successor.
- 3rd Round: Brandon Williams – DT – Missouri Southern St. (#94) : If you want to figure of the Ravens draft strategy next year just listen to Ozzie Newsome. Sometimes he tells you. He said they wanted to get stronger up the middle and Williams will surely help. At 6’1″, 335 pounds he’s an impressive physical specimen that should fit in nicely in the defensive rotation up front. Incredibly strong and agile (Watch the You Tube video) for his size he appears to be another player that should contribute right away. A minor concern might be his ability to jump from a small school to the NFL but every player has to make adjustments. Of course there will be a learning curve but I think he’ll be okay. Can we cut Terrence Cody now?
- 4th Round: John Simon – DE/OLB – Ohio St. (#129) : The Ravens continued their trend of drafting high character leaders by selecting the two-time captain of the Buckeyes. The former Big-10 DPOY will join a crowded field of outside linebackers and it will be interesting to see just where he fits in besides Special Teams which feels that a natural at this point for him. He’s already drawn comparisons to Jarret Johnson and that sounds good to me.
- 4th Round: Kyle Juszczyk – FB – Harvard (#130) : With the shrinking role of the traditional fullback this may have seemed like a surprising choice. But upon closer inspection you’ll note that Juszczyk brings a modern spin to the position. He not only can pick up blitzers and block for running backs but he is an incredibly versatile receiver and can line up at virtually any position on the field. The two-time All American bring toughness, smarts (Duh!) and his selection I think would all but seal Vonta Leach’s fate as a cap casualty.
- 5th Round: Ricky Wagner – G/T – Wisconsin (#168) : A three-year starter who can play Tackle on both sides of the line. The Ravens hope that his versatility translates into adaptability as he may also be a candidate to start at Left Guard. I’m glad they added another offensive lineman here but it still hasn’t answered the question of Left Tackle. Wagner has experience there but it looks as if he is projected inside for now.
- 6th Round: Kapron Lewis-Moore – DE – Notre Dame (#200) : Let’s call this a redshirt pick. Lewis-Moore who tore his ACL during the National Championship game is eyeing a September return but I wouldn’t expect the Ravens to push him. They will want to make sure that he makes a full and complete recovery and considering the veterans they already have he won’t need to rush. This pick shows just how committed the Ravens were in trying to rebuild a sagging defensive line and suspect run defense.
- 6th Round: Ryan Jensen – C – Colorado St.-Pueblo (#203) : This pick provides some competition for Gino Gradkowski. Jensen is also from a small school and doesn’t exactly have a wealth of experience there. He was converted from Left Tackle and the Ravens saw promise in him as a Center at his pro day. Can he handle the switch?
- 7th Round: Aaron Mellette – WR – Elon (#238) : One of the biggest question marks heading into 2013 is replacing the role that Anquan Boldin had in the offense. Millette at least fits the bill physically at 6’2″ 217 pounds. I like some would have thought the Ravens would have gotten a receiver higher in the draft but they seem to like what they already have under contract. I guess you can throw Millette’s name in that mix now too.
- 7th Round: Marc Anthony – CB – Cal (#247) : You can always add a cornerback, right? He’ll be hard pressed to the make the 53-man roster though unless he excels on Special Teams and can perhaps set himself apart from Asa Jackson and Chris Johnson.
- (EXTRA POINT) It’s was pretty clear that the Ravens wanted to reload the defense during this draft. In the first two rounds they potentially found players to step in for former cornerstones Lewis and Reed. They continued to add depth on the defensive line and on the outside too as well as potential candidates on the offensive line. Overall I’m fairly pleased with how the draft played out for Baltimore. I am left with a few questions. They still have yet to truly solve the question of who will play Left Tackle. I’m not thrilled with Kelechi Osemele moving there. I thought he found a home at Left Guard during the playoff run and shifting him just creates another hole. Second, I would have liked to have seen a receiver taken higher. I understood the need to trade Boldin for economic reasons but they are going to be hard pressed to replace his production. Much like Buck they “like their guys” already on the roster and expect one to bloom. I’m not sold on that idea.
Matt Jergensen
Matt has lived in Maryland his entire life and is a graduate of Calvert Hall and Towson University. has always been an avid Baltimore sports fan. Since 2007, he has been writing and talking about Baltimore sports, especially the Ravens. His work has appeared on Ravens Gab, Russell Street Report, and he currently co-hosts a podcast “The Blitz- A Ravens podcast” with Brent Harris.