Reviewing the Baltimore Ravens 2013 and 2014 Drafts

After celebrating a Super Bowl win in 2013, the Baltimore Ravens were old. Really old. In the span of just two drafts, though, the Ravens got quite a bit younger. Now, they have as much young talent as any team in the league. Though there have been some misfires along the way, that’s as big of a testament to Ozzie Newsome as that 2013 championship was.

Let’s take a look at the two drafts that got the Ravens to this point.

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2013

1 Matt Elam
2 Arthur Brown
3 Brandon Williams
4 John Simon
4 Kyle Juszcyk
5 Ricky Wagner
6 Kapron Lewis-Moore
6 Ryan Jensen
7 Aaron Mellette
7 Marc Anthony

Unfortunately, this draft is as notable for its misfires as anything else. As of this writing, the first two picks both look like absolute wastes, with Arthur Brown and Matt Elam looking like busts. John Simon, Ryan Jensen, Aaron Mellette and Marc Anthony are all no longer with the team as well. How did we get to this point?

Start with Elam, a guy who tackles like his arms are 15 inches long. He was never a sound tackler in college, just hitting rather than wrapping up and driving his hips. That transferred to the pros, where bigger stronger players just bounce off his “tackles.” If he just learns how to tackle, Elam could be a decent strong safety. And don’t forget, Jimmy Smith magically learned ball skills in his third season. Maybe Elam could magically learn to tackle.

Arthur Brown has looked like a bust for entirely different reasons than Elam. While Elam has looked awful on the field, Brown hasn’t even gotten on the field. In his few reps (211 in 2013, none last year), Brown has been fine. So why hasn’t he gotten on the field at all? The fact that C.J. Mosley and Daryl Smith were awesome last year didn’t help his cause (they played almost every single snap). Even Albert McClellan got reps above Brown though, showing the importance of special teams. Brown needs to improve in a big way on special teams to get on the field, and with his tackling prowess and athleticism, there is no reason for him not to succeed there. And with Smith aging, Brown still has a chance to be the Ravens’ inside linebacker of the future.

Moving on to the first big hit of the 2013 draft, Brandon Williams had a breakout season last year, especially against Maurkice Pouncey and the Pittsburgh Steelers. As he learned the nuances of the pro game in his rookie season, Williams went from decent rotational player to bonafide star. Now, Williams looks to be a linchpin of the Ravens defense.

John Simon was an interesting case. Expected to be a quality special teamer, Simon did next to nothing in that area, ultimately leading to his release after just one season. Simon eventually would catch on with the Houston Texans, where he proved to be a decent run defender. 

Kyle Juszczyk and Ricky Wagner have had similar career trajectories to this point, not doing much in their rookie years before breaking out in year two. Juszczyk was a decent lead blocker and a solid receiver out of the backfield, while Wagner played like one of the best right tackles in the league last year. Both seem to have bright futures.

Kapron Lewis-Moore’s career is still up in the air after dealing with injuries his first two seasons, but we know the fate of the final three draft picks at least. Jensen, Mellette and Anthony are all no longer with the team. Jensen evidently struggled with sleep apnea according to the Baltimore Sun, which explains his struggles. Mellette’s failure was a bit more surprising after a quality rookie year preseason. Anthony simply fell victim to a numbers game at cornerback, where he just didn’t do enough to stand out.

What did we learn from this draft? Don’t draft safeties who can’t tackle, and do draft defensive tackles who are huge, strong and nasty. The failures in the later rounds were largely atypical of the Ravens, so don’t look too much into them. 

All in all, getting three quality starters (Williams, Juszczyk and Wagner) out of a draft is a pretty good success rate, even if the rest of the group hasn’t pulled its weight. If Brown or Elam ever pan out (or Lewis-Moore for that matter), this could be a special class.

2014

1 CJ Mosley
2 Timmy Jernigan
3 Terrence Brooks
3 Crockett Gilmore
4 Brent Urban
4 Lorenzo Taliaferro
5 John Urschel
6 Keith Wenning
7 Michael Campanaro

Aside from Keith Wenning, who ended up on the practice squad, and Brent Urban, who was injured, every single player from this draft class had positive moments in 2014. That’s impressive.

Start with C.J. Mosley, who was better than even the most optimistic fan could have expected. At just 235 pounds, Mosley was able to take on blockers as well as any linebacker in the league, showing an innate ability to shed or redirect blockers. Mosley was the first Pro Bowler drafted by the Ravens since Ray Rice. Assuming he develops in coverage, where he struggled last year, Mosley has star potential.

Timmy Jernigan and Terrence Brooks were similar in that they both flashed a ton of potential but had their rookie seasons marred by injuries. Jernigan caught on late, while Brooks had his best moments in the middle of the season. Both could be potential starters as early as this year.

Crockett Gillmore showed soft hands and surprising blocking ability, using his size in a way that he never did in college. Gillmore will never be a true threat, but he should be a nice contributor as a blocking tight end who can function as a receiver.

Brent Urban, a huge guy at 6’7″, got some hype as a potential starter last year before getting hurt. If the Ravens part ways with Haloti Ngata, Urban could once again challenge for a starting role.

Lorenzo Taliaferro had some bright moments as a rookie, running decisively and with surprising vision. Best of all, Taliaferro looks like he could actually be a receiving threat out of the backfield, averaging 14.3 yards per catch.

John Urschel stepped up in a big way as an injury replacement for Kelechi Osemele, forcing the Ravens to consider how they can get this math whiz on the field. Urschel may be the Ravens’ center of the future, or he could replace Osemele should the Iowa State product play himself out of the Ravens’ price range.

Keith Wenning, though still in the Ravens’ system, seems to be the only misfire of this group so far. Wenning has neither a rocket arm nor tremendous accuracy. That said, Wenning had some incredible moments, including a solid performance in the preseason against the New Orleans Saints. Wenning currently seems the most likely candidate to be the Ravens’ backup this year, though hopefully that changes.

Finally, Michael Campanaro made an impact every time he got on the field. He ran better routes than expected, skied for a touchdown and proved to be an excellent athlete. The problem? Injuries. Camp was injured on a regular basis in college, and that carried over to the pros. If he can stay healthy, Camp has a bright future. Fun fact: Campanaro was the highest rated Ravens’ receiver according to Pro Football Focus.

Interestingly, Campanaro does not fit the mold of a typical late-round receiver for the Ravens. Usually when the Ravens go receiver late, they pick a guy with elite physical skills who is extremely raw. Think Tommy Streeter, Aaron Mellette and Justin Harper. Did the Ravens change their philosophy, or was Camp just a one-time anomaly?

One thing we did learn from these two drafts is that the Ravens are looking to build their defense from the inside out. That means defensive tackles, inside linebackers and safeties.

Unfortunately, that strategy left the Ravens without cornerback depth this past season, which is something that absolutely needs to be corrected. Go get after it Ozzie.