If there is one thing the Baltimore Ravens do, its find value in their draft picks. With three picks in three days, the Ravens drafted three guys who were projected to go much higher.
Let’s take a look at those guys, what the experts are saying, and what their career outlook looks like.
(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)
1) Breshad Perriman, WR UCF
Perriman reminds me of Justin Harper and Tommy Streeter.
— Shawn Brubaker (@63brubaker) May 1, 2015
That was my reaction when the Ravens made Perriman their first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Perriman may have ran a faster 40, but the comparison remains: Perriman is a lot like Justin Harper and Tommy Streeter in that they are/were all raw prospects with good size-speed ratios. All three of those guys had college success. All three struggled with their routes and drops. The difference is that the Ravens took late-round fliers on Harper and Streeter. They took Perriman 26th overall.
The good news is that Baltimore is a much better place to develop receivers now. Bobby Engram is a knowledgeable receivers coach, and Joe Flacco provides the necessary stability at quarterback to help a young receiver develop.
Still, this was not a risk worth taking with better prospects on the board.
Most prognosticators liked the pick, though, including ESPN‘s Jamison Hensley, who wrote,
The knee-jerk reaction is to label him another Torrey Smith. But Perriman is faster than Smith (a 4.44 time in the 40). He’s two inches taller and has a much bigger wingspan. But he’s also a receiver who isn’t afraid to go across the middle and will gain yards after contact.
That’s been a common sentiment, that Perriman is an immediate replacement for Torrey Smith, just with more upside. I don’t see that, but if it’s true, the Ravens would be thrilled.
The best-case scenario I can see for Perriman is a Kelvin Benjamin-esque rookie year: He may put up numbers, but it will still be a season plagued with drops and struggling through certain stretches. That would still entail a pretty darn good rookie season, though.
Worst-case scenario is the guys I mentioned above, Harper and Streeter. Perriman may never develop his hands and routes to the point that he can get on the field over more technically sound players like Kamar Aiken, Marlon Brown and Michael Campanaro.
(There is discussion of the Perriman selection on the BSL Board here.)
2) Maxx Williams, TE Minnesota
Now here is a pick I can get behind. Maxx Williams’ film was a pleasure to watch because he plays like his hair is on fire. In his blocking, in his pursuit of poorly thrown balls and in his routes, Williams seemed to give maximum effort at all times. He’s a pretty skilled player, too, with soft hands and a knack for making guys miss with the ball in his hands.
Now here’s the best part: Williams was easily the best player available when the Ravens picked, and he filled a huge need as well.
The initial reviews were excellent:
#BALPick Minnesota TE Maxx Williams. Heard Todd Heap comparisons when talking with people around the league. Also Jason Witten mentioned.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) May 2, 2015
Williams got knocked for his blocking during the draft process, but I honestly don’t know what the other draftniks were watching. With good technique and high effort, Williams was an excellent blocker, even if he lacked the sand in his pants to get a lot of push. Pro Football Focus‘ Thomas Maney spoke highly of Williams’ blocking in a profile on the former Golden Gopher.
He’s a very willing blocker, maintaining solid balance and hand placement for the most part when engaging at the second level. Moves his feet and actively tries to stay on and finish block.
Williams could start immediately for Baltimore, and I agree with Mortensen’s Jason Witten comparison. This is a talented player, and at just 20 years old, there is time for Williams to develop better strength and better burst to go along with his great effort, soft hands and overall skill. That’s the best-case scenario.
Worst-case scenario is that Williams’ slow 40 time was a more accurate representation of his athleticism than his film. He would struggle to create separation and would never develop into anything more than what Owen Daniels was last year, a slow tight end that gets by on savvy. There are worse things to be.
(There is discussion on the Williams selection on the BSL Board here.)
3) Carl Davis, DT Iowa
Another value pick, as nobody would have blinked if Carl Davis went in the second or even the first round. That the Baltimore Ravens were able to grab him late in the third is a great move. Davis was productive at Iowa, making this a great value pick.
That’s great value for Carl Davis, who had the 2nd highest Pass Rushing Productivity Rating of any DT in this class
— Gordon McGuinness (@PFF_Gordon) May 2, 2015
Davis dominated the Senior Bowl as well, stacking up well against the best players in the draft. The knock on Davis is that his motor runs hot and cold. Bob Sturm with The Dallas Morning News wrote,
I do have a tough time with his consistency and his motor. In both cases, it seems that we are talking about not just flashing a time or two in a game, but rather we want to see excellence over and over. I am also looking for him to swarm to the ball and not just run when he thinks the play is at him. Unfortunately, he is slow to swarm.
Davis was incredulous that he last until the third round per The Baltimore Sun, so the Ravens may be getting better effort from him than most expected. Considering the Ravens’ strong locker room, there is a good chance that Davis improves on that motor while retaining his great strength and surprising athleticism. Davis will be in the running to be Chris Canty’s eventual long-term replacement along the defensive line, along with Brent Urban and Kapron Lewis-Moore.
For now, Davis’ best-case scenario is to be a quality rotational lineman, occasionally spelling the starters at all three spots (Davis can even play nose) and maintaining a high activity level. The worst-case should go without saying: His motor never improves, and Davis becomes the typical defensive tackle who lazed his way out of the league. I don’t foresee that happening, though.
(There is discussion of the Davis selection on the BSL Board here.)
Shawn began his writing career with Bleacher Report as a Ravens featured columnist and Breaking News Team writer. He moved on to write for Yahoo! and work on the Ravens Central Radio podcast. Most recently, he was an Editor at the Baltimore Wire. Shawn is a 2013 graduate of the Catholic University of America.