Don Banks has an updated Mock Draft out this morning.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/04/23/mock1/index.html
This has been updated to reflect the Tony Gonzalez trade to Atlanta.
With the 26th pick in the Draft, Banks has the Ravens selecting USC LB Rey Maualuga.
In quiet hushes, you have heard rumblings about Maualuga to the Ravens in recent days. Without wanting to put the pressure of calling him the next ‘Ray’, there are those that want to make that comparison.
If Banks’ board is correct, and Maualuga is the choice, the Ravens will have selected an extremely talented player that I believe will be a multiple-time Pro-Bowl player.
It would be hard to object to obtaining that level of talent at the 26th pick.
It would be hard to believe that the Ravens were able to obtain talents like Gaither, and Maualuga as the heir apparents for Ogden, and Lewis.
That said, if Banks’ board is correct… I would not be jumping up and down for joy.
I would not be jumping for joy, because that would mean several things:
1) LB is not exactly a weakness for the 2009 Baltimore Ravens… Suggs, Lewis, Gooden, Johnson (McClain, Barnes) … if you add Maualuga at LB, it would be hard to envision the Ravens locking up Suggs long-term. Not because of position.. Suggs is OLB, Maualuga is MLB… but because you would have to question how much $$ overall you could invest in the Linebacking core.
2) It would mean that the Ravens passed on CB Vontae Davis… if the Ravens do not want invest a 1st round draft choice in an already crowded Secondary of Washington, Foxworth, Reed, Landry, Rolle (Zybikowski, Nakamura, and Walker) … I am fine with that. However, Ravens Director of Player Personnel Eric DeCosta repeatedly said at the Ravens Pre-Draft Party, that you can only obtain starting CB in the 1st round of the draft.
There is not a better combination of athleticism, and cover skills vs Vontae Davis… and he would help the Ravens more in 2009 vs Maualuga.
3) It would mean that the Ravens passed on Heyward-Bey, Hakeem Nix, and Percy Harvin with the 26th pick.
At that Pre-Draft Party, DeCosta made the additional point that he believes you can obtain receivers at later points in the draft that can produce, and that WR’s taken in the mid 20’s have the highest percentage of failure historically in NFL Drafts.
Ok, those are fair enough points… certainly are numerous examples of that. I have not done the research on this, so I put this out there as a legitimate question… If wideouts selected in the mid 20’s overall in the 1st round have the highest degree of failure … would not receivers selected after those players have an even greater chance at ‘failure’? I think the answer is obviously yes… the retort would be that the risk is lower, with lower picks…
If Heyward-Bey is available with the 26th pick, (and Brandon Pettigrew is not… Banks has Pettigrew to Detroit with the 20th pick) than DHB should be the Ravens choice.
If you are going to question his hands and route running, you need to acknowledge that they improved every year at MD. You need to acknowledge he did not play the game as a youth, and started late in High-school at McDonough.
He is electric everytime he touches the ball… and is able to make plays in the air. His combination of size, and breakaway speed is ideal with a QB like Joe Flacco. Flacco loves to throw deep… and needs weapons to develop with long-term.
NFL Executives talk about how hard it is for NFL WR’s to gain separation on NFL CB’s… well, you have a better chance to gain separation if you are the combination of size, speed, and overall athleticism of Heyward-Bey.
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