After a middling season, Baltimore needed a star-studded draft class to have some sort of immediate turn around. To no surprise, Ozzie Newsome and company came through big time. For the most part, every position of need was addressed, and with starting caliber talents.
There was scrutiny about last year’s class and how Baltimore used (or did not use, in most cases) there rookies. This class added all the complimentary pieces needed to be able to allow the previous class to shine.
First Round, 17th Pick: CJ Mosley, Linebacker, Alabama
At first, there was a wave of disappointment throughout Baltimore’s fan base when the name called was not Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Although, after a moment of depression, the realization that Mosley is an elite non-pass rushing linebacker prospect took away the pain. Mosley is a smart, fluid, fundamentally sound linebacker that has few flaws, and none of them fatal.
This year, Baltimore will start Daryll Smith at one ILB spot, but the other spot is a mystery. More likely than not, Mosley and last year’s 2nd round pick Arthur Brown will rotate in, but Brown will take a majority of the snaps in the nickel package while Mosley takes more snaps in the base defense. That being said, Smith is aging and will eventually leave Brown and Mosley as full time starters. The two will make for one of the best ILB duos in the league.
Grade: B+
Second Round, 48th Pick: Timmy Jernigan, Defensive Tackle, Florida State
The Jernigan pick came off as an odd fit, but in reality, it is not. Jernigan’s best fit is as a 1-tech in a 4-3 defense and Baltimore runs their base out of a 3-4, but they run a hybrid scheme. This means that those who are at 5-tech in the base (Haloti Ngata and Arthur Jones/Chris Canty last year) move to the 3-tech and 1-tech. Jernigan’s best fit is as a 1-tech in this case, but he can certainly function as a starting 5-tech as more of a gap holder than a pure pass rusher.
Jernigan was one of the best defensive tackles in the class, but the fit was not ideal. Despite the odd fit, it was not a bad pick by any means.
Grade: B-
Third Round, 79th pick: Terrence Brooks, Safety, Florida State
Remember the wave of fear and disappointment when Baltimore passed on Ha Ha Clinton-Dix when they desperately needed a safety? At the sound of Brooks’ name, those negative feelings were entirely erased.
In terms of pure center-fielders, Brooks is arguably the best from this class and will be a perfect compliment to Matt Elam’s “box safety” skill set. Brooks will allow Elam to move to strong safety and maximize his potential. The Brooks selection improved two positions with a single pick, and at great value. In a generally poor safety class, Brooks could have gone much higher.
Grade: A
Third Round, 99th Pick: Crockett Gillmore, Tight End, Colorado State
Dennis Pitta was re-signed and Owen Daniels was acquired, leaving many to think that Baltimore does not need a tight end. For immediate impact, they do not, but they need a long-term second option. Daniels’ contract was only for one year and it is highly unlikely that he is re-signed afterward. Gillmore will have this year to develop and become the next tight end to break out from nowhere, ala Julius Thomas and Ladarius Green. For a third round compensatory pick, investing in a tight end with the potential that Gillmore possesses could prove to be well worth it.
Grade: B
Fourth Round, 134th Pick: Brent Urban, Defensive Tackle, Virginia
Like Jernigan, Urban’s best fit is in a 4-3, but he should not have issues functioning as a 5-tech in the base 3-4 defense. With the loss of Arthur Jones and Chris Canty/Marcus Spears being in their last few years of effectiveness, a depth rotational piece like Urban was necessary for the future. In 2014, he will likely see little playing time, but once Canty and Spears become a non-factor, he will become more involved.
Grade: B-
Fourth Round, 138th Pick: Lorenzo Taliefero, Running Back, Coastal Carolina
While it certainly made sense to go for a running back considering Ray Rice has shown decline and Bernard Pierce can not carry the full load, Taliefero was not the right pick. At that point, other more talented running backs, such as Lache Seastrunk, Tyler Gaffney, Storm Johnson, Terrance West, and Isaiah Crowell were still available. Reminiscent to the Kyle Juszczyk pick last year, the value was poor.
Grade: D+
Fifth Round, 175th Pick: John Urschel, Guard, Penn State
Seeing A.Q. Shipley being Baltimore’s next “best” guard after Kelechi Osemele went down was quite disgusting. Urschel is a smart man that will, in theory, provide the depth Baltimore seeks. On the other hand, the value was mediocre and Urschel, when on field, will likely be a liability.
Grade: C-
Sixth Round, 194th Pick: Keith Wenning, Quarterback, Ball State
Tyrod Taylor is a wildcard backup quarterback that should not be trusted to be able to keep a team afloat in a crisis. Thankfully, Wenning is worthy of said trust. He is an accurate, strong armed passer that handled pressure rather well. He has mental deficiencies, such as staring down receivers, but if Gary Kubiak can keep the offense simple, Wenning can be a capable backup that Baltimore needs.
Grade: B+
Seventh Round, 218th Pick: Michael Campanaro, Wide Receiver, Vanderbilt
Probably due in large part to his lack of size, Campanaro was an absolute steal in the seventh round. With Steve Smith, set up to become the featured slot receiver, Campanaro will not have much of an early impact, but once Smith is gone, he will have his chance to shine. Campanaro has the talent and refinement to be one of the best slot receivers in the league. Newsome made a brilliant decision in trading back into the seventh to snag him.
Grade: A
There were a couple of poor picks, but aside from those, the Baltimore draft class was superb. The future void at inside linebacker, slot receiver, defensive line depth, and tight end were all addressed with top notch talents. Likewise, free safety and starting defensive tackle were both addressed with solid players. The only position left unanswered was right tackle, but Baltimore reacted by signing North Carolina tackle James Hurst (a starting caliber tackle that fell due to a late injury) as a UDFA. Overall, the Ravens set themselves up for success, both now and for the future. Little else could have been done to improve their haul. Overall Grade: B+