National Football League

The Ravens just took a huge step in the right direction

Published May. 13, 2015 12:01 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

By Evan Singleton

After another NFL draft, it is safe to say that general manager Ozzie Newsome and the Baltimore Ravens filled some glaring needs and got good value in certain rounds. This should not come as a surprise to anybody who keeps up with this team. For the first time since the team drafted Joe Flacco and Ray Rice, the front office selected two offensive players with its first two picks. While these two guys are not household names, they will be reliable weapons for Flacco. Not only did they pick up a big-play wide receiver in the first round with Breshad Perriman, but they were able to trade up a few spots to draft the tight end of the future in Maxx Williams. A true value pick in the third round, the Ravens were able to get a big, strong and productive interior lineman in Carl Davis from Iowa. They also found suitable replacements for Bernard Pierce (Buck Allen) and Pernell McPhee (Za’Darius Smith) in the later rounds.

Perriman will be able to play alongside Steve Smith Sr. as an every down wide out who will constantly put pressure on the defense as a deep threat. Perriman’s tape did show some dropped balls, but he has the ceiling of a Dez Bryant because of his speed and size. Before the draft, Perriman was projected to be in the teens as a 6’2 receiver that ran a 4.42, but with the Ravens selecting him with the 26th pick, this gives the Ravens a potential No. 1 option for this season and maybe future seasons.

Newsome realized that it would be tough to snag the best tight end in the draft with a late second round pick, but with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the board at 56, the 13-year general manager knew that the team needed to trade up to get the Minnesota tight end who led the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns during his senior season. With Dennis Pitta’s status in question for the regular season, it was obvious that the Ravens needed to address this position with a player that could come in right away and produce. Maxx Williams will able to contribute right away as an every down tight end as this is a perfect fit for a quarterback like Flacco who is now playing in a tight end friendly offense with Marc Trestman as the offensive coordinator.

While Carl Davis’ motor and aggressiveness was questioned from his college tape, he will not be thrust into an every down role. Timmy Jernigan and other veterans such as Chris Canty will be called upon to replace Haloti Ngata on an every down basis. Davis was projected as a first or second round pick, but selecting him late in the third round is easily one of the better steals of the draft. Davis believed he should not have dropped that far in the draft and he said he will be playing with a chip on his shoulder to prove everybody wrong. Ravens fans, you have a good one.

Coming into the draft, many thought that the Ravens needed to sure up their secondary with their first couple of picks. However, knowing Ozzie and the way the board played out, it made sense to wait to snag a ball-hawking cornerback in Tray Walker. He will have sufficient time to learn under proven veterans like Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb. On top of getting a raw but athletic prospect at cornerback, the Ravens got a 6’6 receiver from Georgia Tech in Darren Waller. Waller’s numbers were not breath-taking by any stretch of the imagination, but he was playing in a triple option offense where he rarely got touches. All in all, the Ravens have two ‘Offensive Rookie of the Year’ candidates and they’re going to get some much needed depth at the cornerback and running back positions. This draft was a huge step in the right direction for the Ravens.

More from cover32:

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League