To wrap up the 2011 NFL Draft, three random -- and some extended -- thoughts on what each of the AFC North teams accomplished over the weekend and where they might go from here. I'll refrain from actual grades for a couple reasons, one being you can't truly judge a draft for 2-3 years and the other being different teams have different goals in mind for their drafts. If I've done well, you'll be able to gather what my grade would have been.
On the Ravens...
1. Forget what I wrote about grading above or in the previous entry. This is an "A," and the Ravens may have had the best draft of any team in the league. They came in with a win-now mindset and not only got two players who should help them immediately do that, but they upgraded in several areas. This is where stability means so much in the NFL. The Ravens have a new defensive coordinator in Chuck Pagano, but he's an in-house promotion and there won't be much of a learning curve. And the Ravens can always count on Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and the other veteran leaders to make sure their rookies are doing the right things and making themselves as ready as they can possibly be to contribute in big games. A lot of the guys in the Ravens locker room are running out of years, and 2011 will again be Super Bowl or bust.
2. Jimmy Smith should be an immediate starter at cornerback and though he's going to give up some plays, he should be able to come out and play press coverage of the likes of Mike Wallace and A.J. Green (and maybe Chad Ochocinco, if Chad isn't playing soccer or tweeting about pigeons). Torrey Smith boosts what was one of the league's slowest receiving corps, and if he gets going early it will make things easier for Anquan Boldin to work the middle of the field on short and intermediate routes. The Ravens needed to get faster and do it with players who can help them beat the Steelers two out of three times in a season, most importantly when it counts. To do it where they did it with Smith and Smith makes for a winning weekend.
3. Don't be surprised if WR Tandon Doss plays and helps right away, too. Tyrod Taylor is a project, but he provides a potential Wildcat option for an offensive coordinator in Cam Cameron who's always up for trying something new. The Ravens got more athletic and created internal competition that should not only make the team better but potentially give them some insurance to keep their older players healthy and fresh down the stretch as they point towards January. It all comes down to Joe Flacco being good enough, and the Ravens used the draft to help Flacco continue to develop.
--Zac Jackson
