Ozzie Newsome and best player available go together like Dean Pees and off-coverage.
Each year, Ravens fans implement wishful thinking leading up to the draft. They hope that the front office will put an emphasis on needs over the best player on the board.
But for the most part, the Ravens stay true to their board. They grab elite talent when they can and spurn the opportunity to fill a need if it means compromising the chance at a more highly rated player.
This year could be an interesting case study for the Ravens. Will the front office stick to their much-publicized draft strategy?
With the sixth overall pick in this month’s draft, the Ravens need an elite defensive player. A prospect like DeForest Buckner, Joey Bosa, Vernon Hargreaves, or Myles Jack could fit that mold.
But let’s say there is an elite offensive player available, particularly the most elite skill player on offense in this year’s draft class.
That would be Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott.
For the Ravens, running back is far from a position of need. With a militia of ball carriers headlined by Justin Forsett and Buck Allen, the Ravens could manage without picking up a top tier talent in the draft.
But what if that player is clearly better than the current talent on the roster at his position, and would step in right away and contribute?
That would certainly be the case with Elliott.
Running backs come a dime a dozen; elite running backs do not.
If there’s a run of defensive players before the Ravens draft, Elliott will almost certainly be available. The Ravens could see the situation as one that is too good to pass up.
During his sophomore and junior seasons, Elliott was the Ohio State offense.
He racked up back-to-back 1,800+ yard seasons on the ground and found the end zone 41 times.
Translation: he’s good.
As a pure runner, Elliott is as smooth as they come, with effortless change of direction and balance.
He doesn’t possess Adrian Peterson‘s type of ability to change directions at top-end speed, but he still shows the agility necessary to break long gains.
When faced with contact, Elliott shows good strength. He can drop his shoulder between the tackles and power through the defense.
His pure power in traffic comes from his lower body strength. Elliott has plenty.
Plays like these show why Elliott can make an immediate impact for an NFL offense.
Take the Ravens running backs for example. How many on the current roster turn the play above into a first down?
Finesse, power, speed. You name it; Elliott has it.
So the Ravens have a decision to make. Should they address the glaring needs of the defense with the top pick or should they select the elite skill player?
At running back, the Ravens have a high quantity, but not high quality. Players such as Terrance West, Lorenzo Taliaferro and an 30-year-old Justin Forsett are adequate, but they aren’t superior to what Ezekiel Elliott could bring. The number of backs on the roster shouldn’t necessarily sway the team’s decisions on draft day.
The only running back who truly seems locked in as a long-term member of the backfield is Buck Allen. Other than the 2015 third-round pick, every other running back’s future is questionable.
But imagine a trio of Elliott, Allen and Forsett for the 2016 season.
That would really get the offense rolling.
The general consensus is that the Ravens need to select a defensive player with the sixth overall pick, but as we have seen in recent history, the Baltimore front office does not always draft the way the fan base expects.
Don’t rule out an Elliott-Baltimore match on draft day.
