With several glaring needs, the latter rounds of the draft have become as important as ever for Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta.
The Ravens forfeited their fifth round pick when they selected offensive tackle Jared Gaither in the fifth round of the supplemental draft last year but have four picks in the final two rounds.
With the thinking that the Ravens will take a quarterback at some point before the sixth round, here are some possibilities for the last four picks.
Marcus Smith, wide receiver – New Mexico (6-foot-1, 221, 4.51) – Big, physical receiver who is very effective on short to intermediate routes. A former running back, Smith shows good vision and elusiveness after the catch but is inconsistent catching the football. Still raw and a work in progress, Smith should at the very least be a very solid special teamer.
Xavier Omon, running back – Northwest Missouri St. (5-foot-11, 228, 4.59) – Powerful runner between the tackles that has some elusiveness but lacks a second gear to break away in the open field. Omon had 1,271 carries in his college career and has a lot of tread on his tires.
Terrence Wheatley, cornerback – Colorado (5-foot-9, 187, 4.37) – Undersized but a fantastic athlete with impressive ball skills (14 interceptions in final three seasons). Had several surgeries on his wrist and has legitimate durability concerns. A below average tackler, Wheatley needs to add strength and bulk but is very fluid in coverage and will be a good nickel or dime back at the next level.
Maurice Murray, defensive tackle/end – New Mexico State (6-foot-3, 334, 5.10) – Possesses a nice combination of size, strength and quickness. However, Murray does not play up to his physical ability and managed to rack up only 3.5 sacks in two seasons at New Mexico State after registering 12 sacks in just one year at the JUCO level. Murray holds up well against the run and has some upside if a coach can find a way to movitate him.
Other possibilities: Shannon Boatmen, offensive tackle – Florida State, Rodrick Johnson, middle linebacker – Oklahoma State, Hilee Taylor, outside linebacker – North Carolina
