The Baltimore Ravens retreated out of the first round for the
second time in three years, a strategy that provided them more ammunition in
terms of draft picks and still allows them to potentially land one of their
coveted prospects.
It wasn’t a hasty move.
It was a calculated reaction after the New England Patriots
drafted two intriguing defensive players by maneuvering up to draft versatile
Alabama middle linebacker Dont’a Hightower and Syracuse defensive end Chandler
Jones, the younger brother of Ravens defensive lineman Arthur Jones
Despite trading the 29th overall pick of the first round to the
Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings’ second-round draft pick at 35th
overall and the Vikings’ fourth-round pick at 98th overall, the Ravens could
still get one of the players they had targeted for the first round.
That includes Alabama All-American hybrid pass rusher Courtney
Upshaw, Wisconsin center Peter Konz and athletic Georgia Tech wide receiver
Stephen Hill.
Despite not having added any new players to the roster yet,
general manager Ozzie Newsome said he regarded it as a productive night.
"We had some guys that if we were stuck at 29, we could have
picked one them," Newsome said late Thursday.
"One of those guys is still available to us and could be available
at that 35th pick. You can’t control what’s going to happen. When you watch the
board come off the way it, to have the ability to go back and acquire another
player and still get a player you probably would have taken at your pick is
good business for us.
"We had a couple of teams call us and we had several players
that we liked that are still available for us. To be able to pick up that 98th
pick from Minnesota, we think that’s just going to be another good player for
us. Or we could take that pick and use it to move back up in the second or the
third to get another player. We still have players that we like and that’s one
of the reasons we felt very good about moving back, still thinking that we
could get one of those players."
Other highly-regarded players that are still available: University
of Georgia offensive tackle-guard Cordy Glenn, Midwestern State offensive guard
Amini Silatolu, Stanford offensive tackle Jonathan Martin, Ohio State offensive
tackle Mike Adams, LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle and Clemson defensive
end-outside linebacker Andre Branch.
Newsome declined to say how many of the nine players that he
initially thought would be available for the Ravens’ original selection are
still around.
"I won’t divulge that, but we still had players that we
liked," Newsome said. "And that’s the reason why we felt it was very
good, moving back, still thinking that we could get one of those players.”
The Ravens contemplated whether they should move up via a trade to
try to nab Hightower, a punishing tackler.
Going off the board shortly before the Ravens would have been on
the clock in the first round: Illinois All-American defensive end Whitney
Mercilus (Houston Texans, 26th overall) and gritty Wisconsin offensive guard
Kevin Zeitler (Cincinnati Bengals, 27th overall).
Ultimately, though, the Ravens preferred to bolster their total
number of picks to nine.
When asked whether Ravens thought about trading upward to try to
get Hightower, Newsome replied without mentioning the 6-foot-3, 265-pound
linebacker’s name.
"We talked about it," Newsome said. "There were a
couple of players that we felt like we could trade up for, but it can get
expensive. There were a lot of trades and we felt better about going back.
After a certain number of players went off the board, we felt that going back
would be a better benefit for us."
The Ravens have the third pick of the second round, following the
St. Louis Rams and the Indianapolis Colts.
The Rams could use a wide receiver and help on the offensive line.
Coached by former Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, the
Colts could use help on defense for the 3-4 defense he’s installing.
Now, the Ravens own two second-round draft picks (35th and 60th
overall), a third-rounder (91st overall), two fourth-rounders (98th and 130th
overall), two fifth-rounders (164th overall and 169th overall), a sixth-rounder
(198th overall) and a seventh-rounder (236th overall.)
This marked the 11th consecutive year that the Ravens have
executed at least one trade and the fifth time in the past seven years that
they have traded their first-rounder.
Three years ago, they moved up to get offensive tackle Michael
Oher.
Four years ago, the Ravens moved around to draft quarterback Joe
Flacco.
And six years ago, the Ravens moved up one spot to get defensive
tackle Haloti Ngata.
Two years ago, the Ravens packaged their 25th overall pick to the
Denver Broncos, who drafted quarterback Tim Tebow, in exchange for three picks
that they used to wind up with outside linebacker Sergio Kindle as well as
tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta.
"It’s really who the player is, and who are the other players
around him," Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta said prior
to the draft. "You’ll never see us trade up to get a player unless we
think clearly he’s by far the best player that’s still there. If it’s close and
there are other players there, then we’ll stay and pick.
"There’s nobody that covets picks more than the Baltimore
Ravens. And so, the notion of giving up a pick is pretty distasteful for us,
unless the player is pretty darn good.”
Patriots coach Bill Belichick was obviously intent on upgrading
his oft-maligned defense.
To get Hightower, the Patriots sent their 31st overall pick of the
first round and a fourth-round pick to the Broncos.
"We started to hear that the two players they really liked
were Chandler Jones and Hightower," Newsome said.
"Hey, one thing about Bill: All year long, people talked
about how bad their defense was. Bill is a defensive coordinator by heart. So,
he got really good in his front seven with Chandler Jones and Hightower."
"I thought we had a good day," Belichick told New
England reporters. "As usual, the draft always takes some interesting
twists and turns. You just never know how it’s going to go. As the players came
of the board, we were able to execute some trades there and still hang on to
our second-round picks, which, I thought if we moved up I wasn’t sure if we
would be able to do that."
Meanwhile, nothing has changed for the Ravens in terms of needs.
They still need offensive linemen, particularly interior blockers
after the departure of Pro Bowl offensive guard Ben Grubbs via a $36 million
free agent deal with the New Orleans Saints.
Konz could operate as an immediate left guard candidate and be
groomed as a future successor to six-time Pro Bowl center Matt Birk. Konz, who
dealt with a dislocated ankle last season that prevented him from working out
at the NFL scouting combine, visited and worked out for the Ravens.
The Ravens’ defense could use another pass rusher to work in
tandem with Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs. Upshaw could fit that
bill after leadingthe Crimson Tide with 17 tackles for losses and 8 1/2 sacks
last season.
The Ravens are impressed with Hill’s size and athleticism. He’s
6-foot-4, 215 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds, tools for the
game that can’t be taught.
Linebacker, safety and running back are other positions on the
Ravens’ agenda.
Potential second-round targets for the Ravens at inside linebacker
that are still available: Cal’s Mychal Kendricks and Utah State’s Bobby Wagner.
First, though, the Ravens could have a good shot at drafting
Upshaw early in the second round.
Upshaw was invited to New York along with his four Alabama
teammates that went in the first round, including Hightower, running back Trent
Richardson, safety Mark Barron and cornerback Dre’ Kirkpatrick.
"He’s going to keep his head up regardless of what round he
goes," Hightower told reporters in New York.
"Courtney’s a hell of a player. Regardless of what round he
goes, whenever he gets to the league and puts his pads on, he’s going to be a
good player. It was a big surprise to see Courtney not get drafted. It’s a
disappointment, but wherever he goes, he’s going to make plays."
