As a part of our pre-draft coverage here at Russell Street Report, we’ll be featuring the best prospects all across the board in any situation the Ravens might come across. Whether it’s a receiver in the first round, a quarterback in the sixth, or a guard in the third, we’ll cover the Ravens’ best options in any scenario. Barring any trades, the team will pick in the middle of each round—so we’ll see who is available when the Ravens are projected to select their upcoming stars. This will make it easy for you the fan to look at what the Ravens are seeing in future NFL prospects.
Click here for Interior O-Line Round 1 prospects
Click here for Interior O-Line Round 2 prospects
The third round is when things really start to pick up, and a future starter could be found in the 3rd. The last time the Ravens drafted a high-caliber interior lineman in the 3rd round was 2007 when they were able to grab Marshal Yanda, a tackle from Iowa who would go on to a stellar career as a right guard in the NFL.
Weston Richburg, Center, Colorado State
Consistency is a problem here. While Richburg has tremendous talent, he showed that he has a few things to work on—the reason why he won’t be taken until later in Day Two, maybe even Day Three.
The big-bodied senior has been on the radar for several seasons now because of his rare combination of strength and agility. He had moments of excellence in both the passing game and running game, but he has a bad habit of whiffing at the second level. A few times, I saw Richburg miss on poorly executed situational blocks, mainly on stunts and times where he had to reach.
Richburg has experience at the guard position as well, so he may be a prime candidate for a backup interior role with the opportunity to beat out Gino Gradkowski. He isn’t at the level of Travis Swanson, but it’s possible that the Colorado State center is the second taken at his position in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Via Walter Football:
Richburg has some fans in the scouting community and played well as a senior. The Rams averaged 461 yards per game during the regular season. He led a line that allowed only 20 sacks and averaged 200 yards rushing per game. Richburg will play in the Senior Bowl. He had an impressive outing against Boise State, but had a bad showing in his Bowl game against Washington State.
Xavier Su’a-Filo, Guard, UCLA
Su’a-Filo might not fall to the middle of the third round, but if he does, there’s no doubt that the Ravens need to take him.
This kid has experience all over, and he is the well-rounded player that would work perfectly in a needy offensive line like Baltimore’s. When I think of a guard that can do everything, Su’a-Filo comes to mind. He anchored the UCLA line during his time there, and has experience playing at the Left Tackle position. He announced earlier this month that he would declare for the NFL Draft.
I see Su’a-Filo being able to become the Ravens’ first backup at guard, and even center. This is a guy that can be groomed into any interior position—something that fits the need that Ozzie Newsome talked about in the “State of the Ravens” address.
The biggest question here is his draft stock. We talked about the Ravens moving back in the first round. If they do, they could use the extra picks they receive to move high in the third round if Su’a-Filo falls. I would imagine this is a perfect backup option for John Harbaugh’s squad… the question is availability of the former Bruin.
