Based on recent history, the Ravens are likely to draft at least one player that participated in the Senior Bowl — and probably more than one.
Half of Baltimore’s 10 draft picks in 2013 took part in the Senior Bowl. And in all, the Ravens have drafted 35 players that participated in the Senior Bowl dating back to 2003, an average of more than three players per year.
Joe Flacco was at the Senior Bowl in 2008. Baltimore’s top two picks in 2012 — Courtney Upshaw and Kelechi Osemele — both took part in the Senior Bowl. Two of the Ravens’ top three picks in 2010 were there. And dating back to that 2003 class, six players that ended up being Baltimore’s top pick in that year’s draft were in Mobile, Ala. for the Senior Bowl.
That doesn’t even include Kyle Boller, who was the Ravens’ second first-round pick in 2003.
Yes, teams are bound to draft players from a game that features many of the top seniors in that year’s draft class, but it’s more than that.
How players do during the week in Mobile — during the game and even more so during the week of practice — factors largely into Baltimore’s evaluations of those players.
For example, Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta talked last year about how impressive Brandon Williams was at the 2013 Senior Bowl, impressive enough that Baltimore felt comfortable taking a Division II player in the third round of the draft.
Click here for more on potential Ravens targets from the Senior Bowl
