Last Friday, we looked over the Ravens’ 2nd round draft history and explored who lived up to their stock.
Today, we’ll be checking out Round Three to see how the Ravens have fared after many of the top players are off the board.
1997 (64) Jay Graham, RB, Tennessee
While the Ravens took Graham hoping he could make an impact, they never saw great production from the Tennessee alum. In his rookie season, he complied just 299 yards on the ground. After a 1998 season where he rushed for just 109 yards, his on-field career was finished. He didn’t have an impact in 1999, as he finished his Ravens career with just 408 yards on the ground. GRADE: D-
2000 (75) Chris Redman, QB, Louisville
If you played Madden back in the day and played around with the depth chart, you probably know more of Redman. He threw many a video game touchdown back in the day, as players elevated him over Tony Banks and Trent Dilfer. His impact with the actual Ravens though, was minimal, primarily serving as a backup for the team behind some poor quarterback play. He eventually became the starter, making six starts in 2002, throwing seven touchdowns and three interceptions in that time. Kyle Boller was drafted the following year and Redman’s time in Baltimore was pretty much done. He made some spot starts for Atlanta, and saw game action as recently as 2011. GRADE: D
2001 (92) Casey Rabach, C, Wisconsin
Rabach was another player who was never able to anchor down his spot as a starter on the depth chart. While he started a bit – most notably in 2004 – he didn’t stick around with the team. The Redskins signed him after the 2004 season, and he made it in Washington as a starter for six seasons. GRADE: C-
2003 (77) Musa Smith, RB, Georgia
Smith sat back on the depth chart for most of his time with the Ravens, but he did make an impact in his last two seasons with Baltimore. 2006 and 2007 brought a few touches a game, but he never locked down a starting job during his five seasons in Baltimore. He finished his Ravens career with just four total touchdowns. GRADE: C
2004 (82) Devard Darling, WR, Washington State
Darling will be remembered as one of the many busts in the history of WRs drafted by the Ravens. Expected to be a solid receiver for the future, Darling ultimately had just 20 catches as a Raven. GRADE: F
2006 (87) David Pittman, CB, Northwestern State
Pittman is one of the biggest busts in the history of the 3rd round in Baltimore. He never saw much starting time, spending just two seasons in Baltimore before traveling to different leagues, including the CFL. According to Pro Football Reference, he appeared in just seven games with the Ravens. GRADE: F
2007 (74) Yamon Figurs, WR, Kansas State
Figurs’ limited impact as a Raven came as a retur -man. He had two return touchdowns, but he spent just two seasons with the Ravens as he didn’t make the team in 2009. While some may argue that his touchdowns made an impact, Figurs certainly didn’t live up to being a top-75 selection. GRADE: C-
2007 (86) Marshal Yanda, OG, Iowa
After a poor job by the front office in the third round up to this point, they finally struck gold here. Yanda is still starting today, having notched three Pro Bowl selections, while being recognized as an All-Pro three times. He is expected to continue to anchor the interior of the line for years to come. It’s safe to say this selection was a great one. GRADE: A
2008 (71) Tavares Gooden, LB, Miami
This linebacker from Miami didn’t quite work out as well as the one the team took in 1996. Gooden was often injured during his time with the Ravens and only started when the Ravens desperately needed him to. For a selection at 71, Gooden should have at least started for a few seasons. GRADE: C
2008 (86) Tom Zbikowski, S, Notre Dame
Zbikowski played well in the Ravens defensive backfield during his time in Baltimore, but he never did enough to become a staple. He was a good special teamer, though, and started a total of 14 games between 2009-11. He’ll get a good grade considering his effectiveness on teams and when called upon for spot starts, but this certainly wasn’t an elite selection. GRADE: B-
2008 (99) Oniel Cousins, OL, UTEP
Cousins was mainly a backup in Baltimore. He wasn’t able to find a starting role as a Raven and as a result, he was waived during the 2011 pre-season. Because this was a compensatory pick, we won’t label Cousins a bust…although we could… GRADE: D
2009 (88) Lardarius Webb, CB, Nicholls State
This one turned out to be a selection to remember.
A staple in the Ravens defensive secondary since the time he was drafted, Webb has seen success often. The Ravens have had a so-so secondary for a few seasons, but Webb has been the one player who has been able to make an impact game after game. His two ACL injuries are likely the only reason he’s not currently considered one of the top couple corners in the game. GRADE: A-
2010 (70) Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon
This was a disappointing selection considering how high Dickson was taken. He has 111 catches and 1,110+ yards with the Ravens, but his poor hands and lack of major production have been disappointing. He had a big season in 2011 (55/528/5), but things never really worked out the way they should have for a top-70 pick, especially in his 2013 contract year after the team lost Dennis Pitta to injury in preseason. GRADE: B-
2011 (85) Jah Reid, OL, South Florida
Let’s just not talk about this one, okay?
Reid has been the mystery of all mysteries. The only people that might know about Reid’s “role” on the team are the coaching staff – and even they might be confused. Reid has made a minimal impact on this team and that isn’t expected to change any time soon. GRADE: D+
2012 (84) Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple
We can’t effectively grade Pierce just yet, but it appears that this is a solid 3rd round selection. Pierce has been a good complement to Ray Rice and his production has been there. While it’s early, Pierce might have a nice future in Baltimore. Look for 2014 to be a potential breakout year considering Rice’s legal trouble. TEMPORARY GRADE: B+
2013 (94) Brandon Williams, DT, Missouri Southern
Williams will get his chance to prove his value in the 2014 season. Arthur Jones is off to Indianapolis and Williams projects to be a starter for the Ravens defense. Will he be able to fill in effectively?
Comment below and let us know who you think was the best 3rd rounder in Ravens history!
