It’s been a while since I’ve put together a blog for Tony and the gang, but I felt that this could offer a different perspective on the upcoming draft.
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First, and foremost, I wanted to say how impressed I am with players and fans from around the NFL for extending good thoughts and prayers to Tray Walker and his family. It’s been a tough week. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I would have loved to watch him develop and mature as a player. I do honestly believe he had what it took to become a good player in this league and for Baltimore.
2016 Season – #PlayforTray
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I’ve been a long time follower of the NFL draft process and being an avid football fan, I try to watch as much college football as possible. Based on the opinions of multiple scouts and draft pundits (myself included), the following players (in no particular order) are widely considered the top players in this draft:
- Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
- Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
- Jalen Ramsey, S/CB, Florida State
- Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida
- DeForest Buckner, DT, Oregon
- Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
- Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
- Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
- Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
- Jared Goff, QB, California
Assuming the Ravens stay at the 6th spot, at least three of the non-QB players will be gone and the odds are good that Laremy Tunsil and Jalen Ramsey will be two of those three.
Other than the two QBs, any one of these players could make sense for Baltimore and a few even fill positions of need. However, drafting for need has gotten Baltimore into some trouble the last few years. (Matt Elam comes to mind). They really need a home run with this 1st round pick.
The problem as I see it is that there is only one player that is the complete package and he’s a running back – not a position teams would particularly want to spend the 6th overall pick on, but in a weak draft class, would it make that big of a difference? I ask that question because in a weak draft class, which 2016 is, it is almost better to take the best player available and worry about figuring the roster out later. This is a true “BPA” approach. I have to ask though, would Elliott really be coming into a crowded house? I’m not so sure. Consider the following:
1. John Harbaugh and Ozzie Newsome have stated multiple times that they want to be able to run the ball effectively. In the past, both Harbaugh and Newsome have indicated that they like a “smash-mouth” approach to the offense.
2. Joe Flacco is at his best when play-action is working.
3. Buck Allen is a good player, but he’s nothing special. He’s an ideal complementary back who can carry the ball 10-15 times per game, but he isn’t a home run threat or a big play guy.
4. Justin Forsett is small (5’8” 195lbs), expensive, and will be 31 in October. I also believe that he is scheme-limited.
5. Lorenzo Taliaferro has yet to finish a season.
Having watched a lot of Ohio State’s games, I can attest that Elliott does indeed have that extra gear to go the distance every time he touches the ball. Considering he is 225-230lbs and 6’ tall, that’s truly impressive. He’s faster than many receivers and if he can hit a corner with a lane, he very well could score from anywhere on the field. I also believe that Elliott is a better overall RB than what Todd Gurley was coming out of college last year and Gurley was also coming off of a knee injury.
Is Elliott an ideal pick? Nope. Not by a long shot. However, there is no Julio Jones or A.J. Green in this draft class. There is no Von Miller-type of defender who is clearly head and shoulders above everyone else. This is a draft class that will likely yield a lot of decent players and role players, but only a few have the potential to become playmakers. The Ravens need a playmaker on offense and Elliott is the only offensive playmaker worthy of a Top-10 pick. Elliott gives them a home run threat at RB for the next 6-8 years who can make plays out of the backfield and be a true three-down player.
I truly believe that Ozzie has several options on the table and all of them are good ones, but my intention for this blog post was to prepare fans that the Ravens very well could take the “devalued” RB position with the 6th overall pick…and I’d be ecstatic if they did.
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