2008 Woodie Awards
In This Corner: Ravens must make most of 2008 draft
Kevin Hess
Sports | 4/13/08
Fear not, Ravens fans. With the NFL Draft now less than two weeks away, the team should be hard at work as they try to inject some much-needed youth into positions of need. Coming off a disappointing 5-11 season, they will really have their options limited because the Ravens have only three picks (numbers eight, 38 and 99) in the first 100 selections.
This is a pivotal draft, as the team will look to get back to playing winning football. The Ravens are in a transition stage under first-year head coach John Harbaugh. Though bright and energetic, Harbaugh has no head coaching experience at any level of football. Luckily, he has two of the brightest minds in football that will be sitting next to him on draft day. GM Ozzie Newsome and scouting director Eric DeCosta have proven track records in the draft process. Here are three positions the team should look to address with their picks on the first day.
Offensive Tackle
Jonathan Ogden isn't getting any younger, and despite the lack of passing production, the quarterback can't really do that much when he is laying on his back. Ben Grubbs is emerging on the line, and Jared Gaither has shown potential, but this position should be the logical selection with the eighth overall pick. Michigan's Jake Long will surely be off the board, but if Boise State's Ryan Clady is still around, the Ravens should be doing backflips in their war room. The team may also show interest in Pitt's Jeff Otah or Vanderbilt's Chris Williams, though the eighth pick may be too high to justify their selection.
Cornerback
Ed Reed simply can't hold down the Ravens' secondary on his own. Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister not only have durability issues, but repeatedly got burned last year, and if nothing else, the team would be smart to add some more depth in the defensive backfield. Troy's Leodis McKelvin is the one of the best kick returners in the draft and has the skills to succeed, and could be on the Ravens radar at number eight, along with Tennessee State's Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie. But the cornerback position is very deep in this year's draft, and they will likely wait until the middle rounds to address the position.
Quarterback
This position is undoubtedly the wildcard in the team's draft strategy. Steve McNair is ancient and Kyle Boller isn't the answer, yet the Ravens could make the draft a huge success with fans in the drafting of other teams goes the right way. The team will pounce on Boston College senior Matt Ryan if he is around at eight, and rightly so, but Ryan is considered by many to be a consensus top-five pick, and the Ravens should prepare as if Ryan will be off the board. No other quarterbacks available warrant selection that high, so the Ravens will cross their fingers that either Brian Brohm, Joe Flacco or Michigan's Chad Henne are sitting in the greenroom when the 38th pick rolls around. Henne was a four year starter for the Wolverines where he ran a pro style offense and has the smarts, toughness and a rocket arm that the fans will love as their potential QB of the future.
This is a pivotal draft, as the team will look to get back to playing winning football. The Ravens are in a transition stage under first-year head coach John Harbaugh. Though bright and energetic, Harbaugh has no head coaching experience at any level of football. Luckily, he has two of the brightest minds in football that will be sitting next to him on draft day. GM Ozzie Newsome and scouting director Eric DeCosta have proven track records in the draft process. Here are three positions the team should look to address with their picks on the first day.
Offensive Tackle
Jonathan Ogden isn't getting any younger, and despite the lack of passing production, the quarterback can't really do that much when he is laying on his back. Ben Grubbs is emerging on the line, and Jared Gaither has shown potential, but this position should be the logical selection with the eighth overall pick. Michigan's Jake Long will surely be off the board, but if Boise State's Ryan Clady is still around, the Ravens should be doing backflips in their war room. The team may also show interest in Pitt's Jeff Otah or Vanderbilt's Chris Williams, though the eighth pick may be too high to justify their selection.
Cornerback
Ed Reed simply can't hold down the Ravens' secondary on his own. Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister not only have durability issues, but repeatedly got burned last year, and if nothing else, the team would be smart to add some more depth in the defensive backfield. Troy's Leodis McKelvin is the one of the best kick returners in the draft and has the skills to succeed, and could be on the Ravens radar at number eight, along with Tennessee State's Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie. But the cornerback position is very deep in this year's draft, and they will likely wait until the middle rounds to address the position.
Quarterback
This position is undoubtedly the wildcard in the team's draft strategy. Steve McNair is ancient and Kyle Boller isn't the answer, yet the Ravens could make the draft a huge success with fans in the drafting of other teams goes the right way. The team will pounce on Boston College senior Matt Ryan if he is around at eight, and rightly so, but Ryan is considered by many to be a consensus top-five pick, and the Ravens should prepare as if Ryan will be off the board. No other quarterbacks available warrant selection that high, so the Ravens will cross their fingers that either Brian Brohm, Joe Flacco or Michigan's Chad Henne are sitting in the greenroom when the 38th pick rolls around. Henne was a four year starter for the Wolverines where he ran a pro style offense and has the smarts, toughness and a rocket arm that the fans will love as their potential QB of the future.
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