Baltimore Ravens Recent Draft History

by shake n bake on Mar 19, 2009 8:32 PM EDT

In the 6 drafts since Ozzie Newsome became the Ravens GM (Ignoring that he had been a driving force in their player personnel for long before that) the Ravens have had 52 picks.

Position	1st rounders	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	Total
QB	2	0	0	0	1	2	0	5
RB	0	1	1	3	1	0	1	7
WR	1	0	2	2	0	1	2	8
TE	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2
OL	1	2	2	2	1	0	2	10
DT	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	3
DE	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2
LB	1	0	1	1	1	1	2	7
DB	0	0	2	0	1	3	1	7
K/P	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1

In total the picks were 31 on offense, 18 on defense and 1 special teams.

The first round picks break down as 4 O, 2 D.

First day picks have the same ratio, 12 offensive picks to 6 defensive.

Despite being led by their defense the Ravens have drafted heavy offense over the last 6 years. The 3 positions that the Ravens have focused on are WR, OL and LB. All three have had 7+ picks including a first rounder used on them. OL and LB have been very successful for the Ravens, building a strong offensive line and re-fueling the excellent LB corps. WR is a different issue.

The Ravens 8 WR picks have generated a returnman (Yamon Figures) a perenially promising, but unproductive deep threat (Demetrius Williams), a mediocre #2 WR (Mark Clayton), 2 scubs and 3 players that washed out before playing a single game. Most of the WR picks were late round and 1st round receivers disappointing is hardly unusual, so the Ravens inability to find WRs over the last 6 years isn't a shock.

The other Ravens need isn't a surprise looking at the draft history. The Ravens haven't drafted a DB in the first two rounds since Ed Reed in 2002. Looking more specificly at CB the Ravens have drafted only two CBs in the last 5 years, only 4 in the last 9 drafts. Only backup Derrick Martin is still with the team.

The Ravens have been one of the best drafting teams in the league over the last decade, especially on defense, both getting stars with their 1st rounders and filling out the rest of the D with later picks turned great players. The offensive results have been much more mixed.

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Comments

I fully expect the ravens

to go for a big, strong and hopefully fast WR in the first round of April’s draft. Depending on who is available, GM Ozzie Newsome usualy goes for the best player available. That might not be a WR if someone rated higher falls to them, but unless that happens, I’m lookingat one of the top three remaining WR’s, after both Crabtree and Macklin are off the board. That leaves, Darius Heyward-Bey, Hakeem Nicks and Percy Harvin. Depending on who is still available, that should be the direction they go.

Rexx

by Rexx on Mar 22, 2009 5:21 PM EDT reply actions