Dennis with Tavon Austin on Saturday
As we approach the April 25 NFL draft, the Ravens’ needs are coming to the surface. We can be sure that the team will draft at least one inside linebacker, safety, and tight end. We can also be sure that the Ravens will draft at least one wide receiver. It will no be surprise at all if that receiver is drafted with one of the team’s higher picks.
The departure of Anquan Boldin left a huge void in the offense, and I don’t think that void could be adequately filled with the returning wide receivers. Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones will start on the outside, and Tandon Doss has the inside track of starting in the slot. David Reed, Laquan Williams, and Deonte Thompson will press for playing time, and Tommy Streeter’s hands have to improve in order for him to have a shot at making the team.
The good news for the Ravens is that wide receiver is a deep position in this year’s draft. The bad news is that wide receiver is one of the hardest positions to fill in the NFL, because success on the collegiate field doesn’t always translate to success in the pro game. We all remember Travis Taylor, and that his body of work at Florida didn’t measure up to his draft position (overall #10). Former second round pick Patrick Johnson did not have a memorable career, and neither did Devard Darling, Yamon Figurs, and Demetrius Williams. As good as the Ravens have been in the draft, when it comes to wide receivers, the team has missed more so than other positions – or so it seems. They struck gold with Torrey Smith, and hopefully they can build on that success.
At least one of these guys (maybe two) will be a Raven at the conclusion of the NFL draft:
1. Tavon Austin – 5’9″ 171, West Virginia – simply the most explosive player in the draft
2. Cordarrelle Patterson – 6’3″ 205, Tennessee – super athlete who is a violent runner after the catch
3. Keenan Allen – 6’3″ 210, Cal – great hands, lacks break-away speed
4. DeAndre Hopkins – 6’1″ 205, Clemson – reminds me of Boldin; catches everything he gets his hands on
5. Robert Woods – 6’1″ 190, USC – he’s a playmaker, and he has that extra gear to get by defenders
6. Justin Hunter – 6’4″ 200, Tennessee – big hands, raw ability, plenty of upside to turn into top WR
7. Quinton Patton – 6’2″ 195, Louisiana Tech – plays with intensity, needs to get stronger
8. Da’Rick Rogers – 6’3″ 205, Tennessee Tech – has great ability along with character concerns
9. Terrance Williams – 6’2″ 205, Baylor – has all of the tools, hands are biggest concern
10. Markus Wheaton – 6’0″ 182, Oregon State – great hands, ferocious blocker
11. Stedman Bailey – 5’10” 195, West Virginia – above average hands, tracks the ball well
12. Aaron Dobson – 6’3″ 200, Marshall – great wingspan, can get after jump balls
13. Chris Harper – 6’1″ 228, Kansas State – physical player, catches well in traffic
14. Marquise Goodwin – 5’9″ 180, Texas – lightning fast, struggles with press coverage
15. Mark Harrison – 6’3″ 230, Rutgers – huge receiver, lacks consistency
16. Corey Fuller – 6’2″ 196, Virginia Tech – local prospect from Woodlawn, has great speed and size
17. Ryan Swope – 6’0″ 206, Texas A&M – refined receiver, who may do well in the slot
18. Aaron Mellette – 6’3″ 218, Elon – he’s not a secret anymore, Ravens are interested in him
19. Vernon Conner – 6’1″ 200, Duke – great hands, projects as a big slot receiver
Blog from Dennis Koulatsos
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