1 (25) – Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois

It’s no secret that the Ravens need a wide receiver, but it’s also no secret that the Ravens draft for best player available – in every round. Even in the sixth round last year, when they still hadn’t picked up a wide receiver or defensive end, they picked who they felt was the best player available, Virginia RB Cedric Peerman. While the selection of Benn, at first glance, seems like a pick for need, I think he’s the BPA at 25. Before last year, when Illinois’ offense was absolutely terrible, Benn was considered a top ten pick.

However, because the Fighting Illini offense was anemic, Benn had a bad junior year, with just 38 receptions, 490 yards, and two touchdowns, which paled in comparison to that of his sophomore campaign, when he had 67 catches, 1,055 yards, and three touchdown catches. Some people say that a “wide receiver could help Joe Flacco’s development”, but sometimes, I feel it’s vice versa. I think while a playmaker like Benn could help the Ravens, I think a legit quarterback like Flacco could help Benn.

Apologies to: Jermaine Gresham, Golden Tate, Brandon Graham.

Gresham is a guy who many had going to the Ravens early in the draft process, including myself, but so many things concern me about him. He’s got ideal size for a tight end (6’6”, 258), and is clearly the most talented, but his route running is suspect, he’s not very physical for a big guy, doesn’t always give the effort, and isn’t very fast. Golden Tate would be a decent pick, but he doesn’t project as a No. 1 guy, and if you’re drafting a wide receiver in the first round, and you don’t already have a big guy, you want a horse who can be your future No. 1. So no Tate. Graham, I think, would be a great pick, but with the way his stock is soaring, I doubt him reaching the 20’s, and if he does, he won’t get past New England, Green Bay, or Philadelphia.

2 (57) – Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers

This pick may surprise some. In the second round, some expect the Ravens to select a wide receiver, like Demaryius Thomas (Georgia Tech), Jordan Shipley (Texas), or even Damian Williams (USC). Some would expect them to take a tight end, like Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, or Anthony McCoy, all guys with second round grades. And while the Ravens cornerbacks for next season are basically set, that’s interchangeable. Domonique Foxworth is starting next season as the No. 1 corner, but Fabian Washington isn’t guaranteed to come back, Chris Carr is only back for one more season, and Lardarius Webb tore his ACL in a Week 15 win over the Bears.

McCourty is the perfect pick. Out of Rutgers, he knows current Ravens star and Pro Bowl back Ray Rice. Like Rice, he can do it all. He’s fast, can tackle, works hard, and is a special teams wizard. In his career, he has just six interceptions, but when I watch him, I notice a few things. A) he’s a leader. It’s hard to tell just by watching, but you can tell the defense rallies around him, and not many units rally around corners. B) he’s a very strong all-around player. He can cover very well, but, much like Webb as a rookie, he’s good in run support. He’s a hard worker, a team player, a leader, and is versatile, which fits what the Ravens have been drafting for in the Harbaugh era.

Apologies to: Demaryius Thomas, Rob Gronkowski, Brandon Spikes, Aaron Hernandez, Eric Norwood, Kyle Wilson.

This second round is a solid crop. Thomas, Gronkowski, Spikes, Hernandez, Norwood, and Wilson, in my opinion, any of those would be very good picks. But, in my opinion, McCourty is the best of the crop. Addressing Thomas, I think he’d be better for the third round. If the Ravens have a chance to get McCourty in the second, there’s no reason the Ravens should pass him up. Gronkowski would be a very nice pick, too, but Gronkowski’s injury in 2009 is concerning. Spikes, as well, has some risk. He has the chance to succeed Ray Lewis at middle linebacker, but he’s not a good all-around player like McCourty is, and isn’t very consistent.

Hernandez is a guy I like, a tough guy who catches the ball consistently, but he isn’t a very good blocking tight end, has some character concerns, and doesn’t run routes very well. That’s a turnoff. Norwood is a very intriguing prospect. At 6’1”, 252, he’s a good 3-4 outside linebacker, and I think he’d be a good pick, but I have my doubts he’d be available at 57. Wilson, like Norwood, probably won’t be available.

3 (88) – Shay Hodge, WR, Ole Miss

Obviously, there are a ton of underrated prospects in this draft (Brandon Graham, Mike Iupati, Maurkice Pouncey, Sergio Kindle, Kyle Wilson, Devin McCourty, Earl Thomas are my favorites), and some overrated guys (Carlos Dunlap, Jason Pierre-Paul, Dan Williams, Terrence Cody, Brandon Spikes, Taylor Mays are mine), but some of them are wrongfully snubbed. Hodge, in my opinion, is one of those guys. I think, by far, the SEC is the best conference in college football, and the most-hyped receiver from that conference is Brandon LaFell out of LSU.

Hodge, however, led the conference in receiving, with 1,135 yards. However, he’s given a third-fourth round pick, and if you asked most Ravens fans, they’d likely have the reaction of “Shay who?”. When I saw his numbers and then saw his draft grade, I figured it was a size issue, but was shocked to find out that he was 6’2”. In a radio interview on 105.7 The Fan on the show “Playmakers” with Jeremy Conn, he said that the Ravens showed some notable interest in him during the Senior Bowl. In the third round, he’s a solid pick.

Apologies to: Anthony McCoy, Demaryius Thomas, Daryl Washington, Jerome Murphy, Jordan Shipley.

McCoy, I think, isn’t a good pick here. He’s not an all-around tight end like guys who would be available later in the draft. Thomas would be a great pick, and I recognize that he’ll fall because of the broken foot. However, him falling to 88 is a stretch. Before his injury, he was running a 40 in the 4.3’s, and some had him as a first round pick. He’ll probably get taken earlier in the third round. Who knows? The Ravens might even take him in the second round, which I think is a solid pick. Washington out of TCU has the potential to replace Ray Lewis as the team’s inside linebacker when Ray retires, but three things worry me.

A) He’s not nearly as football-smart as a great ILB should be. The great ILB’s are Lewis, Patrick Willis, Jon Vilma, all extremely smart players. B) Who knows if he’ll fall to the 2^nd round?, and C) He’s only been a starter for a year, the ‘one-hit-wonder’ case comes to mind. However, if Washington is available, take him. Jerome Murphy would be a good pick in the second round and a steal in the third. Again, you can’t expect him to be available. Shipley wouldn’t fit. Even if the Ravens get Boldin or Marshall, Shipley, a guy who runs shorter routes, he wouldn’t have a deep threat opposing him to get favorable match ups.

4 (120) – Arthur Moats, LB, James Madison

Moats seems like a reach in the fourth round, but I see that much in him. At outside linebacker, he dominated games at James Madison University. I know – big accomplishment. But Moats, I think, is a sleeper in this draft. In a radio interview on 105.7 The Fan, a local Baltimore station, he admitted he idolizes Ray Lewis. Is it a coincidence he wore ‘52’ in college? In a 3-4, he could be an outside linebacker, and when asked about who he reminds himself of, he said “James Harrison”. At 6’1”, 252, Moats is actually bigger than Harrison (6’0”, 242). While work ethic doesn’t always guarantee success, it can’t hurt in the NFL.

He said he’s willing to do whatever it takes, and his will is proven when you look at how much he improved. As a freshman, he had just 18 tackles, two for loss, and no sacks. His sophomore season was better, as he had 45 tackles, 7 ½ for loss, and 6 ½ for sacks. His junior year was his breakout campaign, setting career highs in tackles (65), tackles for loss (15 ½), and sacks (11 ½). However, he was even better last year, with 90 tackles, 23 ½ for loss, and 11 sacks. He was still a feared pass rusher, but got better against the run, and was consistently waiting in the backfield.

Apologies to: Danario Alexander, Jason Worilds, Javier Arenas.

On film, Missouri WR Danario Alexander jumps out at you. He doesn’t have the speed of Darrius-Heyward Bey (showing how much speed means), but he’s deceptively fast. He’s tough to tackle, has leaping ability, and is obviously a smart player. If he’s there, which I question, I’d take him. But I doubt he is. Also, you have to wonder how much being in a Missouri offense helped him out. He’s a good receiver and has a chance to be that in the NFL, but he’s not 113 reception-1,781 yards-14 touchdowns good.

Worilds is an intriguing prospect, too. At 6’2”, 262, he’s a smaller guy, and had 4 ½ sacks last season. However, you can get, in my opinion, a better player in the next round. Arenas, like McCourty, is freakishly athletic. At 5’9”, he’s tiny, and is a special teams wizard. But you have nothing to do with him with McCourty drafted.

5 (152) – Micah Johnson, LB, Kentucky

Out of all the guys the Ravens have a chance at in this draft to replace Ray Lewis, there are guys who I’d prefer. Rolando McClain clearly won’t fall to the Ravens at 25, and Spikes, Washington, and guys like Pat Angerer or Donald Butler likely won’t fall to the Ravens in the third or fourth round. Micah Johnson, at 6’2”, 258, is good size for a middle linebacker, and while he’s not great in coverage (two interceptions in four years), he’s gotten better every year against the run. His tackle totals have been 29, 58, 93, and 105 – in order.

You can’t expect a linebacker in the fifth round to come in and ‘replace’ a Hall of Famer who made 11 Pro Bowls, won DPOY twice, and is arguably the greatest middle linebacker ever, but he can come in, learn from him for a year or two, and compete with guys like Dannell Ellerbe and Tavares Gooden to have a chance to. In the fifth round, he’s a very good pick.

Apologies to: Nate Byham, Austen Lane, Jason Worilds, Blair White, Emmanuel Sanders.

As a tight end, Byham wasn’t a groundbreaking receiver. In fact, in four years, he never had more than 262 yards and totaled 815 yards in four years, hardly flattering. But I think, with a blocking tight end, current Ravens tight end Todd Heap could be a bigger asset than he already is. Byham is a blocking tight end. However, what do you do when Heap leaves? Byham isn’t quite good enough. Lane is a 6’7” defensive end and has really emerged over the last two years at Missouri State, but you can’t trust a guy who put those numbers up at that kind of school. Johnson is clearly the better pick.

Worilds is again mentioned, and a decent pick here, but if you think about it, if the Ravens continue to run a 4-3, their defensive ends in the future will likely be Terrell Suggs (2003 first round pick, 3x Pro Bowler) and Paul Kruger (2009 second round pick). At best, Worilds will be a situational pass rusher in two years or so – if he even makes the squad. Johnson, however, could be a starter in two seasons. White and Sanders would be interesting wide receiver selections here, but as I mentioned, it comes down to impact. With two receivers taken already, why take another? Johnson could make an impact in the near future.

6 (184) – Justin Woodall, S, Alabama

At safety, I think the Ravens are basically set for the future. Tom Zbikowski proved last season what we basically already knew: he’s a smart player and disciplined. He can make plays, and is a team player. He’s proven that, after Ed Reed retires, which could be soon, he’s the Ravens free safety of the future. Strong safety, however, is up in the air. Dawan Landry wasn’t the same player last year, which is understandable, considering that he suffered a concussion in 2008. He’s a younger guy, and has proven that he can play (five INT’s as a rookie, four last year, 20 pass deflections, 251 tackles), but I doubt he’ll be signed to a long-term deal anytime soon.

Haruki Nakamura also has the chance, but like they say, ‘it’s all about competition’. That’s the case here. Nakamura and Landry can’t be considered All-Pro players, and likely never will be, but it can’t hurt to bring in Woodall, who has gotten better every year of his Alabama career. 

Apologies to: Naaman Roosevelt, Freddie Barnes, Greg Mathews, Kyle Bosworth.

Roosevelt really burst onto the scene in 2008, when he had 104 receptions, 1,402 yards, and 13 touchdowns. However, as a senior, he played three fewer games, had 34 fewer catches, and 448 fewer yards. Because he was at Buffalo, his draft status was as a mid-round pick regardless, but because of a senior season in which he underachieved, he now has a grade of a sixth or seventh rounder. Like I mentioned with Emmanuel Sanders and Blair White, competition isn’t good, but it’s better to have guys who can legitimately compete, and if they were to draft two guys who can be the future of the team at wide receiver, along with a possible trade, they’d have to cut Roosevelt.

Same thing applies to Barnes and Matthews. While it’s always great to have competition, it’s pointless if you bring in competition that won’t even be there for training camp and get cut. Bosworth is an interesting case, however, in a 3-4, he’d be an outside linebacker, but had two sacks in a four-year career at UCLA. Go with Woodall.

7 (216) – Leigh Tiffin, K, Alabama

In four years at Alabama, Leigh Tiffin was consistently a great kicker, and got better each season. As a senior, he made 30-of-35 field goals. Like I’ve said multiple times, it’s about competition. Billy Cundiff is a good kicker, and has a chance to be the Ravens guy next year. But he’s not as dependable as a good kicker should be. In a short stint with the Ravens that lasted seven games, nine counting the playoffs, he made 18-of-23 field goals. I will forgive him for that, though. Throughout the year, long snapper Matt Katula struggled mightily, and you could argue it’s the reason for Steve Hauschka’s demise.

In the seventh round, he’s a good pick. Of course, there are other guys to consider who play every down, but in this mock, the Ravens have addressed the positions in which they lag, so taking a wide receiver, tight end, defensive end, linebacker, or corner would be pointless. Regardless, the Ravens aren’t really bad at any of those positions except wide receiver. Most of these picks are for depth. Tiffin, however, can make more of an impact than any of those guys in terms of how much of a chance he has of starting.

Apologies to: Brett Swenson, Hunter Lawrence, Greg Mathews.

Both Swenson and Lawrence are picks I would find smart for the Ravens, but Tiffin is the best kicker in the draft, hands down. The Ravens need a guy who can push Cundiff for the job right away, and Tiffin can give him the biggest run for his money. Mathews has good size for a receiver, but plenty of depth has already been added with Hodge and Benn.