2012 NFL Draft: Today's War Room Thoughts for the Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have lost five of their free agents to other teams this offseason while adding just one new player to their roster.

This means that the team will have a lot to think about as far as draft strategy is concerned, starting with offensive line.

Offensive guard Ben Grubbs moved on to the New Orleans Saints after that team lost their starting guard, Carl Nicks, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Ravens tried to negotiate a deal with free agent Evan Mathis, but he decided instead to return to the Philadelphia Eagles.

This means that guard is going to be a high priority for the Ravens in this year's draft. With the 29th overall pick, they won't likely land the top prospect, Stanford's David DeCastro, but they could be in play to pick Georgia's Cordy Glenn.

The only trouble with that is that Glenn is an ideal fit for the other three teams in the AFC North, all of whom pick ahead of Baltimore. Glenn could very well be off the board once the Ravens pick, meaning they certainly need a Plan B option.

That could be either Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler, Iowa State's Kelechi Osemele or Troy's James Brown, with Osemele being the better of the three, especially when it comes to his imposing 6'6" size.

Wide receiver is also an area the Ravens are likely to target in the draft, considering they didn't make any moves in free agency to add to their ranks.

Though the Ravens already have a young receiving corps, the only way they can make worthwhile additions is via the draft.

It's unlikely they make the move in the first round, or even the second, making players like Wisconsin's Nick Toon, Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles, Iowa's Marvin McNutt or Ohio State's DeVier Posey among their targets.

Though longtime center Matt Birk has agreed to stay with the Ravens through 2012, it wouldn't hurt for the Ravens to try to pick up his ultimate successor. Peter Konz out of Wisconsin would be their top choice, but they'd need to use their first-round pick on him—something that seems less probable considering Birk will be holding down the position this season.

Going with Zeitler would be an excellent two-birds-with-one-stone move for Baltimore; though a natural guard, he is also skilled at playing center and could thus have both an immediate and a long-term impact for the Ravens.

Otherwise, Michigan's David Molk would be an ideal pickup at the position, and if they went this direction in an even later round, they may give a hard look to Mississippi State's Quinton Saulsberry.

Defense is an area the Ravens could target with their first-round pick if offensive line can wait until later rounds. Both linebackers and defensive ends are fair game, especially ones who can also contribute on special teams.

Outside linebackers Whitney Mercilus and Melvin Ingram are likely on the Ravens' radar, and on the inside, Boston College's Luke Kuechly or North Carolina's Zach Brown would be their top two first-round prospects.

The Ravens lost two backup safeties with strong special teams skills to free agency—Tom Zbikowksi and Haruki Nakamura—so it's quite possible they go for their replacements in a later round. Kentucky's Winston Guy and Wisconsin's Aaron Henry are two potential safeties they could consider this year.

The Ravens are generally a smart team when it comes to the draft, striking a good balance between picking up the best available player and meeting their immediate needs. Whether or not these particular players end up joining Baltimore this year, I feel confident in saying that these are the positions in the forefront of their minds heading into next month's draft.

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