Baltimore Ravens: Areas of Need Heading into the Draft

With the 2013 NFL draft quickly approaching, all the experts are getting ready for their final mock drafts. While they put in a tremendous amount of scouting and analysis to match up a player's talent with a team's needs, the problem with mock drafts is that one pick can drastically change everything. By the time the Baltimore Ravens are on the clock with pick No. 32, they are at the back end of a chain of dominoes.

As always, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and his group have been vocal about drafting the best players available (via BaltimoreRavens.com) but there are positions of need all over the field. The Ravens would love to add a dynamic receiver to the offense who could fill some of the void caused by the Anquan Boldin trade.

They also do not currently have a starting left tackle, although they are still in contact with Bryant McKinnie. Inside linebacker and strong safety are two positions that need to be shored up as well.

With an assortment of picks in a very deep draft class. the Ravens are in a good position to address their weaknesses, and here are some of the players they might be considering to step into positions of need.

Left Tackle

The Ravens have been in contact with Bryant McKinnie, but have shown concern regarding his conditioning and his ability to start for an entire NFL season. Coach John Harbaugh has shown the willingness to experiment with Kelechi Osemele at left tackle, where he started 38 games at Iowa State, if they cannot find a better option during the offseason.

The elite left tackle prospects (Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson) will be long gone when the Ravens are on the clock, but there are a number of intriguing options to consider.

Menelik Watson: 6'5", 310 lbs, Florida State

Projected Round: 1

Watson is new to the game of football, playing for the first time in 2010. This means that he is extremely raw and needs a great deal of technical refinement. He is a physical specimen, however, who has shown the size, speed and mobility to potentially play left tackle. Age is a concern, especially given his lack of experience, as he turns 25 in December.

Terron Armstead: 6'5", 306 lbs, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Projected Round: 2

Everyone has heard of this small-school prospect by now after he dominated the NFL combine. He does not have much experience against elite competition, but his performance at the East-West Shrine Game helped his stock rise. He is a fantastic athlete with the quick feet and agility to handle the speed rushers of the NFL. He will need to add some bulk and hone his technique before he can start at left tackle.

Justin Pugh: 6'4", 307 lbs, Syracuse

Projected Round: 2

Pugh was excellent playing tackle in college while displaying good mobility, range and technique. His footwork, hand placement and knee bend are all technically sound, but he lacks the ideal frame and arm length to play tackle in the NFL. This has led many scouts to project him moving inside to guard at the next level.

Kyle Long: 6'6", 313 lbs, Oregon

Projected Round: 2-3

As a son to Howie and a brother to Chris, Kyle Long knows what the NFL is about. He is relatively new, however, to the game of football after pursuing a career as a baseball pitcher. He is a tremendous athlete, but he needs some technical refinement to succeed in the NFL and may be best suited to line up at guard.

David Quessenberry: 6'5", 302 lbs, San Jose State

Projected Round: 2-4

Quessenberry has been moving up draft boards recently, with some believing he'll be going late in the second round. He is a very polished blocker with quickness and the versatility to switch between tackle and guard. He needs to add bulk, especially in his upper body, and improve his balance.

Reid Fragel: 6'8", 308 lbs, Ohio State

Projected Round: 4-5

Fragel was thrust into the right tackle spot after Ohio State lost both of its starting tackles from last year. He is still learning the position and will need time to hone his blocking and footwork, but he has the potential to be a great left tackle. He is a mountain of a man with a big, muscular frame, along with good speed and athleticism.

Inside Linebacker

Jameel McClain is the only proven inside linebacker the Ravens have on their roster, and he is coming off a spinal cord contusion that puts his availability in question. This is a position the Ravens could try to deal with early in the draft, since there is a bigger drop-off in talent at inside linebacker than at safety or wide receiver.

Alec Ogletree: 6'2", 242 lbs, Georgia

Projected Round: 1

Ogletree is the best athlete in the draft at the inside linebacker position. He is a converted safety with great speed and the coverage abilities to handle tight ends. He displays elite closing speed and makes plays all over the field. As a guaranteed three-down linebacker, Ogletree makes plays against the run and the pass.

Manti Te'o: 6'1", 241 lbs, Notre Dame

Projected Round: 1

Manti has a thick overall build and is a downhill run-stopper. He is a vocal leader with excellent instincts and play recognition, but he doesn't possess great recovery speed. His pass defense improved in his senior year, but he must continue to improve in coverage and show he is a three-down linebacker.

Arthur Brown: 6'0", 241 lbs, Kansas State

Projected Round: 1-2

Brown is an instinctive football player with a nose for the ball. He is a tremendous athlete with the speed and agility to cover sideline to sideline. Brown is a strong tackler who wraps up well, but some may question his size and ability to shed blocks in the NFL. 

Kevin Minter: 6'0", 246 lbs, LSU

Projected Round: 1-2

Minter was arguably the most consistent player on an excellent LSU defense last year. He is an elite run-stopper with great instincts and play recognition. He takes great angles to the ball and attacks blocks with ferocity. Minter is a high-energy player who wraps up and finishes tackles well. His abilities in coverage are questionable and, while he can play a flat zone well, he is not good in man coverage.

Jon Bostic: 6'1", 245 lbs, Florida

Projected Round: 3

Bostic has consistently played the run very well against tough competition in the SEC. He attacks running lanes and shows the instincts and vision to find the ball-carrier. At the combine he showed off his speed and the potential to develop into a solid cover man. 

Kiko Alonso: 6'3", 238 lbs, Oregon

Projected Round: 3

Alonso is a versatile linebacker with a high motor. He shows good awareness in coverage but needs to improve his cover technique.

A.J. Klein: 6'1", 250 lbs, Iowa State

Projected Round: 3-4

Klein has found himself shooting up draft boards, impressing teams with his intelligence and instincts. He lacks the elite speed to cover the best NFL tight ends and can struggle in man coverage, but he has good ball skills and the ability to make plays against the pass in zone coverage.

Kevin Reddick: 6'1", 243 lbs, North Carolina

Projected Round: 4-5

Reddick shows good vision against the run and is a strong tackler. He doesn't have the quickness needed to cover a lot of ground in the NFL and struggles with leverage and balance sometimes.

Keith Pough: 6'2", 239 lbs, Howard

Projected Round: 5-6

Pough is a very intriguing late-round prospect. He is an athletic chase linebacker with good quickness and movement skills in coverage. He uses his hands well to shed blocks and could develop into a three-down linebacker. He has not played against elite competition and there are questions regarding his lean build and strength.

Strong Safety

The signing of Michael Huff has filled some of the void left by Ed Reed's departure, but there is still room for improvement at the strong safety position. James Ihedigbo has starting experience, but the Ravens would prefer to use him for depth and on special teams.

Kenny Vaccaro: 6'0", 214 lbs, Texas

Projected Round: 1

Vaccaro is the consensus No. 1 safety in this draft, so I don't expect him to be available when the Ravens pick. He's a versatile safety with a great blend of strength and athleticism. Vaccaro is great in man coverage, a solid tackler in the open field and has great ball skills.

Matt Elam: 5'10", 208 lbs, Florida

Projected Round: 1-2

Elam was a leader for a very good Florida defense last year. He's excellent playing close to the line of scrimmage where he disrupts running plays. He can cover slot receivers and shows good recovery speed to bounce back from mistakes. Elam is a hard-hitter but he has a tendency to go for the big hit instead of wrapping up the ball-carrier.

John Cyprien: 6'0", 217 lbs, Florida International

Projected Round: 1-2

Cyprien is a strong-in-the-box safety with a really solid build. He has the speed and athleticism to cover slot receivers, but he lacks elite recovery speed. He is a secure tackler and consistently displayed the strength to overpower receiver or running back blocks. The FIU product is a smart player with the versatility to switch between safety spots.

D.J. Swearinger: 5'10", 208 lbs, South Carolina

Projected Round: 2

Swearinger is a downhill defender who likes to lay the wood on ball-carriers. His physical presence is felt all over the field as an enforcer, but he can sometimes be too physical and draw flags. He can line up with receivers and has experience at both safety spots and even at nickelback.

Eric Reid: 6'1", 213 lbs, LSU

Projected Round: 2

Reid is a long, tall safety with a very solid build. He's a very good all-around defender with a nose for the ball. He has the strength and athleticism to cover tight ends in the passing game but lacks the necessary recovery speed to keep up with NFL receivers.

Phillip Thomas: 6'0", 208 lbs, Fresno State

Projected Round: 2-3

Thomas is an athletic and physical defender with the speed to stay with slot receivers and tight ends in coverage. He's a strong tackler in the open field and shows the ball skills to be a playmaker in the NFL. He needs to improve his strength to adjust to the professional game. 

J.J. Wilcox: 6'0", 213 lbs, Georgia Southern

Projected Round: 3

Wilcox is a fabulous athlete with great lateral agility. He shows good instincts and tackling but needs to improve his technique in coverage before he sees significant time on defense. 

Shamarko Thomas: 5'9", 213 lbs, Syracuse

Projected Round: 3-4

Thomas plays the game with the aggressive mentality of a linebacker. He has a thick frame and is a great tackler. He has the speed to cover slot receivers and covers a lot of ground in the secondary, but must improve his ball skills. His height might make him a liability in coverage against tight ends, but he has adequate arm length to play safety in the NFL.

Bacarri Rambo: 6'0", 211 lbs, Georgia

Projected Round: 3-4

Rambo has an elite combination of size, strength and speed. He shows the playmaking ability and physical tools to be an NFL starter, but off-field issues and suspensions have lowered his draft stock. He needs to improve his read-and-react skills and work on his awareness.

Wide Receiver

After losing so many players from the Super Bowl team, it might be Anquan Boldin's absence that is felt the most next season. The Ravens are excited to see what their cadre of young receivers can do in training camp, but they would definitely love to add more talent to that pool. Tavon Austin is the only receiver that seems certain to go in the top 15, and this year's draft has a ton of solid Day 2 prospects that could make an impact.

Cordarrelle Patterson: 6'2", 216 lbs, Tennessee

Projected Round: 1

Patterson was challenging Austin early in the draft process for the title of being the top receiver in the draft, but his stock has taken a hit as of late due to questions regarding his ability to learn the nuances of the wide receiver position. It is still unlikely that he falls out of the first round given his elite combination of size, strength and speed. He has great vision with the ball in his hands and this, combined with his ability to break tackles and make defenders miss, makes him a threat to score on any play. He only has one year of FBS competition, but he was dominant in that year. 

Keenan Allen: 6'2", 206 lbs, California

Projected Round: 1-2

Allen is a great route-runner and shows a solid understanding of the receiving fundamentals. He attacks the ball in the air and uses his hands well to gain separation. He doesn't have great straight-line speed, but he plays quick and has the agility to make defenders miss and elude tackles. He is recovering from a PCL injury which impeded his combine workouts, but he has the talent and intelligence to be a No. 1 receiver. Of particular importance to the Ravens are the similarities between Allen and Anquan Boldin in terms of style of play.

Justin Hunter: 6'4", 196 lbs, Tennessee

Projected Round: 1-2

Hunter's combination of height and speed makes scouts salivate at the thought of adding him to their teams. He can develop into a matchup nightmare on the outside where he can win jumpballs and take the top off the defense. His hands were not as reliable after his ACL injury, but he has shown good hands in the past and the ability to make big plays. He needs to add some bulk and work on his run blocking, where he shows little physicality.

DeAndre Hopkins: 6'1", 214 lbs, Clemson

Projected Round: 2

Hopkins has good height and length to play outside in the NFL. He's a solid route-runner with strong hands and the ability to catch balls in traffic. He flashes the speed to stretch the field but must improve his use of hands to beat press coverage and gain separation. Hopkins is also a great run-blocker.

Robert Woods: 6'0", 201 lbs, USC

Projected Round: 2

Woods is the best route-runner in this draft. He has good hands and can make tough catches in traffic and over his shoulder. Woods thrives on intermediate routes but isn't consistent enough catching the deep ball to be a No. 1 option. He has a lean body build and lacks the strength to fight off jams and win 50-50 balls.

Quinton Patton: 6'0", 204 lbs, Louisiana Tech

Projected Round: 2

Patton shows a good combination of height, length and speed to be a No. 1 receiver. He is a natural pass-catcher and excellent at adjusting to the ball mid-flight. He's a feisty competitor whose energy extends to his strong run blocking. He needs to work on attacking the ball in the air instead of letting it come to him.

Da'Rick Rogers: 6'2", 217 lbs, Tennessee Tech

Projected Round: 3

Rogers has excellent strength and speed. He uses his superior strength to be an extremely physical player. He works well over the middle and is a great run-blocker, extending blocks downfield. His off-field maturity lowered his stock after he was suspended from the Tennessee team before last season. 

Ryan Swope: 6'0", 205 lbs, Texas A&M

Projected Round: 3-4

Swope lacks elite athleticism, and despite his impressive 40 times, he doesn't play at his timed speed on the gridiron. He's a reliable receiver with good hands and displays excellent effort as a blocker in the run game. He lacks the size or speed to work outside, but could be a very effective slot receiver in the right system.