Baltimore Ravens Get It Right Selecting C.J. Mosley with 17th Overall Pick

It seemed for months like the Baltimore Ravens were destined to take an offensive player in the first round, but after Mike Evans and Eric Ebron (the two offensive players most often linked to the Ravens) both went in the top 10, Ozzie Newsome addressed a need and took linebacker C.J. Mosley out of Alabama.

This draft is deep enough that Baltimore probably could've afforded to trade down (as it often does) if it wanted, but instead, it elected to tackle a need in the middle of its defense. Daryl Smith proved to be a quality signing by Newsome last offseason, giving the Ravens a steady presence in the middle.

However, Arthur Brown wasn't overly impressive in his rookie season, and Albert McClellan is better suited to play on the outside, meaning Baltimore needed another inside linebacker to help run its 3-4 defense. 

Mosley showed at Alabama last season that he's quick enough to handle himself in man coverage or get around a block, and the tape shows he's capable of delivering a hit as well. Smith will serve as a good mentor for the 21-year-old, and with Ray Lewis still seemingly hanging around, Mosley will have plenty of knowledge to learn from. 

While Lewis was not the dominant mid-2000s version of himself during the Ravens' Super Bowl run in 2012, he still gave the defense a certain spark that clearly wasn't there last season. Mosley may not be able to replace that right away, but he was undeniably one of the leaders of what has been the SEC's best defense over the last four years at Alabama.

Over the course of the next few years, Mosley has the potential to fill a similar role in Baltimore and flourish into one of the better inside linebackers in the league. Assuming Mosley starts in Week 1, it will also give Brown an opportunity to develop sitting behind Smith, hopefully emerging as a quality replacement when Smith starts to regress.

There's never any doubt in Baltimore that Newsome and the front office will get it right when it comes to the draft, and they came through once again with the selection of Mosley. With two days and seven picks (four compensatory, which are non-tradable) to go, Newsome figures to try and find a safety, an offensive lineman, a running back and a receiver, and with this year's draft being so deep, the Ravens could do some serious damage between now and Saturday.