NFL Draft 2011: Why the Baltimore Ravens Can't Afford To Miss This Year

The Baltimore Ravens once again made a playoff run in 2010.  In what is a recurring theme, they eventually lost out to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Heinz Field.

The only thing eluding the Ravens' recent success in the league is a Super Bowl ring.

The team's window of opportunity is closing, as it is aging in key positions.

Only two on the current roster were part of the organization during that 34-7 Super Bowl victory over the New York Giants in 2001.  Ray Lewis was the only active player on the team while Kelly Gregg was part of the practice squad.

Gregg and Lewis today are two important pieces for newly-appointed defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano.  Both players are very much in the twilight of their careers. Gregg is 34-years-old while Lewis will be 36 at the start of next season.

Replacing Ray Lewis isn't realistically possible, but the team does have two relatively young linebackers behind him in Dannell Ellerbe (25) and Tavares Gooden (26).  Lewis is repeatedly referred to as the team's heartbeat—once he retires, the defense will likely not be the same.

Last year, the Ravens drafted Terrence Cody in the second round as Kelly Gregg's successor. But Cody didn't feature much during the season.

The team's other second round selection, Sergio Kindle, cracked his skull before even signing a contract with the team.  Kindle has yet to be cleared to even suit up for practice.

The Ravens also took a pair of tight ends in the ensuing rounds. 

Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta were thought to be receiving tight ends coming out of college, but both players combined for less than 200 yards during the year.  Nonetheless, this gave the team depth at the position behind the 31-year-old starter Todd Heap.

Depth at tight end is a good thing, obviously, but it is something that is lacking at the other skill positions. 

Anquan Boldin could essentially be considered part of that draft class as he was acquired for a third and fourth round selection.  This seems like an astute pickup except for one minor detail that becomes major on this team: Anquan Boldin is 30 years of age. 

Couple this with the fact that he has struggled with injuries throughout his career, and Boldin may not have much left in the tank.

Boldin is part of the quartet of receivers the Ravens used last season alongside TJ Houshmandzadeh (33), Derrick Mason (37) and Donte Stallworth (30).  This is definitely an area that needs to be addressed in the upcoming NFL draft. David Reed was drafted last year but did nothing on the field as a receiver in his rookie year.

The problem with the team taking a receiver is that they also need a tackle on offense.  Michael Oher struggled during his sophomore season as a left tackle.  Jared Gaither missed the whole season which meant Marshall Yanda had to play right tackle.

Yanda is a guard who played tackle and, while he was a solid performer, he is not the future at the position.  The Ravens will need to find a new tackle because Gaither doesn't look like he's staying in Baltimore.

While tackle is the glaring hole on the offensive line, the team also needs an inside presence.  Matt Birk is 34-years-old with 14 seasons under his belt.  At best, he has two to three seasons before he retires.  Chris Chester is the center in waiting, but he is currently the team's starter at right guard also because of Oniel Cousins' inability to play tackle.

The Ravens' offense wasn't exactly prolific last season, finishing 16th in points per game.  The need for an outside receiver may be stalled for another season if Derrick Mason and Anquan Boldin can carry the load.  However, Ozzie Newsome will definitely need to hit on some form of offensive line help in this year's draft to compliment the defense.

The Ravens' offense may need to carry a bigger load next season rather than just compliment the defense.

Defensively, they ranked third in the league overall last year.  They had a fatal flaw in pass coverage, however, as they ranked 21st against the pass.  The need for a cornerback was compounded by the loss of Dominique Foxworth before the season started. 

Nonetheless, there is still a definite need to upgrade the defensive play outside the numbers in M&T Bank Stadium.  Josh Wilson and Chris Carr are both free agents who played solid, if unspectacular, football last year.  Both players are studs on special teams, but were somewhat exposed as cover corners.

The team will be relying on Lardarius Webb to take over the starting position next year, while hoping for Foxworth to return to 100 percent after his severe knee injury.

The safety position is obviously set in Baltimore, with Ed Reed dominating the middle of the field... Not exactly.

Reed's recent injuries are reflective of the fact that he is 32-years-old. 

His neck injury prior to last season even made him contemplate retirement.  There is no question that his play hasn't dropped off.  He could have, and probably should have, won the defensive MVP last season. 

Reed has carried the Ravens' secondary during his NFL career.  He will be lucky to play for more than two years, so the Ravens obviously will need to replace him in the coming years.

Tom Zbikowski started in Reed's place for the first six games of the season.  Zbikowski is only 25 years of age, and is a reliable football player, but he will never make the same impact as Reed.

Realistically, Reed is just as important to this team as Ray Lewis is. 

Outside of those two, Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata are the only impact players left on the defense.  They have a cluster of solid and reliable performers who fill out the team, but very few players who can make the big play to swing a game in the team's favor.

Last year's NFL draft cannot yet be called a bust for the Baltimore Ravens, but very little has to happen for it to be.  Sergio Kindle may never play a down in the professional league (even if that is because of a freak instance).  Terrence Cody remains an unknown quantity.  Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson need to show more next season, while David Reed, Arthur Jones and Ramon Harewood will be fighting for roster spots at best.

The lack of free agency ahead of this year's draft means that the Ravens have more holes than they anticipated. 

The Ravens' playoff place may not be in trouble for 2011, but the importance of Ozzie Newsome's genius as a GM will need to be at the forefront again in two weeks. 

Otherwise, the whole franchise could quickly fall into a slide.

Cian Fahey is a writer for www.irishcentral.com. Be sure to look him up on Twitter at @Cianaf if you enjoyed his work or even just want to talk sports!