Ravens 2010 Draft Grades

[VA_Fan]

Wanted to see what you guys thought about how Oz and Co. did this year so far.

[AZravensfan]

[quote name='VA_Fan' date='24 April 2010 - 10:26 AM' timestamp='1272129995' post='398799']
Wanted to see what you guys thought about how Oz and Co. did this year
[/quote]

I went A- so far. I love our first five picks and I dont know enough about the young WR we got so I can't judge him yet. We did a nice job adding some nice offensive weapons and some young D lineman. Also a stud pass rusher in Kindle.

Let us know what you think!

[ravensconvert]

I thought moving back was masterful.

[tweety]

Our 2nd round was A+, I'm questionable about pick 2 TEs back to back and no secondary. I like Zibby and Nakamura. Our CB depth is strong with a lot of above average potential. Maybe one of this TEs will be a gem but we have yet to draft a great TE. Then picking up a DT and a WR, we haven't had any luck draft those in the later rounds. I like our LBs selections in the later rounds. Second rounreally held the whole draft down.

[Ravens_Pride]

[quote name='tweety' date='24 April 2010 - 12:46 PM' timestamp='1272131205' post='398851']
Our 2nd round was A+, I'm questionable about pick 2 TEs back to back and no secondary. I like Zibby and Nakamura. Our CB depth is strong with a lot of above average potential. Maybe one of this TEs will be a gem but we have yet to draft a great TE. Then picking up a DT and a WR, we haven't had any luck draft those in the later rounds. I like our LBs selections in the later rounds. Second rounreally held the whole draft down.
[/quote]
You don't think Todd Heap is a great TE? Now that he is getting up there in age he is starting to be not what he used to be,which was one of the top TE in the league.

[Andrew Glass]

B or B-, The inability or willingness to find a CB in the draft is a killer. If we are able to trade or sign a quality released CB I would say A-

[Purple Punishment]

B+ for great picks on both ends of the ball. Would have been an A+ if we would have picked up a nice prospect CB

[Jamal]

Sergio Kindle: A top 20 talent. An absolute steal in the 2nd. A

Terrence Cody: A great value in the bottom of the 2nd. B+

Ed Dickson: This is the only pick leaving me scratching my head. D

Dennis Pitta: 2nd best TE in the draft IMO. Best pick of our draft. Although it makes the Dickson pick even more questionable. A+++

David Reed: better WR's were available, but can become a great special teamer or slot receiver. B-

Arthur Jones: Love this pick. Has the versatility to play DT or a 3-4 DE. A 3rd round talent at worst. A

Ramon Harewood: O-line help was needed, and this guy is a powerhouse. B

Overall: A-. I'm not mad we didn't draft a DB, but the Dickson pick isn't making any sense to me. Pitta saved the draft from going to the B range.

[AwakenTheDemon]

Long read ahead. I give this year's draft a B-.

[u]Sergio Kindle (DE/OLB):[/u] [i]Grade: A[/i]
Kindle went into the draft projected to be a top 15 (maybe even top 10 depending on the mock) talent. Apparently the knee injury and rumored surgery scared teams off. What I've seen of the guy shows a stellar hybrid player with great speed and a nose to find the quarterback. He doesn't seem to give up, which should bring a huge boost to our pass rush when combined with Suggs, Kruger, and Johnson. Turns out he may not even need the surgery that scared most teams away. If that proves to be true, and it doesn't affect his playing, he could turn out to be a huge steal at 43rd. If the knee does bother him, he could still be a steal, we'll just have to wait a year or two to see him at his full potential.

[u]Terrence Cody (DT):[/u] [i]Grade: C+[/i]
I won't try to hide my disappointment with this pick. My main concern over Cody is his weight and stamina. As a strictly two down player, you get a huge run stuffer and little else from Cody. He's huge, but slow and easily tired. Most of the weight comes from fatty tissue, instead of muscle, meaning he doesn't have the strength to match his huge size. If Cody can slim down a few pounds (nothing huge, maybe even just 10 pounds), increase his strength and effective use of his hands, Cody could very well turn into a threat in the passing game as well. However, as of right now, Cody can get hung up by one good, strong offensive lineman without help of a double team. Most teams will still have Ngata as priority number one when it comes to who to double team, so additional holes in the offensive line will be hard to come by. Now if Cody does indeed work on the strength, weight, and stamina, you could very well see him as a feared, dominant defensive tackle (effectively bumping him up to a B or even an A depending on his progress). Until then, look for Cody to suffocate opposing running backs, and little else.

[u]Ed Dickson (TE):[/u] [i]Grade: B+[/i]
Personally, if going for a tight end, I would have gone with Aaron Hernandez. However, after watching some video on Dickson, he's grown on me alot. Mainly a receiving tight end, I like his smooth, quick routes, long arms, and good hands to make tough catches. Dickson seems to have the speed to get open and make the catch, and the desire to get as many yards after the catch as possible. Could turn out to be a dynamic pass catching tight end, and a stellar option to take over for Heap whenever he hangs it up.

[u]Dennis Pitta (TE):[/u] [i]Grade: B[/i]
I'm not thrilled with the decision to draft back-to-back tight ends, but if I were, I'd be excited to see Pitta come after Dickson. I didn't see much of Pitta during his college career, but the videos I've watched and the reports I've read show (like Dickson) a tight end that focuses on the receiving game. He has the speed and quickness to create mismatches with slower defenders to get open for the catch. However, he seems to lack the strength to be an efficient blocker. Pitta brings even more talented depth to the tight end position (and weapons in general for Flacco) after the addition of Dickson. Heap, Dickson, and Pitta give you three tight ends who are very capable to make big plays from the tight end position and the receiving game as a whole.

[u]David Reed (WR):[/u] [i]Grade: D[/i]
I won't lie, I do not know much of Reed, so I cannot fairly judge him. However, in my eyes it was a questionable decision to go after Reed with Dezmon Briscoe still on the board. While tall (for a Ravens receiver at least) and quick, I do not foresee him to see the field on the offense much. He could see some playtime on special teams however due to his speed and quickness. There is always the chance that he could develop into a solid role player though.

[u]Art Jones (DT):[/u] [i]Grade: C-[/i]
Due to a knee injury and the resulting surgery, Jones fell far, far from the upper rounds and into the fifth. If his knee heals without any lingering effects to his play, he could turn out to be a good value as a fifth round pick. He's not fast, but he's big and strong giving him an edge as a pass rusher. That could give him some looks in long yardage situations when Cody's getting a breather (also depending upon Gregg). At most, he could be a solid role player in a few years. If not, you might see him lingering around as a back-up or practice squad member.

[u]Ramon Harewood (OT):[/u] [i]Grade: D[/i]
Okay, I know next to nothing about Harewood. However, I do like his size (6'7, 360 pounds. For reference Gaither is 6'9, 340 pounds and Oher is 6'4, 310 pounds) and from what I hear, he has the strength to back up his size. His major downfall is that he's still relatively new to the game though, which would make him a very raw project. This pick is largely a mystery to me, and we'll just to see how (or if at all) he's used. Surely, he'll need a significant amount of time to develop and work on his mechanics.

The refusal to address the corner situation is a major fault in my opinion of this year's draft. If Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb are both ready to go for the regular season, and Terrence Cody develops like I think he should (shed the pounds, work on his strength and hand usage), I could bump the grade up to a B+ or even an A in retrospect. Otherwise, the huge value of Kindle, Pitta, and Dickson, along with the potential of Cody's improvement saves the draft from dropping to a C in my opinion.

[flynismo]

I'm STILL furious about the Dickson pick, and even moreso after taking Pitta the very next round.
We could have went in so many directions at #70, and this was probably the worst one.

[AwakenTheDemon]

[quote name='flynismo' date='24 April 2010 - 03:32 PM' timestamp='1272141137' post='399146']
I'm STILL furious about the Dickson pick, and even moreso after taking Pitta the very next round.
We could have went in so many directions at #70, and this was probably the worst one.
[/quote]

I agree one hundred percent. I feel the two tight ends were a waste of one pick, despite how good both may be. At least it gives some great depth at the tight end position should something happen to Heap. Both Dickson and Pitta could be dynamic in the passing game.

[DocMartin]

[quote name='flynismo' date='24 April 2010 - 03:32 PM' timestamp='1272141137' post='399146']
I'm STILL furious about the Dickson pick, and even moreso after taking Pitta the very next round.
We could have went in so many directions at #70, and this was probably the worst one.
[/quote]
I can see your point and I agree.
1st round we passed on CB Wilson, which was dissapointing, but I understand Broncos made offer Ozzie couldn't refuse, which was a right move.
I voted B because of Ravens inability to draft CB, which is surprise to me. Why would we draft 2 TE's back to back - and no Cornerback - makes you scratch your head. Especially when A-O-A was still on the boards and we go for another TE? Even if they didn't like him, there were other CB's to pick from and we passed, makes you wonder why......

[hawkprey]

[b]One jerk's opinion:[/b]

Kindle: A
Another staple to the Bmore defense for years to come. Plus he doesn't need surgery, ha!


Cody: B+
Needs work but if he can learn to take consistent double-teams, it gives us many options on D.
I also like how we'll never be run on for 10 years now.

Dickson/Pitta: B
Good pickups, but a little down in score for getting two TE's. Heap can go a few more years, but getting
the BPA could mean we can trade one of them for a higher pick than we got them for.

Reed: B-
I hear good things about him, for a late-round guy he seems like a good pickup. Agile and able to get open
with great hands.

Jones: B
Another good run stopper, needs work but at 5th round is a good value. Guys whose stock fall because of
injury like Jones are great potential steals. We'll just have to see if he's anything but a backup.

Harewood: A
In late rounds, I don't like the BPA theory because the best guys left aren't really that great. Much
better to take a chance on an unexperienced guy like Harewood with great stats and build him into a
possible starter.

[bscott57]

Going to be pretty hard to grade this draft class until we see how it shapes up on the field, and if Kyle Wilson becomes a shut down corner in this league this class will be left with a large stain on it.

All in all I am very pleased with Kindle and Cody, Pitta is right out of the Heap of old mold and the depth we got late in the draft is promising. I would like to see Reed become a dominant return guy which we have not had in some time.

Other than that this draft will be remembered by the trade we made, whether it for the better or worse once these guys hit the field we will know how the class grades out.

[Andrew Glass]

Here is the big question. If we didn't trade back our first few picks would be....(MAYBE)

Kyle Wilson,Cody then maybe another TE in the 5th

So basically we traded Kindle,Pitta,Dickson for Kyle Wilson. Time will tell.

[UxbridgeRaven]

It really depend on whether you include Q in the equation, if you do A+ if you don't B+ for me.

Dickson is the pick I question, although I can see him and Pitta co-existing very, very well in 2TE sets a couple of years down the line.

[Ed_Reed20]

Can we dig this topic up in three years?

[flynismo]

[quote name='bscott57' date='24 April 2010 - 05:47 PM' timestamp='1272145677' post='399238']
Going to be pretty hard to grade this draft class until we see how it shapes up on the field, and if Kyle Wilson becomes a shut down corner in this league this class will be left with a large stain on it.

All in all I am very pleased with Kindle and Cody, Pitta is right out of the Heap of old mold and the depth we got late in the draft is promising. I would like to see Reed become a dominant return guy which we have not had in some time.

Other than that this draft will be remembered by the trade we made, whether it for the better or worse once these guys hit the field we will know how the class grades out.
[/quote]


If either Kindle, Dickson or Pitta turn out to be great pros, then the trade becomes brilliant, and passing on Wilson, regardless of his fate, becomes irrelevant.

I think in Kindle's case, it is highly likely he achieves tremendous success.

Dickson and Pitta will battle for the main TE spot, and I'm very confident one of those two will emerge as high quality starters.

Even if all three of those guys turn out to be busts, and Wilson a star, Ozzie made the right choice in trading down.

[AwakenTheDemon]

[quote name='flynismo' date='24 April 2010 - 05:55 PM' timestamp='1272149717' post='399333']
If either Kindle, Dickson or Pitta turn out to be great pros, then the trade becomes brilliant, and passing on Wilson, regardless of his fate, becomes irrelevant.

I think in Kindle's case, it is highly likely he achieves tremendous success.

Dickson and Pitta will battle for the main TE spot, and I'm very confident one of those two will emerge as high quality starters.

[b]Even if all three of those guys turn out to be busts, and Wilson a star, Ozzie made the right choice in trading down.
[/b][/quote]

How could you honestly say that? You'd rather have three busts than one star cornerback and four other picks (since we'll never know who may have draft if we stuck to only having five picks)? Well, I know you're not exactly saying that. But if Wilson is a star and the three you mentioned were all busts, that's not exactly supporting the notion that trading down was a good idea.

[Bea]

Extremely disappointed we took another TE over Akwasi, a interesting CB that fills a need. Pitta is a good prospect but... why? We had Dickson.

[falloutboy14]

IMO you guys got a great prospect with Pitta, I wanted him dearly to be a Colt.

A little info about him:
He's from BYU, same as Austin Collie, a rookie WR for us last year, and did a missions trip, so he's a little older then most rookies. They play a spread offense, so he played primarily in the slot. He has almost no experience blocking next to a lineman. He's quite strong though (1st or 2nd in bench at the combine for TE).

I've been calling him Dallas Clark jr. on the Colts board. He's not quite as stocky as Dallas, but is on-par with him at adjusting to throws that are off-target/awkward to catch. Like Austin Collie last year, I expect him to be NFL-ready (as a receiver, not as a blocker) come September. I imagine if you use him like we use Clark, he'll give defenses nightmares.

[AZravensfan]

[quote name='Jamal' date='24 April 2010 - 01:14 PM' timestamp='1272140083' post='399119']
Sergio Kindle: A top 20 talent. An absolute steal in the 2nd. A

Terrence Cody: A great value in the bottom of the 2nd. B+

Ed Dickson: This is the only pick leaving me scratching my head. D

Dennis Pitta: 2nd best TE in the draft IMO. Best pick of our draft. Although it makes the Dickson pick even more questionable. A+++

David Reed: better WR's were available, but can become a great special teamer or slot receiver. B-

Arthur Jones: Love this pick. Has the versatility to play DT or a 3-4 DE. A 3rd round talent at worst. A

Ramon Harewood: O-line help was needed, and this guy is a powerhouse. B

Overall: A-. I'm not mad we didn't draft a DB, but the Dickson pick isn't making any sense to me. Pitta saved the draft from going to the B range.
[/quote]


I really like the Dickson pick. They guy is another big target and has really good hands. He will surprise a lot of people I think. I hope your right about Reed but I knew so little of him when he got drafted ( I know a bit more now).

[AZravensfan]

[quote name='falloutboy14' date='24 April 2010 - 04:18 PM' timestamp='1272151093' post='399351']
IMO you guys got a great prospect with Pitta, I wanted him dearly to be a Colt.

A little info about him:
He's from BYU, same as Austin Collie, a rookie WR for us last year, and did a missions trip, so he's a little older then most rookies. They play a spread offense, so he played primarily in the slot. He has almost no experience blocking next to a lineman. He's quite strong though (1st or 2nd in bench at the combine for TE).

I've been calling him Dallas Clark jr. on the Colts board. He's not quite as stocky as Dallas, but is on-par with him at adjusting to throws that are off-target/awkward to catch. Like Austin Collie last year, I expect him to be NFL-ready (as a receiver, not as a blocker) come September. I imagine if you use him like we use Clark, he'll give defenses nightmares.
[/quote]

Him and Dickson both could fill this roll. They are both good prospects and nice draft picks I think. Not sure if they will ever reach Dallas Clark status but they sure give Flacco some nice big bodies with good hands to throw to. Hopefully we can teach them to block pretty well before the season starts and we will be good to go.

[PuRock]

Kindle & Pitta - A
Kindle is a steal. This is where Ozzie makes his money. Preying on guys that slip past other teams due to some "issue".

Cody - B
Cody pick is growing on me. If he does what he needs to do to get conditioned AND stay conditioned, this pick could be great.

Dickson - C
Dickson isn't getting the C here. The reason why I think this pick gets a C, because we got a better value TE in a later round. If we didn't draft another TE. I would've given the Dickson pick a B.

I don't know much about the other players to give them a draft grade.

[ed.s52]

[u]Overall[/u]: A

[b]Kindle[/b]: A+
A top 15 talent in the early second? Fills a need for a pass rush? Yes Yes Yes!!!!!!

[b]Cody[/b]: A
A first round prospect at the late 2nd. No one ran for over 100 yards at Bama when he played. HUGE. One of, if not the, best true nose tackle in the draft. Needs slightly better condition but he is a beast. Not as much of a steal as Kindle but certainly an A.

[b]Dickson[/b]: B+
We needed a TE and the scout obviously preferred Dickson, as do I, and think he was the BPA at the moment. I do think that he can use slight help on the blocking aspect but overall I think the best TE left and will cetainly become a great player. Next Vernon Davis???

[b]Pitta[/b]: B
I have to agree with Ozzie, Pitta was the BPA. Although we certainly didnt need a TE this provides insurance if Dickson busts and will provide a deadly combo of young TE's when Heap hangs up his cleats. Although a CB would have been nice, the BPA system has certainly worked for us and looking back I dont believe any will think this is a horrible pick. Maybe not proficient, but certainly not horrible.

[b]David Reed[/b]: B
Dont know much about him but I certainly think a CB would have been more suitable. From what I know of him, he is a good returner and will fit with our system. Not bad but since we have a crowded corps and he seems to only be a slot to some extent I'll give him a B for now.

[b]Harewood[/b]: A
We may not have needed another tackle but his depth certainly is beneficial and as a project the sky is the limit. He is full of raw talent and if it can be manifested with the right technique in the right system he could be the next Jonathan Ogden.

[b]Cornerbacks[/b]:
Plenty of talent in the FA market with vets (Smoot, Rodgers, Bly) and UFA's (Donnavan Warren) so we'll be good.

[D_UP]

I give the ravens a B grade only cuz they didn't draft.a corner...but ozzie is smart so I trust his and the front office decision...very solid draft

[CincyBengals1418]

Browns - B+
Ravens - B+
Bengals - B+
Steelers - C+

[YABOY]

Our draft is an A but i wish we would have got Chris Cook

[JO_75]

Mel Kiper gave us a A on our draft. In Fact the Ravens were 1 of 2 teams to get an A on their draft grade. From the AFC North Blog on ESPN: http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/12438/mel-kipers-afc-north-draft-grades

[quote]Only two teams received the highest grade possible from Kiper, and the Ravens were one of them. To fully appreciate what Baltimore did in the draft, you have to consider the team began the week with just five draft picks. Then the Ravens shrewdly traded out of the first round with the Denver Broncos for three picks later in the draft, and that's when the Ravens went to work. Kiper loves the second-round selections of linebacker Sergio Kindle and defensive tackle Terrence "Mount" Cody. Kiper also believes the team grabbed a pair of quality tight end prospects in Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. Baltimore acquired as much talent as anyone without having a single selection in the first 42 picks.
[/quote]

I liked our draft, we addressed our needs and only came out with Corner as a need.

Sergio Kindle A: He'll compliment Suggs well.

Terrence Cody B: I loved the pick but due to his weight issues I'm only giving this a B. I'm sure by the time the season starts he'll be in shape and ready to rotate with Kelly Gregg.

Ed Dickson C: I like Pitta better and I think Pitta in the 4th was better value than Dickson. The only thing here is that I would change this pick to Damian Williams or Brandon Ghee.

Dennis Pitta A: Love this pick, with the drafting of 2 Tight Ends, the Ravens are preparing for life without Todd and doing more 2 TE formations, and maybe Heap can have some rest being in rotation with our 2 rookies.

David Reed B: I'm going to hold out on this, but this is just another weapon for Joe.

Art Jones A: Great value here for him, he dropped due to injuries and where we got him in the 5th is great value. More Defensive line depth.

Ramon Harewood A: Love this pick, alot of people probably think this means he is going to be developed as a RT when Gaither leaves, but I'm not too sure. Great solid offensive line depth.

[jj2020]

[quote name='AwakenTheDemon' date='25 April 2010 - 05:40 AM' timestamp='1272141609' post='399151']
I agree one hundred percent. I feel the two tight ends were a waste of one pick, despite how good both may be. At least it gives some great depth at the tight end position should something happen to Heap. Both Dickson and Pitta could be dynamic in the passing game.
[/quote]


We need to wait and see Oz might have something up his sleeve on this maybe a trade is in the works who knows? I gave it a A -. I would have liked a CB but if Webb and Foxworth is healthy, Ed Reed comes back and we get a big pass rush we will be fine. With our monsters in the middle Nagata (SP) and Cody and strong LB core I am not worried about the run. And our offense will produce this year.