Quote By Donta Hightower

[The Raven]

[quote name='BloodRaven' timestamp='1331410660' post='1017669']

In that case Upshaw probably can't play inside, still, it's rare to find players like him and Hightower who can crash gaps and physically dominate olinemen.
[/quote]

That is true.

[SpearSrai]

Just because something is a 'priority' doesn't mean you have to reach in the first-round. Kicker can be a priority, but you don't have to go Sebastian-Janikowski on the draft.

Get a starting center in the 3rd.

[SpearSrai]

[quote name='Bltravens' timestamp='1330636893' post='1008613']
Trading up for a G isn't a wise move. Nobody does it because you can find adequate Gs late in the draft. In fact both of NOs pro bowl Gs are mid round picks. As is our own Yanda.
[/quote]

And as was Jason Brown, our last Ben Grubbs who we couldn't afford to resign.

[SpearSrai]

[quote name='Tsizzle93' timestamp='1331105785' post='1014262']
If the Steelers take Hightower I'm going to be pissed.

Ive looked at these comments and seen people say wait till the second round to pick him. No chance that happens its either Pittsburgh or Baltimore for him in the first. Am I the only one that would hate seeing him every year in a Steelers uniform?
[/quote]

And even worse if he ends up being awesome. Last thing Flacco needs is more guys who can rattle him in the pocket.

[display name]

Best player on the board fellas!

[CapoRocky]

Hightower will be picked in the top 10-15. We will need to rethink our plan after that and take whomever is left. Keep an open mind. It could be someone from any position of need.

[RavenousBG]

[quote name='Ravenslifer' timestamp='1330564908' post='1007795']
I'd like him if I didn't think fixing the offensive line was priority number 1.
[/quote]

I think we have to take the best player available. This has generally been our philosophy. If the player and the pick don't match, then you trade back and still get him or you choose someone else. If Konz and Hightower are both still there at 29, who is the better player? That's who you pick. I think Hightower has a chance to be gone by 29. I think Konz my be there. So it may be a moot point. But if they are both there, I say Hightower is the pick. He is the bigger playmaker. We could find a decent offensive lineman in the 2nd or 3rd.

[Ravenslifer]

[quote name='RavenousBG' timestamp='1331506376' post='1018249']

I think we have to take the best player available. This has generally been our philosophy. If the player and the pick don't match, then you trade back and still get him or you choose someone else. If Konz and Hightower are both still there at 29, who is the better player? That's who you pick. I think Hightower has a chance to be gone by 29. I think Konz my be there. So it may be a moot point. But if they are both there, I say Hightower is the pick. He is the bigger playmaker. We could find a decent offensive lineman in the 2nd or 3rd.
[/quote]

But I do think there have been times in the past where we didn't go the BPA strategy. In 2008, I would have said that, when we nabbed Flacco at 18, CJ2K, Aquib Talib, and Mike Jenkins were all better players, and Talib and Jenkins filled our CB needs at the time. Now with Hightower vs. Konz specifically, I would say the FO choses Hightower, but suppose it's Hightower v. Mike Adams, and the FO believes that yes, Mike Adams can be an NFL left tackle and start right away. Would you chose an ILB, even a great ILB, over a potential long-term answer at left tackle?

I will say this though. The more I look at Hightower the more I like him. My problem is why draft a run defender in the first round if this is moving toward a predominantly passing league AND your front office has shown in the past that it can find very good ILBs (McClain, Ellerbe, AD, etc.) late in the draft or even undrafted? The good thing with Hightower, though, is that he showed some pass rush ability and seems to be the kind of scheme diverse guy the Ravens like - if he can do more than just stop the run, and the Ravens like him, I'm all for it. So I guess what I'm saying is I don't want to draft a guy who is going to be primarily a run defender, even an elite run defender, when A) this is now a passing league, and B. if the offensive line is fixed then we can score more points and sustain more drives, negating the need for a super elite defense.

[Bltravens]

[quote name='Ravenslifer' timestamp='1331563419' post='1018574'] But I do think there have been times in the past where we didn't go the BPA strategy. In 2008, I would have said that, when we nabbed Flacco at 18, CJ2K, Aquib Talib, and Mike Jenkins were all better players, and Talib and Jenkins filled our CB needs at the time. Now with Hightower vs. Konz specifically, I would say the FO choses Hightower, but suppose it's Hightower v. Mike Adams, and the FO believes that yes, Mike Adams can be an NFL left tackle and start right away. Would you chose an ILB, even a great ILB, over a potential long-term answer at left tackle? I will say this though. The more I look at Hightower the more I like him. My problem is why draft a run defender in the first round if this is moving toward a predominantly passing league AND your front office has shown in the past that it can find very good ILBs (McClain, Ellerbe, AD, etc.) late in the draft or even undrafted? The good thing with Hightower, though, is that he showed some pass rush ability and seems to be the kind of scheme diverse guy the Ravens like - if he can do more than just stop the run, and the Ravens like him, I'm all for it. So I guess what I'm saying is I don't want to draft a guy who is going to be primarily a run defender, even an elite run defender, when A) this is now a passing league, and B. if the offensive line is fixed then we can score more points and sustain more drives, negating the need for a super elite defense.[/quote]

Which is an excellent point. But our LBs primarily play a soft zone shell coverage, like we've been doing with Ray for years, and then sprinkling in some straight man. I think Hightower holds up in coverage in our scheme.

[RavenousBG]

[quote name='Ravenslifer' timestamp='1331563419' post='1018574']

But I do think there have been times in the past where we didn't go the BPA strategy. In 2008, I would have said that, when we nabbed Flacco at 18, CJ2K, Aquib Talib, and Mike Jenkins were all better players, and Talib and Jenkins filled our CB needs at the time. Now with Hightower vs. Konz specifically, I would say the FO choses Hightower, but suppose it's Hightower v. Mike Adams, and the FO believes that yes, Mike Adams can be an NFL left tackle and start right away. Would you chose an ILB, even a great ILB, over a potential long-term answer at left tackle?

I will say this though. The more I look at Hightower the more I like him. My problem is why draft a run defender in the first round if this is moving toward a predominantly passing league AND your front office has shown in the past that it can find very good ILBs (McClain, Ellerbe, AD, etc.) late in the draft or even undrafted? The good thing with Hightower, though, is that he showed some pass rush ability and seems to be the kind of scheme diverse guy the Ravens like - if he can do more than just stop the run, and the Ravens like him, I'm all for it. So I guess what I'm saying is I don't want to draft a guy who is going to be primarily a run defender, even an elite run defender, when A) this is now a passing league, and B. if the offensive line is fixed then we can score more points and sustain more drives, negating the need for a super elite defense.
[/quote]

Well, looking at it now, are any of those players better than Flacco? I don't think so and I also don't think Baltimore's FO thought they were then. The reason I think this is because the FO always thought Flacco was a franchise type QB and a franchise QB trumps all those guys every time. C2J was a pick that was criticized by many. Funny thing is I liked the pick because I knew about him. My wife is from Greenville near ECU where he played. All the other guys you spoke of us possibly taking were not franchise changing guys at their positions. But the Ravens thought Flacco was and they still think so. The results agree with them as we have won quite a few games with him at the helm. We would be sorry if we hadn't picked him. I think the Ravens were staying within their philosophy.

As far as Hightower, Konz, and Adams and BPA go; I was just stating my opinion. I see that I could be wrong about who is the actual BPA amonst them but I like Hightower's versatilaty. Along with our steadily improving defensive backfield, I think we would do well to keep a versatile stoudt run stopper around. My opinion though.

[Blex64]

[quote name='CapoRocky' timestamp='1331426297' post='1017836']
Hightower will be picked in the top 10-15. We will need to rethink our plan after that and take whomever is left. Keep an open mind. It could be someone from any position of need.
[/quote]

Absolutely not. He'll almost definitely be around for Pitt to take him, hopefully they don't. As far as "any position of need?" No. We'll take whoever Ozzie, De Costa, and co feel is the best player on the board, regardless of position.

[Ravensfan23]

I think the biggest misconception of Ravens fans or any fan during the draft is the BPA approach. From the Ravens standpoint BPA isn't necessarily the highest rated collegiate player. Its not the guy who Kiper or Mayock has listed as the BPA at that point and its not the guy that has the most recognizable name to fans.

For Ozzie and the Ravens BPA refers to who they have rated highest on "their" board. The Ravens scouts spend nearly a year scouting potential draftees and during that time they have hundreds of players rated. As the draft gets closer those prospects start to shape up their big board.

By draft day the Ravens know who they would and wouldn't draft regardless of round or value. Even though the Ravens don't draft based on need, every player drafted fills a position of need for the Ravens, even if the need is for depth.

If a guy like tannerhill or Richardson is available at 29 Ozzie would probably trade back. Even though both those guys could probably help us, they'd be more valuable to trade, knowing another team would love to have them.

The position we are in right now, many people think ol has to be our first pick or within the top 2 picks because we lost Grubbs. However nobody really knows how the Ravens have these guys ranked. So a guy like Konz could be available at 29 and Ozzie could choose to trade out or select someone else. The reason being, they might have a guy like Phillip Blake raked just as high or slightly below Konz, but Blake probably could be had in the 3-6 range and that's a gamble their willing to take.

On the other hand you might have a guy like Hightower sitting there and even if McClain returns, hightower's versatility might be too much to pass up. Knowing you could get a guy who could wear many hats for your defense. Also they might look at their board and say, Hightower is the highest rated player period for whatever reason.

Or there could be a situation where the Ravens don't have a 1st round grade on either guy and someone like Barron falls. That's why the draft is so intriguing, because you just don't know the mindset of Ozzie going in. Ozzie said Ol, WR and pass rush were our most pressing needs and even if we don't make another FA move, a Safety might end up being our 1st round pick.

It amazes me to see people continue to say what "position" the Ravens will/need to attack in the draft, despite the fact that Ozzie rarely attacks a position in the draft. Case and point, Flacco has needed a big time WR since being drafted, however Ozzie refused to reach for guys like Nicks, Britt, and Bryant despite all being extremely talent. Who really knows the reason why they passed, maybe they didn't have 1st grades, maybe they weren't worth trading up for, or maybe the guys we drafted just brought more Value. Whatever the reason, Ozzie stayed true to the process and I don't see why he wouldn't this year.