most surprising draft pick in ravens history?

[jimjim5]

The homer in me wants to point out the fact that Clayton was a consensus 1st among media and most fans.....however, it sounds like you and I weren't quite as high on him. I thought he was a easy 2nd rounder, and possibly (ironically) the next Derrick Mason. Boy was I wrong...

point is, whether we view him as a 1st or 2nd, either way clearly there are big expectations for the guy being drafted so high....he was just as big a bust if we took him in the 2nd

You know what, I agree with you. I had to think about those years at OK. He was a beast with incredible hands. He was a 1st round type guy from the way he performed on the field. I think I just hate the Sooners and I don't trust Big Program WR's in the 1st rd.

I think a combo of Billick/Ravens offense scheme, poor QB play + fighting to be the man when the man was already here in Mason (Mason was a demanding player that protected his turf. Mason wasn't going to give an inch to Clayton.) hurt Clayton's development.

[jimjim5]

Without question Cleats Elam.

 

If you've seen Elam in person, you'll know why the Ravens picked him.

 

There are several excellent pro players I have seen in person that amazed me with their physical gifts. You could see why they were in the league and why they were dominant.

 

Shannon Sharpe

Todd Heap

Haloti Ngata

Shawn Merriman

Jared Gaither

 

....to name a few. I'll put Elam right up there with them. Elam is one of those guys that I wouldn't want to play against. I wouldn't want to tackle him, nor want him to tackle me.  I will hold judgement with Elam, because Elam is super stout and is quick/fast react player. He has all the tools, (except height) to be a totally dominant SS.

 

Remember, Elam is a SS not a FS. He did ok as an out of position rookie FS.

[jdynamite]

In retrospect it was Ogden. But to put another name out there I'll say Webb. Small school guy in the 2nd round, definitely remember him having a lot of doubters when that pick came in.

I believe Webb was a 3rd rounder. Let me check really quick. 3rd Round Pick 88.

Webb wasn't a surprise to me because I follow draft rankings year round literally on various sites. Only surprise for me with Webb is I expected him to play Safety opposite Ed Reed rather than Corner.

[jdynamite]

For me to answer this I'd have to go back to a couple drafts see who we actually drafted and player I was starving for us to have. I think Trades and picks that followed have always been most shocking.

2000 Draft : Jamal Lewis, people forget now but at the time Thomas Jones was really debated because he was the top All-Purpose RB, experts talked about him running and catching the ball like M.Faulk or Ed.James, G.Hearst. And Ron Dayne had just set the NCAA career rushing mark as a bruising RB but we selected a different bruising RB. ( Great Pick ).

2000 Draft : Travis Taylor, we really wanted P.Burress but the steelers grabbed him so we traded up for the next best WR to ensure we got the next rated WR , a case of Need drafting back-firing.

2003 Draft the whole Viking pick, is there a trade are we getting Leftwich, wait it's a mad scramble for picks and we get Suggs. Lol ( never scene anything like that draft before )

2009 draft Surprise we didn't trade up get P.Harvin. Got really mad that he was drafted pick before us then we didn't select H.Nicks. I thought we could have traded back and got Oher. Also in that draft I wanted S.Smith ( I thought he'd be like A.Cromartie ) over Kruger ( they both hadn't play up to my expectations though.

2010. I understood trading after Dallas got Dez Bryant, Kindle had potential before the accident but Dunlap had been a first round projection most of the year. I would have been happy with McCourty at CB or Dunlap DE pick.

** speaking specifically on who I hoped we get at that time that, not about coulda shoulda woulda. Example C.Dunlap was projected 1st rounder most of that year. Geno Atkins has become a star but wasn't highly coveted at that time.

Or A.Jeffrey was a stud WR in college put on extra weight the draft process lead to guys like S.Hill being drafted before him although Jeffrey dominated at South Carolina.

[flynismo]

You know what, I agree with you. I had to think about those years at OK. He was a beast with incredible hands. He was a 1st round type guy from the way he performed on the field. I think I just hate the Sooners and I don't trust Big Program WR's in the 1st rd.

I think a combo of Billick/Ravens offense scheme, poor QB play + fighting to be the man when the man was already here in Mason (Mason was a demanding player that protected his turf. Mason wasn't going to give an inch to Clayton.) hurt Clayton's development.

I can definitely agree that being drafted by us made the transition to the NFL a monumental task. I was pretty hard on him, even though I thought he was a fantastic person.

But my argument back then was that Mason and Heap flourished here in the same circumstances that Clayton floundered in.

Even playing with Flacco for two years brought no improvement...

In the end, it was the very things that prevented you and I from viewing him as a 1st round talent that ultimately held him back in the NFL. Ironically, it was an uncharacteristic event that was the last straw for him (the drop in New England)

[JetLife94]

IMO I say mosely cuz I thought we were taking Clinton dix

[JoeyFlex5]

IMO I say mosely cuz I thought we were taking Clinton dix

i wasnt a fan of clinton dix, but the huge arthur brown and daryl smith fan that i am, and the fact that i wanted a FS for us to move elam to SS, had me wanting HHCD, but i cant say i was surprised. matter of fact, i kind of wouldve been surprised if ozzie DIDNT take him there

[Tru11]

Flacco to me.

 

we wanted ryan.

he was gone so we traded down.

all of a sudden we trade up and take flacco.

 

i had no idea we where intrested in him and i dont think he had a 1st round grade.

 

worked out pretty darn good though which added to the suprise factor.

[Drew P]

Dwan Edwards, never heard of him.

[BloodRaven]

Almost all the mid to late round small school players are guys we've never heard of.

 

"WHO THE HELL IS THAT"

 

"OZZIE HAS LOST HIS MIND"

 

"HE SHOULD HAVE PICKED *insert name* INSTEAD"

 

"NOOOOO THEY STOLE OUR PICK"

[berad]

Torrey was surprising because it was almost too perfect.

 

Local kid, high character, at a need, had been mocked to us 1000 times over, and he just fell to us in the 2nd. He was a borderline 1st, as many mocks had us taking him there.

[B-more Ravor]

Sam Koch was another one that surprised me. I didn't expect us to DRAFT a punter.

 

 

Why?  They drafted Zastudil in the middle of the 4th round in 2002.  I'm actually OK with using a 6th round Comp on a Punter. 

 

A mid-4th?  That, to me, is the biggest surprise - never, ever expected a Punter there.

 

And, one I hope never to be surprised like that again!  

[B-more Ravor]

Also Heath Miller, Logan Mankins, Michael Roos, Later that draft we took Dan Cody over Vincent Jackson, Frank Gore, Justin Tuck, Evan Mathis and a few other players that would've made way bigger impacts than Clayton & Cody.

 

 

But, that kind of statement can be said about just about every team, every draft. 

[Gordo52]

But, that kind of statement can be said about just about every team, every draft.

Yeah was just saying

[allblackraven]

However you look at this, Campanaro has to be way up on the list. We didn't even have a pick to select him.

[52520Andrew]

However you look at this, Campanaro has to be way up on the list. We didn't even have a pick to select him.

 

Yeah that is the thing that excites me with Campanaro. We gave up a pick for the next draft which is something Ozzie rarely does at all, especially after that 1999 trade that got us Jamaal Lewis. We must really like him if we pulled the trigger on that deal and gave up a 6th for next year on him.