My Draft Grade

[RavensFanMania]

There will be two starters right off the bat from this draft (Perriman "B", Williams "A"). 

 

Davis and Smith will provide great rotation and could end up starting down the road, but our staff will coach them up. I see Smith filling the Pernell McPhee roll and he is a better prospect than McPhee was coming out of college.  Both of these were "A" picks. 

 

Allen will provide relief for Justin Forsett this season and as Grim mentioned, he has great hands.  He has "starter" potential when Justin Forsett's contract is done or we cut him in a couple years.

 

Tray Walker, CB has great measurables and will immediately provide good depth. 

Nick Boyle will just provide depth.  Feel we could have done better with this pick.

Robert Myers provides great depth with starter potential as well.

Waller could become a very good number two and I believe this year will be a good red zone threat.

 

This draft could land 5 or 6 impact starters with two of them being starters in 2015.

[Bruce_Almty]

were both glass half full types of fans, but this is one ill just have to say that i have zero hopes on, and i think the ravens and pitta know this as well and they are just agreeing to brush it under the rug because of contractual things

Ravens gain or lose nothing financially this year by releasing Pitta so he'll remain a Raven, perhaps spending the year on IR. Whether he plays or not this year is up in the air, and many think it would be best for him to take the year off. Really, the 2016 season is make or break for Dennis' career and the Ravens financially.

[H8R]

Here's my grade for grades a few hours after the draft: Incomplete, I think it's a stupid gesture ...

[balfan23]

Ask me in 2018 and I'll give you mine. 

[gabefergy]

This was a great draft for the Ravens, the best we have had in years.

[JamesRaven]

Perriman: Has all the potential to be a great receiver, I wasn't a huge fan of the pick but I can see why Ozzie pulled the trigger. Balancing risk/potential reward, I'll give this a B.

 

Williams: Best TE in the draft, should come in and more than adequately fill one of our biggest needs. Also great value near the end of round 2. A

 

Davis: Fantastic value again in the 3rd, some had him going late first. Adds to a young and powerful DLine. A

 

Smith: Not someone who's going to come in and have a huge impact right away, but can develop behind Suggs/Doom while filling some of the gap left by McPhee. Future starter hopefully. B+

 

Allen: Dynamic back who also has great receiving ability, should be a great backup but can he take over full-time eventually? We'll see. B

 

Walker: Seemed a strange pick, I'm glad we went corner but felt like there were plenty of safer options available. But I'm sure the FO knows a lot more than me so hopefully he'll turn out solid. C

 

Boyle: Probably my least favorite pick this year, with Williams, Crockett, Supernaw and maybe Pitta on the team I'm not sure what he adds that we don't already have. D

 

Myers: Strongly linked with the Ravens so no surprise we got him, should provide good depth and insurance if Yanda/KO leave next year. B+

 

Waller: I absolutely love this guy, steal of our draft for me. He has such a rare size-speed combo, with a little work to his game he could really be something special. A

 

 

Overall: A very good draft, and interesting to see us go with so many offensive players - I'm sure Joe is thrilled with all his new targets. Great balance of need/BPA, as we've filled just about every hole on our team. My only real concern coming out of this draft is at corner, I'm not sure Walker can come in and have an immediate impact so I can see us signing a vet somewhere along the line over the summer. Overall I'm not sure it quite deserves a top grade, but a solid draft gets a B+

[allblackraven]

Am i crazy in thinking Crockett will be cut and Boyle would be #3?

Gilmore had more opportunity to step up last year than this year. So many of his assignments last year were easy and he failed.

Now we have 4more weapons to try out in draft and the snaps are getting much smaller with guys w/ no value.

Tell me crocketts production last year. Crokett should be cut. I think Maxx will just sweep folks expectation.

 

Since you're asking - yes.

 

Crocket was used mostly to block and did a great job. Ask Forsett if you don't trust me. Very seldom used as a pass catcher but whatever was thrown to him, he caught and either moved chains or scored a TD. That guy is very good player.

[gabefergy]

Since you're asking - yes.

Crocket was used mostly to block and did a great job. Ask Forsett if you don't trust me. Very seldom used as a pass catcher but whatever was thrown to him, he caught and either moved chains or scored a TD. That guy is very good player.

Yeah, Crockett was very good last year. He's only going to get better too.

[52liveforever]

Pick 1

 

Breshard Perriman A-

 

I think there were better players available, but I cant hate the pick because I think he could be a really great receiver. I think he will only be better with Joe throwing balls at him. He does drop some balls, but there is a guy named Steve Smith on this team that will really be riding his hide so im not so worried about it. Torrey had issues dropping balls coming out.

 

 

Pick 2

 

Maxx Williams A +

 

The best thing about him is he is durable. I don't think he will be a Gronk, but I could see him being a bit like Shockey which iI'm cool with. This is definitely a safe pick and honestly it would've been a safe pick in the first round, but I'm glad we gambled on Periman and got him in the second.

 

Pick 3 

 

Carl Davis C+

 

I do like the pick, but I don't see him jumping in right away. I think he could end up like an Art Jones type of guy and kind of work his way into a groove and being a late bloomer. The grade is more or less b.c I thought there were more players available to contribute right away imo. I believe he will be a really good player it will just take some time.

 

 

Pick 4

 

Za,darius Smith B-

 

Great Value, but like Davis it is going to take a little time, but I think he has a bigger role for the first couple of years than Davis. He's a pretty violent guy he is a bull and I think he can improve as a pass rusher.

 

 

Pick 4

 

Joviorious Allen A+

 

LOVE THIS PICK!!!!! He reminds me so much of roger craig. Watch a video of Buck and one of craig and tell me you don't see it.

 

 

Pick 4

 

tray walker D

 

Not impressed, but DeCosta likes him a lot so what do I know.

 

Pick 5

 

nick Boyle B-

 

I like him for his toughness. H's not much of a receiver at ths point, but when he does get the ball he doesn't shy away from a hit.

 

Pick 5

Robert Myers  D-

 

I cant give him an F b.c of where he is picked, but I don't ever see him as a starter.

 

pick 6

Darren Wall    B

 

I'll give it a B just b.c of the possible upside at where he was picked. I think there were safer picks, but none with the upside he has so its a solid pick.

 

Overall B+

[sflegend89]

 

 

Walker: Seemed a strange pick, I'm glad we went corner but felt like there were plenty of safer options available. But I'm sure the FO knows a lot more than me so hopefully he'll turn out solid. C

 

 

 

I think the message the Ravens sent us with that pick is there is no such thing as a "safe" CB at the end of the 4th round. The  "safe" options at a highly sought after position like CB don't make it to Day 3 in the first place. Every CB we could've taken at that point had a moderate degree of luck involved with whether they would pan out.. So why not take the guy with the highest ceiling? If it's a dice roll in a sense that late in the draft at CB anyway why wouldn't you take a guy with some nice upside?

[JoeyFlex5]

I'm more of in the middle and I'm not picking a side. I don't have enough knowledge to truly make an educated guess, but an ignorant guess would be that he is unlikely to ever become the same player ever again. 

i wouldnt call that an ignorant guess, more like a realistic guess in a situation that doesnt need concrete evidence to say so lol

[GrimCoconut]

i wouldnt call that an ignorant guess, more like a realistic guess in a situation that doesnt need concrete evidence to say so lol

Nah, it's ignorant. I don't have the facts so I can't say one way or another.

[BruceLeeRoy]

I'm a pretty big fan of the Buck acquisition. C seems waaay to low.

[balfan23]

Am i crazy in thinking Crockett will be cut and Boyle would be #3?

Gilmore had more opportunity to step up last year than this year. So many of his assignments last year were easy and he failed.

Now we have 4more weapons to try out in draft and the snaps are getting much smaller with guys w/ no value.

Tell me crocketts production last year. Crokett should be cut. I think Maxx will just sweep folks expectation.

Tell me Pitta's production in his rookie year. As little as you may think Crocket did, Pitta did less. Good thing we didn't decide to cut him in his 2nd year because of it.

 

Boyle will be in a camp battle with Supernaw. I fully expect Crockett to be the clear #2 and may actually be considered the #1, since I expect he'll be on the field as the lone TE in early downs, given he's a better blocker. 

[jazz1988]

Am i crazy in thinking Crockett will be cut and Boyle would be #3?

Gilmore had more opportunity to step up last year than this year. So many of his assignments last year were easy and he failed.

Now we have 4more weapons to try out in draft and the snaps are getting much smaller with guys w/ no value.

Tell me crocketts production last year. Crokett should be cut. I think Maxx will just sweep folks expectation.

 

How did Gillmore really fail? He wasn't  expected to be apart of the passing game in his rookie season but overall a good blocker . I think Gillmore blocking was so good to the point even PFF recognize him but I strongly doubt The Ravens are going to cut a third rounder like Gillmore. You don't give up on third rounders right away at all. 

 

None of the rookie tight ends last year took the league by storm or made the pro bowl.

[JoeyFlex5]

How did Gillmore really fail? He wasn't  expected to be apart of the passing game in his rookie season but overall a good blocker . I think Gillmore blocking was so good to the point even PFF recognize him but I strongly doubt The Ravens are going to cut a third rounder like Gillmore. You don't give up on third rounders right away at all. 

 

None of the rookie tight ends last year took the league by storm or made the pro bowl.

yeah i actually was very impressed and surprised by gilmore, he showed me that it really makes a difference having a great blocking TE(ive always thought blocking was nearly a non factor for tight ends) and he really surprised me by being serviceable as a receiver, nothing spectacular but exceeded my expectations. dude is solid

[JoeyFlex5]

I'm a pretty big fan of the Buck acquisition. C seems waaay to low.

yeah i liked buck before, but hes a pick that is settling very well with me and im really excited to see him suit up. he is by far the best rb we have drafted since ray rice, and i even think i like buck more coming out of college than i liked ray rice, and i was a big ray rice fan in the 08 draft.

[balfan23]

How did Gillmore really fail? He wasn't  expected to be apart of the passing game in his rookie season but overall a good blocker . I think Gillmore blocking was so good to the point even PFF recognize him but I strongly doubt The Ravens are going to cut a third rounder like Gillmore. You don't give up on third rounders right away at all. 

 

None of the rookie tight ends last year took the league by storm or made the pro bowl.

Absolutely ... Gilmore did not disappoint. He did what was asked of him and started to contribute more at the end of the season. 

 

What scares me on the item I highlighted. Since Williams was the best TE in the draft, some people seem to think he's going to instantly be Dennis Pitta in his prime. The kid is 21 ... it is going to take a little working in before he gets comfortable enough to be really effective. 

[CapoRocky]

I would give this draft a B plus.  Perriman would need to see some significant field time before he is ready to take over for Torrey.  Williams is coming in as the number one TE regardless if Pitta takes the field.  The guy has the size and soft hands to be that redzone and middle of the field target that we haven't had since the days of Heap in his prime.  Davis is a solid runstopper who can be trained to collapse the pocket on blitzes.  Smith is fast enough to record a few sacks and get noticed when he gets in the game to rest Suggs or Dumervil.  I don't mind them adding Buck Allen just in case Forsett get injured.  The rest of the picks still don't warrant anything less than a B+, even the small school gamble at CB.  Boyle is from Delaware, so there is no doubt the coaches have kept an eye on him. Myers gives us depth during the usual grind on the offensive linemen over the course of the season.  Darren Waller could be that WR that makes the roster due to his speed on special teams.

Edited May 3, 2015 by CapoRocky

[FlackAttack]

i wish pitta would just retire so we can get these expectations out of the way. 

 

he will never be able to play a regular role again, i dont know if he can make it through a full season as a 3rd TE, ive said it before ill say it again, if you have successful surgery, are well over a year removed from said surgery, look like youre fully recovered, and then  go down with the same injury on a routine catch and run just jogging a straight line, then its very clear that the injury is too much to overcome. 

 

i love pitta and it is a very sad and heartbreaking story, he is one of the true good guys of the league and a top notch leader on our team, but it should be obvious to anyone who was watching that cleveland game, that he wont be able to play again. i mean he could be walking down the stairs at home and have his hip blow out again because what he was doing on that field @cleveland wasnt any more strenuous than that. 

 

i posted the same exact thing last week, and posters on this board threw an absolute fit. the anger was real lol.

[BruceLeeRoy]

Am i crazy in thinking Crockett will be cut and Boyle would be #3?

 

YES

[AwakenTheDemon]

Once again I've reappeared...

 

Anyways, long time no see, my brothers and sisters. I'm sure many of us can remember me being... critical of the past drafts from us (*cough*TorreySmith*cough*), so it's actually really refreshing that I'm, well, happy with this one.

 

To begin with, I had us taking Marcus Peters or Breshad Perriman in the first. I do believe if Kansas City hadn't puzzlingly snatched Peters up at 18, we may have well taken him. I did not expect Maxx to be anywhere near us in the second, so I had us taking Quinten Rollins from Miami Ohio. After seeing how the first two days went, my approach to what I wanted in the fourth through sixth was:

4th: RB David Cobb

4th: CB Charles Gaines (Surprised he fell so far)

4th: OLB Davis Tull

5th: CB Kevin White (still cannot believe this kid went undrafted)

5th: WR DeAndre Smelter

6th: OG Bobby Hart

 

I was completely off on the players themselves, but not far off position-wise, if you swapped out the second corner for the tight end.

 

As for the draft itself, I'm pretty happy with it. I think Ozzie, Eric, and company got tremendous value at most of their picks. If we're looking at it more in depth, though...

 

Round 1 (26): Central Florida WR Breshad Perriman

I know this is another polarizing pick for some fans from what I've seen. Some would have much rather had Jaelen Strong here, but I think Perriman is an ideal fit here, truthfully. Some people are really turned off by the drops that ESPN ripped into him for, but I do believe that it's more of a mental aspect, rather than an issue with his hands. When you examine his entire body of work, though, he is exactly everything that the team needs at receiver. Big body. Good catch radius. Isn't afraid to climb the ladder to high point the passes. Dangerous after the catch on slants over the middle. Oh.... and fast. I apologise because I can't remember where I saw it, but someone likened Perriman to Andre Johnson with Josh Gordon speed, which I somewhat agree with. Speaking of Andre, when he was coming out of college, people praised his blend of size and speed, while questioning his route running and ability to catch the ball. Well, he turned out pretty well. I'm not saying he's the next Andre Johnson, just that some players are better pros than college players. And when all is said and done, I wouldn't be surprised is the best receiver out of this class after Cooper and White.

Grade: A

 

Round 2 (55): Minnesota TE Maxx Williams

This very well may be the best pick of out draft, and it wouldn't surprise anyone. The value aspect of the pick is off the chart, since there were talks of him being a middle of the first pick earlier in the draft season. Watching Maxx, he doesn't seem to play very fast, but I find it somewhat deceptive. Even so, he has no issues getting open, whether it's down the seam, or breaking inside or towards the side line. Speaking of the side line, he's good at getting the feet down in bounds. Williams' catch radius is amazing, and he makes some difficult catches, even against tight coverage. Much like Perriman, he can high point the ball and come down with those high passes. His ability to make all the hard catches, along with his big frame is going to give linebackers and smaller corners fits. If Pitta is healthy and can continue his playing career, he and Williams could be Baltimore's version of Gronkowski and Hernandez (before the truth of what he did for a hobby came out). We've all seen what tight ends do in a Trestman offense, which bodes well for Maxx.

Grade: A+

 

Round 3 (90): Iowa DT Carl Davis

If a cornerback wasn't taken in the first two rounds, I fully expected one to be had in the third. Granted, with the way the dominos were falling at the position, I could understand why Ozzie and Eric saw any cornerback a reach at this point. I did not see a defensive lineman at this juncture, though. I'm really off and on about this pick when it comes down to it. From a need standpoint, I saw a need for depth at line over immediate return after resigning Canty. Upon thinking of it further, Canty isn't the long term answer, and could benefit from young blood to rotate in and mentor. This is where I do see Davis playing a role. Jernigan should have one end spot locked in, and I believe Brandon Williams should be the one manning the nose tackle spot. Davis could eventually be the third piece to that defensive line. Sure, he may not be an always-on pass rusher, but he should be a run stuffing anchor, that could wrap up some blocks for the outside linebackers. Honestly, on short yardage, and obvious run downs, having Upshaw on one side of the line and Davis on the other could really make it difficult for opposing running backs... if Davis pans out. Davis was another player that some people thought could be a late first/early second pick, so the value was there and could pay dividends in the long run.

Grade: B+

 

Round 4 (122): Kentucky OLB Za'Darius Smith

This is one of my two favorite picks (the other I'll get into later). In my mocks, I frequently had Baltimore nabbing Smith to groom for a future spot post-Doom/Suggs, while taking over for McPhee in the mean time. Oh, and we all know how much Baltimore loves it's "Smiths". I absolutely love his size and non stop motor on plays. Smith just doesn't give up on plays, both against the run and the pass. Plays to the whistle, and tracks the ball/carrier well, he can really be a handful around the edge. Weaker offensive linemen could really be abused by the large Smith, which may lead to alot of linemen being walked back into the quarterback they're charged with protecting. While most people talk about Dupree when it comes to linebackers from Kentucky this year, I really think Smith isn't that far behind him, and could have flirted with being a late third pick too.

Grade: A-

 

Round 4 (125): Southern California RB  Javorius Allen

I'm not surprised that we waited this long to take a running back, although I wasn't exactly expecting Allen. Personally, I was hoping we'd snatch up Minnesota's David Cobb, who I think could turn into a monster running back. Once you take scheme into consideration, though, Allen makes total sense. In a Trestman offense, the running back needs to have a set of hands to go with his wheels (see exhibit A: Forte, Matt), and Allen has both. He ran for over 700 yards, and had over 200 yards receiving his sophomore year before skyrocketing both his junior year when he ran for over 1400 and had over 400 yards receiving. I've seen some statements on him being more of a compliment piece in a backfield over a feature guy, which I don't disagree with exactly. But once you take this scheme into consideration, I think Allen could flourish as a starter after a few years playing Robin to Forsett's Batman. He could very well be another version of Rice in his prime, when it comes to making plays in both the rushing game and passing game. He doesn't have the patience or balance that Rice did, but he is better at running through contact, and makes some pretty slick slashing cuts. Don't be surprised if one day Allen takes over with Taliaferro plays relief and short, power yardage downs.

Grade: B

 

Round 4 (136): Texas Southern CB Tray Walker

Not a fan of this pick at all really. We all know the team loves it's small school prospects, and usually does hit on them. I truly hope this is one of those instances. Walker definitely has the size that I think the team wants manning the backfield and can play press well. However, I don't think he'll be immediately ready to contribute a ton in his first year (or two even).  After getting some time and coaching under his belt, he may eventually shine as a potential outside corner to pair with Jimmy and maybe Webb in the slot.  But after a year where the team needed any Joe Schmo it could sign to fill in for the countless injuries at the position, I would have liked to have seen a more ready cornerback, such as Louisville's Charles Gaines.

Grade: C-

 

Round 5 (171): Delaware TE Nick Boyle

Maybe the front office knows more about Pitta's health than they're letting on. Otherwise, I'm not too sure I understand the pick. Second rounder Maxx Williams could easily handle a starting role, and second year Crockett Gillmore handled his role as second on the depth chart admirably last year. So even if Pitta can't return and they needed a third tight end, they could go with Supernaw or look into a potential free agent/undrafted free agent while addressing another position. Taking the pick for the player himself though, it isn't a bad pick. Boyle has good size and a nice mix of blocking and receiving talents, similar to someone they already have with Gillmore. I could see Boyle eventually panning out into a solid secondary piece to the offense that specializes in blocking, but able to hit a soft spot on a short route if needed. I just would have rather had the team go a different route than tight end with this pick.

Grade: C

 

Round 5 (176): Tennessee State OG Robert Myers

Another small school pick, this time on offense. Most expected Baltimore to address some offensive line depth in the draft, and I originally had them waiting until their last pick, either with Bobby Hart or Miami's Jon Feliciano (who I just cannot fathom being picked in the fourth by Oakland... and I'm a 'Canes fan). Myers isn't going to be someone like Yanda who can be kicked out to tackle in a pinch, he'll stuggle in that much open space. But at guard, he has some potential. Myers has good size and seems to have a head for the game. I don't see him being an eventual starter (but I hope Yanda and Osemele can both be retained), but I think he could be a tremendous back up/spot starter, similar to Urschel last year, just with a lower ceiling.

Grade: B+

 

Round 6 (204): Georgia Tech WR Darren Waller

This is my other favorite pick that I mentioned earlier. Originally, I had us taking Waller's teammate Smelter at the end of the fifth round, but I never thought Smelter would have been taken in the fourth. In that same vein though, I never would have thought that Waller would be available in the sixth. Waller is an absolute mammoth of a receiver at 6'6, and uses every inch on high passes. He uses his crazy athleticism to make plays from sideline to sideliner and down field. Waller may be a bit rough at the moment, and coming from a very, very, VERY run heavy offense, but the potential is off the charts. He uses his body well to push around, block, and fight for the ball, while keeping track of where he is to make sure he completes the catch. I wouldn't expect him to contribute much this year, and wouldn't be surprised to see him stashed somehow, whether risking it on the practice squad or... otherwise. Waller absolutely needs to be kept and developed, his ceiling is just too high, which is even more impressive as a sixth round pick, to pass by. Waller could eventually turn into a monster receiver starting alongside Perriman down the road, abusing smaller cornerbacks as he makes plays.

Grade: A

 

Overall:

I can't remember the last time Baltimore came away with such an offense heavy draft, but that's a good thing right now. The defense is perfectly fine (as long as not every cornerback is injuried), it's the offense that needs that little push to get it up over the hump. The best part of the draft was that Ozzie and Eric didn't sacrifice value for need. Nearly every pick was had at absolutely tremendous value (Williams, Davis, Waller), and filled either an immediate or near future need. Multiple starters could come from this class (Perriman, Williams, Davis, Smith, Allen, and Waller), while long term depth could also be had.

Grade: A-

 

I have one last thought to mostly amuse myself. Going with the assumption that Trestman is successful and sticks around for a while, and the hopeful thinking that Pitta will continue playing and remain his talented, effective self, the offense has some nice long term sustainability.

 

In a few years, I see the starting offense looking a little something like:

 

QB - J. Flacco

HB - J. Allen

FB - K. Juszczyk

WR - B. Perriman (outside), D. Waller (outside), M. Campanaro (slot)

TE - M. Williams, D. Pitta

LT - E. Monroe

LG - K. Osemele

C - J. Urschel

RG - M. Yanda

RT - R. Wagner

 

The skill positions may look underwhelming right now, but I have high hopes for Allen and Waller to really flourish in the Trestman offense. Flacco would have two 6'4 tight ends, a 6'2 receiver, a 6'6 receiver and a 5'9 receiver to throw to. That's alot of size that has alot of speed to match it. Hopefully we won't be talking about a lack of weapons for the offense soon... Joe has to be happy.

Edited May 3, 2015 by AwakenTheDemon

[ellicottraven]

Here it is then

 

Pick 1

 

Breshard Perriman D ( Or A) 

 

Here's the deal. He is without question the biggest boom or bust guy in the 1st round. He could really be an exceptional talent or he could just be one of many combine warrior flops. He is the biggest wildcard in this draft..thats how risky he is. He has the potential to prove me wrong and i wouldn't be shocked if he did. BUT having said that its the first round and he's not shown polish or safe hands to justify a first round grade. if we took him in the 2nd this would be a different story..this isn't a matt elam who i knew had no shot at even being ''good''. Perrimen could be anything from Julio to Heyward Bey. 

 

Pick 2

 

Maxx Williams A +

 

Pretty much the perfect tight end in the making. Does it all. Runs perfect routes..exceptional hands and catch radius and clutch. Good blocker and will only get better. A go to target. Best pick of the draft and a franchise tight end for many years to come.

 

Pick 3 

 

Carl Davis B

 

The value is there. If he had been picked in early rounds i'd have given this a D-E grade. His biggest issue is technique and motor. Thats not a small thing. He has the potential to be a solid starter. Can he be an elite level player? I don't know..a motor is important to be that.

 

Pick 4

 

Za,darius Smith A

 

Terrific value and an all-round talent with excellent measurable. Sets a mean edge and can rush the passer. Tough and with a mean streak. Could be an upgrade over upshaw. His pass rush is decent and he can move around the line well.

 

Pick 4

 

Joviorious Allen C+

 

Solid..fills a hole..nothing special. Serviceable and can catch out of the backfield.

 

 

Pick 4

 

tray walker N/A

 

no idea..unless he's one of those best kept secrets that was destined to be picked at any moment after us i don't see great value here..there were a lot of options

 

Pick 5

 

nick Boyle F

 

A wasted pick. You can find guys like this in practice squads everywhere. Could have picked any tight end at this point and it wouldn't mean much. There were better players on the board. Worst pick of our draft based on need and ability plus value.

 

Pick 5

Robert Myers  C

 

Seems sluggish on tape. Haven't seen enough..

 

pick 6

Darren Wall    A-

 

At this stage you're lucky to find anything but solid depth. He has great measurables and that alone with a soft pair of hands make this excellent value.

 

Overall I give this Draft a B-. We missed out on quite a lot in the latter picks but we have 1 sure starter in Maxx and a couple of other guys who could well play their way in as starters too. 

Sami84 when you give our draft a B- I think this will go down in Ravens history as the best draft since 1996! Thank you. An F from you is like an B+ to me.

[52520Andrew]

Before I go into my grades, just want to mention how I am scaling things so people aren't angry I am not giving A++++++ to every single pick and can put the grades into a bit of context.

 

A+ = Spectacular pick

A = Great pick

B = Good pick

C = Average pick(meaning this is my base grade, don't be pissed if you C one of these)

D = Below Average pick

F = Horrible pick

 

Perriman: B:

 

Overall we need a speedy WR and I like the value that we got here which means that this is shaping up to be a good pick. The problem with Perriman though is that he is a bit raw and dropped 14% of his passes last year. Now he could very well develop and use his elite athletic traits to become a top 5 receiver. He could also be a deep threat with drop and route running problems and not live up to his draft selection in what is shaping up to be a really good WR class. That means we could be looking at this anywhere from an A+ to a straight up F in 3 years. The thing that bumps it up to a B(and above average) for me is the fact that we desperately needed a deep threat and the value was pretty good.

 

Williams: A:

 

TE was arguably a bigger need than WR, especially one that could make plays in the passing game. We got the consensus top TE in the draft late in the 2nd. Granted this isn't an especially strong TE class but I had an early 2nd round grade on Williams and getting him here is a really good deal, especially at this big of a need. The Ravens have kinda lucked out a bit here getting good value at positions of big need. I don't think Williams will be the next Gronk or Graham like some say but he is an acrobatic catcher and should be a solid threat in the receiving game. He is also young and should be able to develop. One knock on Williams is that he is not a great blocker but that suits the Ravens just fine with Gilmore being more the blocking specialist at TE. Jumping in front of the Steelers to get them is a nice added bonus to this pick as well.

 

Davis: B+:

 

This is another pick that I think is a good value at a position of need. I never saw Davis as an early 2nd rounder as he was too inconsistent on film and disappeared too much in the double team to go that high in a loaded DT class like this. Questions about his work ethic also put me off a bit and prevented me from going and giving this pick an A considering another big DT with work ethic concerns . I do see tremendous potential in Davis though and we could use some DT depth with Ngata going and having question marks outside of Williams and semi Jernigan. I also trust our DL coaches quite a bit to get the best out of him. I had a late 2nd round grade on Davis even with the concerns and getting him here and in a good situation is a very good pick to me.

 

Smith: B:

 

I like the value at this pick as I had Smith as a mid 3rd rounder and it is a position of future need so it is a good pick overall. I don't see Smith as the guy who will become the future at OLB but I do think he is a good depth guy who can contribute in sub packages. He really impressed me in the East West Shrine game and impressed scouts enough for a senior bowl invite but he kinda disappeared a bit once he got to the senior bowl against better competition. Still, he is a player that presents good value and fits a need. Hopefully he is a guy who can keep Suggs fresh(assuming Upshaw and Doom do their rotation thing) and make some noise on the field.

 

While we are on the subject of pass rushers here, that probably brings me to my biggest "gripe" with the draft. I see this as the best pass rusher class since 2011 and I think we had a great opportunity to get a future stud at great value at OLB.  I don't think(or at least I hope) we won't be high enough to get a good pass rusher in the next couple years as I think it will be a couple more years before we get a pass rusher class that is as good as this one is shaping up to be. I just don't think we will have value this good at pass rusher for our first 2 picks in a long time. Can't fault the FO for going in the direction they did and I like both picks obviously but I think we are in for a bit of a wait before we get an opportunity like this again and it is a shame to pass that up, even if it is for good reason. Of course I could be wrong and we could have a great pass rusher class lined up next year but it is way too early to tell right now.

 

Allen: B

 

Allen is another guy who provides good value and fits a need. I had a late 3rd round grade on him so getting him here is not bad in terms of value. I think Allen is a guy who has potential to become a feature back although I don't think he is there yet. Still, he should be a solid complimentary guy who we can count on. His pass catching skills are big as I am sure Trestman wants to get the ball to the RB in the passing game and we didn't do that as much last year. Good pick here

 

Tray Walker: N/A:

 

Like others, I won't grade Walker here as I haven't looked into him. If I had to it would be a C as while we need a CB, we probably could have waited a little more as well. Still, I thought Gilmore was a reach last year and he turned out pretty good so I will trust the FO on this one.

 

Nick Boyle: B:

 

I like Boyle as a player, he is more athletic than given credit for and has potential to be a good blocker. He had a pretty impressive week of practice at the senior bowl which put him on my radar including this play

 

 

What makes me a bit depressed about the pick is what it likely means for Pitta and it is more than likely us planning for the future without him. I would have loved for Kubiak to have gotten his hands on him last year though(not now since he went and left us at the altar and everything ) but he could have had some fun with Boyle. So that is pretty much my thoughts, I like Boyle but it is a depressing pick.

 

Myers: B:

 

Handing out a lot of B grades here but there are a lot of good picks so I guess there is that. Myers is a good guard prospect and guard is going to be a position of need next year more likely than not so it isn't like there is much mystery with this pick. Apparently the Ravens are pretty high on him and I hope he turns into a good player.

 

Waller: C:

 

Pretty average pick for me, either he will boom or bust and more so than Perriman. We have taken developmental players like this in the past and it has yet to work out but this is the first time we have done so with Engram as WRs coach so we will see what he can do with his hunk of clay here.

 

I'll post the overall grade and final thoughts later, this should be sufficient reading material for now

[Bruce_Almty]

By the 10th week of the season, WR Perriman, TE Williams, DT Davis, ER Smith & RB Allen will be making significant contributions. The other 4 draft picks are on a 2yr developmental program. I can't complain with the job Ozzie and his staff did.

 

Ravens are a MUCH STRONGER TEAM after the draft.

[Gtown Purple]

Putting grades on people at this point is silly. Lets see things for what they really are.

 

 

Breshard Perriman- Immediate impact player. Pretty much replaces Torrey but with better potential

 

Pick 2

 

Maxx Williams- Immediate impact player and great fit for Trestman's offense

 

 

Pick 3 

 

Carl Davis- immediate rotational player

 

Pick 4

 

Za,darius Smith- Probably used in sub packages

 

 

Pick 4

 

Joviorious Allen- change of pace/3rd down back

 

Pick 4

 

tray walker- modeled after what the seahawks did with there secondary with all the long tall guys. Has Jimmy Smith measureables but is raw. Could compete for a nickel\dime role and if nothing else pushes the other dbs who have been here for a year or 2.

 

 

Pick 5

 

nick Boyle- solid depth in case Pitta doesn't come back. More of an inline blocker and all around tight end than williams

 

Pick 5

Robert Myers- solid depth and targeted more for next year if Yanda or KO leave.

 

 

pick 6

Darren Wall - Alot of upside for a 6th round player. Size we can definitely use in the red zone.

 

 

 

Overall I like what we did. We got people who can help us this year and set us up well for potential departures next year. Typical solid ravens draft.

[RaRaRavens]

It was a solid draft for us but I still have that nagging feeling that we could have done better. To me the problem wasn't the picks themselves, but the fact that Oz seemed to deviate from his "the best player available" mantra with almost all but couple of picks (Carl Davis, Za'Darius Smith) and instead took "one of the best players available, who also fills our need" aproach. Which is why I think this will be one of the biggest boom or bust drafts for us. Only time will tell.

[AwakenTheDemon]

Putting grades on people at this point is silly. Lets see things for what they really are.

 

 

Breshard Perriman- Immediate impact player. Pretty much replaces Torrey but with better potential

 

Pick 2

 

Maxx Williams- Immediate impact player and great fit for Trestman's offense

 

 

Pick 3 

 

Carl Davis- immediate rotational player

 

Pick 4

 

Za,darius Smith- Probably used in sub packages

 

 

Pick 4

 

Joviorious Allen- change of pace/3rd down back

 

Pick 4

 

tray walker- modeled after what the seahawks did with there secondary with all the long tall guys. Has Jimmy Smith measureables but is raw. Could compete for a nickel\dime role and if nothing else pushes the other dbs who have been here for a year or 2.

 

 

Pick 5

 

nick Boyle- solid depth in case Pitta doesn't come back. More of an inline blocker and all around tight end than williams

 

Pick 5

Robert Myers- solid depth and targeted more for next year if Yanda or KO leave.

 

 

pick 6

Darren Wall - Alot of upside for a 6th round player. Size we can definitely use in the red zone.

 

 

 

Overall I like what we did. We got people who can help us this year and set us up well for potential departures next year. Typical solid ravens draft.

 

Grades, at least in my opinion, at this juncture are more a reflection of talent level, pick value, and team need. So therefore I don't see how they are "pointless". It's really not much different from a team's grade/rank on talent heading into the draft. Sure, someone graded as an A could bomb and be out of the league in a few years, while a D flourishes after a year or two. You have a generalized idea of what you're getting and potentially getting at this point.

[JoeyFlex5]

i see that people are starting to see breshad perriman with a bit more logic. hes getting some of the credit he deserves instead of saying "hes raw hes gonna bust hes another torrey bla bla", good job on knowing your stuff guys

[ravensnick]

My Draft Grade:

 

Breshad Perriman: B+

This pick is getting criticized a bit but I'm going to come out and say it: there wasn't much better to get at 26 than Perriman. I was a tad shocked to see we passed on  Malcom Brown, but he's more of a 4-3 guy, plus I really like what Perriman brings to the table. Byron Jones was another possibility, but he was a lot little Perriman: very Athlete but not complete on the field yet. Preston Smith or Jalen Collins could have been other choices, but those were more trade back guys. Perriman will bring a speed guy that fights for the ball and is willing to run over the middle. Ozzie and Company had him as the 14th best player in the draft. I think he is a day one starter

 

Maxx Williams: A+

Maxx was a solid late first round talent in my eyes. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report compared him to Greg Olsen and I agree that comparison is very good. You won't find many better route runners and catchers at the TE position. He drags his toes so well and  he's made some great highlight reel plays. We land our TE #1. 

 

Carl Davis: A+

Ozzie gets his yearly DL that should have gone higher. Davis will likely play 3-4 DE and he is a great two gap penetrator. He wash;'t exactly a sack artistic college but he had a lot of pressures and tackles for a loss. I thought he was a solid early/mid second rounder. He probably won't start out the gate, but I expect him to lock down a spot by the end of the year, like Jernigan.

 

Za'Darius Smith: A

Smith could end up being on of the better player we drafted. I think he compares very well to good ole Pernell McPhee, but much more developing coming out of college. He'll be a situational pass rusher to start, as he can rush from inside or outside the DL. If you watch the Kentucky Defense last year, he stands out just as much as Dupree does, albeit, he isn't as athletic. I won't be surprised if he ended up being a starter one day. 

 

Javarious Allen: A

I really like this pick. Allen was one of my favorite RBs in the draft and he is a great scheme fit. I think he is exactly in the mold of what Trestman likes at RB. Upright, one cut runner and a great pass catcher. He also pass blocks with the best of them. I really like our RB corp, with Forsett as the lead back, Allen as the second option/pass catcher, and Taliaferro as the short yardage, goaline guy.

 

Tray Walker: N/A

 Walker fits a need and bring great size and ball skills. Ozzie must really like him, as he was a projected 6th rounder

 

Nick Boyle: B

Not a bad pick, but not the best either imo. Boyle brings some size and we needed another TE. We'll see what he does. I think he moves well for a bigger TE and could work well with Williams and Gilmore.

 

Robert Myer: B+

A guy heavily linked to us because Juan Castillo loves him. Brings some OL depth that we will need with both KO's and Yanda's deals coming up. 

 

Darren Waller: A

Waller played amazingly vs FSU and MSU to end the year. Both these teams had very good defense with good secondaries. I think GT's triple option really held Waller back, and that he could be a big contributor on the next level. 

 

Overall Grade: A

Edited May 3, 2015 by ravensnick