Dissecting the 2014 NFL Draft – Baltimore Ravens

NFL Draft (2)

Ravens and pigeons are just rats with wings. That is why I call them the Ratbirds.

17 C.J. Mosley ILB – C.J. was the top ILB on my board. He has speed and instincts but does not make many plays behind the line of scrimage.

48 Timmy Jernigan DT – Jernigan went into the 2013 season as the 2nd DT in the draft. He fell late in the season and in the pre-draft period in part due to a diluted drug test. He is a fair value at 48 and will be part of the rotation.

79 Terrence Brooks FS – Brooks is an under rated player that is productive and a tough center fielder. He will likely start for the Ratbirds and was picked about where he was expected to go.

99 Crockett Gillmore TE – Gillmore was one of my favorite under the radar guys. He is big with good hands and will block more than most TE prospects. While others see him as a serious reach, he was taken about where I expected.

134 Brent Urban DE – Urban has a history of injuries and was a reach in the 4th round. He was not as productive as you would expect based on his physical assets. He has little experience and it remains to be seen how much they get from him in 2014.

138 Lorenzo Taliaferro RB – RB Ray Rice looked done in 2013. But Taliaferro was a serious reach. I am not sure what they saw in him but I rated him as a 7th round value.

175 John Urschel OG – Urschel was another serious reach. He is a decent G with fair feet but again I had him rated as a 7th round pick not a 5th rounder. They need help on the O line.

194 Keith Wenning QB – He is not going to challenge for a starting position any time soon but is a decent developmental QB. He has a decent arm and can make most of the NFL throws. He was a minor value in the 6th round.

218 Michael Campanaro WR – This was the second best value for the Ratbirds. Campanaro is a slot guy with speed and quickness that can separate in a short area. He was rated as a 5th round value.

Overall they had 4 good picks and the rest were reaches or just so-so. The Ratbirds are an aging team with a lot of holes. They only filled a few of them in the draft.

That is what I think. Tell us what you think.

NOTE: Check out the live News, Notes and Rumors show on Monday, Thursday and Friday at 6 PM Eastern on or https://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/. On Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports, former NFL scout Kelron Sykes and I talk NFL draft with just a little Indians and Cavs thrown in. The archive is available on https://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/. Please join us.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits https://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels on and a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/. Follow him on twitter @NNRonDSN to get the schedule of Special News, Notes and Rumors broadcasts. You can hear the previous shows on https://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/ and the live show Mondays at 6 PM Eastern time on .

He also edits .

To keep up with the News, Notes & Rumors podcasts, follow me on twitter @NNRonDSN.

Rating: 5.0/5. From 1 vote.
Please wait...