Meet The 2015 Baltimore Ravens Draft Class
Here’s my 2014 draft class blog. Favorite football blog from last year. Fun read in hindsight.
Another year, another great draft by the Ravens front office. John Harbaugh admitted that their draft strategy emphasized addressing needs more so than usual, but they still got phenomenal talents in the first few rounds. The most exciting part is that Joe Flacco is finally getting the weapons he’s always deserved. They’ve only taken 1 skill position player in the first 2 rounds since the Flacco/Rice draft class in 2008, and that was Torrey Smith in 2011. They hadn’t even taken an offensive player in the first round since Mike Oher in 2009. So to see Joe get not one, but two targets that were projected first-round talents… tremendous. They also grabbed some long-term projects that could make an impact down the road. Let’s meet em.
1st round (26th overall) – Breshad Perriman, WR from UCF
Speed. Speed is what we needed most out of a receiver in this draft, and that’s exactly what we got with Perriman. His ability to go long paired well with Blake Bortles’ cannon at UCF in 2013 and it should thrive with Joe for years to come. His pedigree and his moderate size at 6’2, 212 lbs is just a bonus. Such a high ceiling, but with that comes the potential of being a major bust. Can’t draft scared though, and he’s certainly worth the risk. Covered him a bit more here on Friday.
2nd round (55th overall) – Maxx Williams, TE from Minnesota
Maxx Williams is the most exciting pick in this draft. Even more exciting is that the Steelers know the sun is setting on Heath Miller’s career and wanted to take him at #56, so Ozzie traded up from 58. SCOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!! Maxx was rated across the board as the top tight end in this draft class. He was even projected by some to be picked by the Ravens in the 1st round. So to get both a speedy receiver and an big, athletic red zone target for Joe in the first two rounds while fucking Pittsburgh in the face… awesome.
As for what Maxx brings to the table… ferocity. He’s a bulldog. Classic white tight end who can win contested balls and fight his way through tackles. He’s drawn comparisons to Kyle Rudolph and Greg Olsen. Runs the seam route really well. Smart kid too, was an academic All-American as a Gopher. An added bonus is that he only turned 21 last month. He still has room to grow, and will be a factor in this league for a long time. Solid size at 6’4, 250 lbs. If there’s a knock on him, it’s that he can get his pads too high when run-blocking, but that won’t be his main role and can be fixed anyway. A lot of people are saying this pick means the Ravens are moving on without Pitta, but I don’t think that’s necessarily accurate. It would just be foolish to go into next year depending on Dennis’ health. I think he’ll play next year, and these two will make a great pair.
3rd round (90th overall) – Carl Davis, DT from Iowa
Another guy who was projected to go late first, early 2nd round. He’s a big boy who can move really well for his size. 6’5″, 320 lb defensive tackles shouldn’t be able to clock a 5.07 40 time. It’s his first step that really does damage. Very quick off the snap for an interior d-lineman. In that sense, he’s not too different from Haloti Ngata, who he would be replacing. The reason he fell this far is that teams were concerned about his motor. They say that he doesn’t appear to have a passion for the game of football. That much is concerning, but I have confidence in a coach like John Harbaugh to get him in the right frame of mind. Plus Davis had some interesting thoughts about falling this far in the draft:
“It’s ridiculous. … I’m so motivated right now because I was expecting to go somewhere,” Davis said on a conference call with Baltimore reporters. “I feel like I’m one of the best defensive tackles in this year’s draft. I’ve seen a lot guys that got picked ahead of me, and that’s a chip on my shoulder. When I got a chip on my shoulder, there’s nobody that can stop me. I feel like I’m that much of a dominant player.”
Does that sound like a man lacking motivation? Nah. He’ll be good.
4th round (122th overall) – Za’Darius Smith, OLB from Kentucky
Smith didn’t wow scouts with athleticism in workouts, but he jumps off the tape because he plays hard, physical football. Relentless motor. He pass-rushes with power, but lacks speed. In that sense, he resembles recently depart OLB Pernell McPhee. He can set the edge and play the run well. Because of his size and strength, he can put his hand on the ground and play a little DE. I don’t see him becoming an every down LB down the road, but he has the potential to develop into the same role the McPhee did. Courtney Upshaw is set to be that guy next year, but it could be Smith down the road. Ozzie loves pass-rushing projects, and this is certainly one of them.
4th round (125th overall) – Javorius “Buck” Allen, RB from USC
Buck might be able to make a moderate impact right away. He’s a one-cut runner that can catch the football out of the backfield. He’s absolutely perfect for the zone-blocking scheme already in place in Baltimore. Marc Trestman loves to use his backs in the passing game (see Matt Forte’s 176 receptions the past 2 years), so his pass-catching ability is a real asset to the Ravens. He doesn’t have impressive speed, but he can hit the hole and get downhill. Think Arian Foster.
4th round (136th overall) – Tray Walker, CB from Texas Southern
Cornerback was a position that needed to be addressed, and probably addressed sooner in this draft, but sometimes that’s the way the chips fall. Walker is a project CB who might not be ready to see significant snaps in 2015. He does have a very high ceiling though. He’s large for a CB at 6’2″, and plays physical. Great in press coverage. An obvious concern is that he played his college ball at a small school where he likely had his way with smaller, less physical receivers. It should be noted though, that Lardarius Webb came from Nicholls St. and plays a similar brand of football, and Webb proved to be a great value late in the 3rd round. With his physicality, he can also play some safety. You’ll see some of his physical play on this grainy tape.
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5th round (171st overall) – Nick Boyle, TE from Delaware
Another TE for depth, and a Blue Hen to boot. Flacco should be pleased by that. Boyle is more of a blocking tight end, which is just fine. He plays hard and has been known to get under defenders’ skin by finishing blocks with power. More impressive is that he put any small-school concerns to rest with a great showing against top talent at the Senior Bowl. He might be able to make a few plays in the red zone and on short passes, but he won’t wow anyone as a pass-catcher. That could improve though, as he’s similar to Crockett Gillmore, who really improved that aspect of his game after the Ravens grabbed him in a similar spot of the draft last year. He did show some nice athleticism with this hurdle at the Senior Bowl…
5th round (176th overall) – Robert Myers, G from Tennessee State
Another small-school project. He also was invited to the Senior Bowl, but he was a bit overmatched with the talent he faced there. Good news is that he didn’t play football until late in high school, so he’s still learning the game. 6’5″, 325 lbs is the size you’re looking for on the interior line, he just has to get the footwork down. The Ravens might need him down the road, as both Kelechi Osemele and Marshal Yanda are heading into the final years of their contract. I figure they’ll keep at least one of those two and John Urschel will slide into the starting slot one leaves, so Myers may end up being key depth in that scenario. Hardly any tape of Myers, but you can sense his willingness to learn in this interview at the Senior Bowl.
6th round (204th overall) – Darren Waller, WR from Georgia Tech
This pick is veeeeerrrrry interesting. Could be the steal of this draft. I don’t understand Georgia Tech receivers. It’s so ass backwards that they keep recruiting these big, athletic pass-catchers while running a triple-option offense. Both Waller and fellow GT WR DeAndre Smelter (who went to the Niners in the 4th) could be stars from this year’s draft.
Waller is 6’6″, 238 lbs and ran a 4.46 40 time. THAT’S INSANE. The concern is that he was benched on multiple occasions for violating team rules, but he hasn’t been in any legal trouble. Well worth the risk for a guy who, based on his tape and his measurables, sure looks like at least a 2nd rounder to me. He can really go up and get the football and use his size to wall off defenders. Because of his time in Paul Johnson’s offense, he is a phenomenal downfield blocker, especially with that size. Could be useful on those screens Trestman loves. The downside of his time at GT is that he needs a lot of work on route-running.
If you’re a Ravens fan, you might remember the name Clarence Moore. I think that’s the absolute basement for Waller, and the sky is the limit for his ceiling. If you’re looking for a good time, watch this clip and then go watch some more here.
Overall, another great draft in my opinion, and the experts agree. Kiper gave the Ravens an A-, which is as good a score as he gave out this year. Haven’t seen a grade lower than B+ from anyone, so it’s safe to say the Ravens had a very successful weekend. Like I said, would’ve been nice to grab a cornerback earlier than they did, but sometimes that’s the way it goes. No need to reach when you can get a great talent like a Maxx Williams or a Carl Davis. I’m thrilled at what the future holds for this offense. There’s no weakness. Elite QB, fantastic O-line (especially in the run game), solid backs, and finally some talent for Joe to throw to. Perriman is a risk, but could pay enormous dividends. Maxx is can’t-miss. Davis will play a huge part in defensive rotation with Brandon Williams and Timmy Jernigan right away. And Waller could be the best value of this entire draft when it’s all said and done. Fantastic weekend.