Review of the Ravens' 2012 NFL Draft

After we sat through nearly three hours of prospect-picking insanity and draft day trades, the Ravens were finally on the clock in the first round at about 11:00 p.m. Of course, they promptly traded their first round pick to the Vikings and we were left to wait another day to add some new talent to the Ravens’ roster.

When the draft dust settled, Ozzie and Eric DeCosta emerged as the perennial masterminds we've grown to know and love. Here’s a look at the picks, and the reasons why our Ravens had one of the better drafts in the league.

The second and third rounds began Friday night, with the Ravens slated to pick third after trading out of the first round. They landed Courtney Upshaw, a DE/ OLB who was once projected as a top-10 pick until questions about how he would transition to the NFL damaged his draft stock. Regardless of projections, Upshaw is getting attention nationally as the man who will step up in the absence of Jarret Johnson and will give the Ravens their best pass-rushing tandem "since Terrell Suggs and Peter Boulware," according to ESPN's AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley.

With their second pick in the round, they selected guard/ tackle Kelechi Osemele, a massive offensive lineman who has experience playing multiple positions along the line.

In the third round, the Ravens traded up a few spots to select running back Bernard Pierce, a one-cut-and-go style runner with impressive speed and surprising size. After the retirement of Ricky Williams left the Ravens backfield depth a little thin, they made a move to bulk it up a bit. 

Jordan, any comments on the second day of the Ravens draft?

“I’m drunk.”

They don’t call him the best color-man for nothing. Thank you, Jordan.

The rest of the Ravens picks are as follows:

Round 4: Center/guard Gina Gradkowski, another versatile offensive lineman hailing from Joe Flacco’s alma mater of Deleware. Gradkowski projects to compete for the open left guard spot left after the departure of Ben Grubbs and the Ravens hope he will learn from current center Matt Birk in order to become our center of the future.

Round 4: Safety Christian Thompson, who Ed Reed had already been mentoring leading up to the draft.

Round 5: Cornerback/ return specialist Asa “Ace” Jackson, an undersized, raw cornerback prospect who has blazing 4.44 speed and excellent return abilities.

Round 6: Wide receiver Tommy Streeter, a physically impressive playmaker at 6’5”, Streeter needs to work on polishing his route running and developing more consistency with his hands. His size and speed, however give him the opportunity to be an important cog in the Ravens’ receiving corps.

Round 7: Entering an already heated competition along the defensive line is GeAngelo Tyson, who projects to work in as a run-stuffer and space-eater for the Ravens.

Here is what pundits are saying about the Ravens Draft:

 Chris Burke, SI.com:

“The Ravens traded down and still landed DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw (35), who may develop into the next feared defender in Baltimore. Guard Kelechi Osemele (60) and running back Bernard Pierce (84) filled needs well, making the Ravens’ reaches in [Round 4 and] Round 5 (Gino Gradkowski and Christian Thompson) more tolerable.”

Mel Kiper, ESPN:

“The Ravens had a great weekend. Any time you move out of the first round, still get a guy with first-round talent (Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw), and he happens to fill your biggest need, you’re happy.”

Jeff Zrebiec, The Baltimore Sun:

“As usual with the Ravens, there was a lot to like about their draft haul. To get Courtney Upshaw in the second round while also acquiring another pick was a huge coup. You can bet that there was a lot of head shaking going on around NFL war rooms that another potential impact defensive player had fallen into the Ravens’ laps. Bernard Pierce and Tommy Streeter also have a lot of athleticism and upside. Perhaps my expectations were a little too high, but I thought the Ravens would come out of the draft with an offensive lineman whom they could immediately pencil in as a starter, and a wide receiver who would immediately play a prominent role. I’m not sure you could say that about guard Kelechi Osmele, who some scouts feel has a lot of question marks, or about Streeter. Director of Player Development Eric DeCosta acknowledged that not everything broke the Ravens’ way, and I’d imagine part of the front office’s frustration stems from the fact that several of their top receiver targets didn’t make it to them. But overall, the Ravens filled a couple of needs and added plenty of depth, two of their established goals.”

Even when the Ravens have a disappointing draft according to their own standards, they still shine in the grand scheme.

Still, question marks abound on the Ravens depth chart. One of their new offensive linemen needs to shine as a legitimate NFL starter, and it’s questionable that 6^th round pick Tommy Streeter will fill the need for a #3 receiver behind incumbents Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith—despite the fact that his nickname in college was Tommy “Touchdown” Streeter. Hopefully, as we near the start of the NFL season (which would be next week, if it were up to me), Ozzie will bring in some more established veterans to increase the competition at these spots.