ExtremeRavens

In advance of the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston gives his take on six college prospects who are linked to the Ravens in the latest mock drafts from prominent national analysts. View the full article

If the Ravens want Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower as much as some people believe that they do, I suspect their first call when Round One starts to unfold will be to the Detroit Lions, who hold the 23rd overall pick. The significance of that spot is that it’s one ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who reportedly covet Hightower. If the Ravens are convinced that Hightower is their guy and they are willing to pay the cost of moving up six spots, which would probably be a third or fourth-round pick, a deal shouldn’t be too hard to work out. Lions senior personnel executive James Harris is the former director of pro personnel for the Ravens and he remains very close with Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome . Lions coach Jim Schwartz also is a former Ravens staff member and he remains friendly with a couple of people at the Castle, including Newsome. So the Lions are definitely worth keeping an eye on and I’d have to imagine that there has already been some dialogue between the two teams. View the full article

I love mocking, which is why I have produced five first-round mock drafts in the past two months (and it’s why I have greeted your criticism of said mock drafts with an aw-shucks shrug of the shoulders). In my latest first-round mock, which was released Tuesday night , I had the Ravens selecting Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower with the 29th pick in the NFL draft. Why stop there? How about I project all eight of their picks? View the full article

In a couple of our recent NFL draft stories, we quoted Matt Williamson of ESPN’s Scouts Inc. Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns who now evaluates current NFL players and college draft prospects for ESPN.com. He and I had a long conversation about the Ravens and their draft needs two weeks ago. Instead of focusing on just a few things that I asked Williamson about, here is the transcript of our entire conversation. View the full article

With his first NFL season under his belt, quarterback Tyrod Taylor has not forgotten about his hometown roots. On April 14, the Hampton native returned to Virginia to host a free football camp for more than 200 youth. View the full article

Each day this week leading up to Thursday’s NFL draft, we will highlight one prospect whom the Ravens could draft with the 29th overall pick. Today’s player is Alabama linebacker/defensive end Courtney Upshaw, who had 16.5 sacks for the Crimson Tide the past two seasons, including 9.5 as they won the 2011 NCAA title. View the full article

With the draft starting tomorrow night, today will be the final day of The Sun’s position-by-look at the Ravens. Today, we’ll examine the specialists: View the full article

Finally, after months of teams poking and prodding NFL draft prospects, scouts picking apart players they had previously pumped up, and media folks like me doing hours of homework trying to make sense of it all, the 2012 NFL draft is less than 48 hours away. I would be lying if I told you that part of me wasn’t ready for all of this just to be over and done with, but still, draft weekend is easily my favorite weekend on the NFL calendar. View the full article

Ravens are looking to upgrade their offensive line and should have the opportunity to do so given how the first round may unfold.]]> View the full article

Ravens took a pass on former starter Kyle Boller, opting instead to sign former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Curtis Painter to a one-year contract]]> View the full article

Like every team, the Ravens have evaluated and ranked every prospect in the 2012 draft class, and although they aren’t scheduled to pick until the 29th slot in the first round Thursday night, they fully expect to come away with a player ranked a lot higher than 29 in their own evaluations. View the full article

Each day this week leading up to Thursday’s NFL draft, we will highlight one prospect whom the Ravens could draft with the 29th overall pick. Today’s player is Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill, who will likely parlay an eye-popping performance at the NFL scouting combine into being a late first-round draft pick. View the full article

Every weekday until tomorrow, the day before the first round of the NFL draft, The Sun will examine where the Ravens stand at each position, the likelihood that they will address that spot early in the draft and some of the prospects that they may consider. View the full article

Ravens took a pass on former starter Kyle Boller, opting instead to sign former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Curtis Painter to a one-year contract]]> View the full article

Ravens are looking to upgrade their offensive line and should have the opportunity to do so given how the first round may unfold.]]> View the full article

Pre-draft notes: tight end View the full article

NFL also says rosters will expand from 80 to 90 playersAfter the Ravens decide on their second and third-round picks on Day Two of the draft Friday night, they'll allow one of the franchise's most beloved players to spread the word to everyone else. View the full article

Ravens beat writer Jeff Zrebiec spent an hour Tuesday answering reader questions about the Ravens and this weekend's 2012 NFL draft. View the full article

Live NFL Draft chat with Ravens reporter Jeff Zrebiec View the full article

Last year, with the Ravens planning to select a wide receiver in the middle rounds of the NFL draft, team officials turned to quarterback Joe Flacco for advice. View the full article

The National Football League announced that 33 legendary NFL alumni, one representing each team and two representing the St. Louis Rams, will announce live on Friday, April 27, second- and third-round Draft picks from Radio City Music Hall. View the full article

Two Northern Illinois alumni, William Tessendorf and Roger Kalisiak, will be inducted into the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Hall of Fame. View the full article

OWINGS MILLS, Md.- History could repeat itself for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL draft. View the full article

Each day this week leading up to Thursday’s NFL draft, we will highlight one prospect whom the Ravens could draft with the 29th overall pick. Today’s player is Alabama inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower, one of four Crimson Tide defenders who are expected to be selected in the first round. View the full article

Every weekday until Wednesday, the day before the first round of the NFL draft, The Sun will examine where the Ravens stand at each position, the likelihood that they will address that spot early in the draft and some of the prospects that they may consider. View the full article