Draft grades for Ravens

[Tornado700]

The Ravens were honor roll students in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Baltimore received a handful of “A’s” and didn’t get a grade lower than a “B” from the national media.

If you’ve been living under a rock this weekend, the Ravens selected left tackle Ronnie Stanley (6), outside linebacker Kamalei Correa (42), defensive end Bronson Kaufusi (70), cornerback Tavon Young (104), wide receiver Chris Moore (107), offensive tackle Alex Lewis (130), defensive tackle Willie Henry (132), running back Kenneth Dixon (134), outside linebacker Matt Judon (146), wide receiver Keenan Reynolds (182) and cornerback Maurice Canady (209).

Of course, the true impact of a draft class won’t be known until a few years down the road, but it’s always fun to make some early evaluations.

ESPN, Mel Kiper
Grade: A
“In a typical draft for Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta, the Ravens hit a big need early and then found a way to move down the board and add picks, where they got a ton of value. … It's not as if Stanley was a reach. He went No. 6 overall and finished No. 6 on my Big Board. Eugene Monroe's future is a question at tackle, and Stanley could either replace him or kick inside and start out at guard. Either way, it works. … The Ravens got a big need at tackle and just stacked up value thereafter.”

Sporting News, Vinnie Iyer
Grade: A
“11 picks and what do you get? Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh nailing need and value across the board, drafting for both present and future. It's rare the Ravens either pick that high to start or end up with so many selections, and they took advantage of it. They got offensive and defensive linemen to fit their schemes to a tee. Dixon and Reynolds are nice new backfield options.”

Bleacher Report, Alec Nathan
Grade: A

Rotoworld, Evan Silva
Grade: A
“Not only did this draft bring quantity to a Ravens roster that has deteriorated over the past three years, it attacked virtually all of Baltimore's needs, often with multiple additions at each specific weakness. Newsome took two offensive linemen, one a certain Week 1 starter. He drafted three pass rushers. He selected two corners and couldn't resist the value offered by deep threat Moore, underrated DT/DE Henry, and all-purpose back Dixon in a dominant fourth round. Baltimore's roster has gotten old and stale and needed a major youth injection. This draft accomplished that and then some.”

Chad Reuter, NFL Media
Grade: A-minus
“The Ravens had several choices here. The Stanley versus Laremy Tunsil argument will live on for a while, although no one can blame teams for laying off Tunsil. DeForest Buckner was also on the board for the Ravens. General manager Ozzie Newsome picked up two future starters in the pass rusher Correa and five-technique Kaufusi on Day 2, getting max value for those picks.”

Sports Illustrated, Chris Burke & Doug Farrar
Grade: B-plus
“True to Ozzie Newsome’s reputation, the Ravens did yeoman’s work on Days 2 and 3 of the draft. They didn’t start off too poorly either in nabbing Stanley.”

USA Today, Lindsay Jones
Grade: B-plus
“This felt like a very classic Ozzie Newsome draft, which is a good thing. The Ravens got one of the draft’s best offensive tackles at No. 6 with Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley. But the best two picks might have been on Friday, when they added DE/LB Kamalei Correa and DE Bronson Kaufusi to reinvigorate the pass rush. The most interesting pick came Saturday with the selection of Navy QB Keenan Reynolds, who has said he intends to serve a two-year military commitment before starting an NFL career playing a new position.”

CBS Sports, Pete Prisco
Grade: B-plus
“They had a lot of picks and added a lot of quality players. This is a team that needed young talent to restock the roster and they did a nice job of it. This is the Baltimore drafting we've come to expect.”

Pro Football Focus, Sam Palazzollo
Grade: B-plus
“The Laremy Tunsil controversy might have pushed the Ravens to take Stanley, but they still got one of the draft’s best pass-protecting offensive tackles. … Kaufusi is one of the most productive players in the draft, and he brings his 29.3 pass rush grade (fifth-best among interior defensive linemen in the draft) and strong run-defending ability to the 3-4 defensive end position in Baltimore. … Lewis is a favorite of offensive line coaches around the league, and he’s better in pass protection at this point. Dixon was a steal in the fourth round after notching the top receiving grade among running backs in the class.”

SB Nation, Dan Kadar
Grade: B-plus
“Best pick: Kamalei Correa - I may not be the biggest fan of Correa, but it was a shrewd move by the Ravens to trade down twice and accumulate picks and still get the player they want. Questionable pick: Tavon Young - Young projects to the slot, but there were some corners with higher grades than him when he came off the board.”

The Washington Post, Mark Maske
Grade: B
“It’s not surprising that the Ravens emerged from this draft with a potential franchise left tackle. It is a bit surprising that they chose Ronnie Stanley over Laremy Tunsil with both available for the No. 6 selection. Tunsil’s difficult night, including the appearance of the instantly infamous Twitter video just before the draft, was well documented. But some teams already had Stanley ranked ahead of Tunsil.”

Local Reporters Say Ravens Played It ‘Safe’

While the national pundits were smitten with the Ravens’ draft work, the local peeps wanted Baltimore to take some more chances.

ESPN’s Jamison Hensley gave the Ravens a thumbs up, but wrote, “This was a solid but not spectacular draft.” Hensley gave a worse grade than his ESPN colleague Kiper, handing the Ravens a “B.”

Sure, there’s nothing wrong with a “solid” draft, but that’s not exactly glowing praise either.

“The Ravens checked a lot of boxes with pass-rushers, offensive playmakers and even a returner in Navy's Keenan Reynolds,” Hensley wrote. “There just wasn't a lot of flash. The Ravens failed to trade up for Jalen Ramsey and passed on Myles Jack and Noah Spence. It was a safe draft with good upside.”

“What the Ravens opted for were high-character players, players with strong work ethic and no durability issues,” Hensley said. “It kind of left you with the feeling that the Ravens were playing it a little safe in this draft.”

As difficult as it was to see Ramsey snatched up one pick before the Ravens, it’s hard to call it a failure when we don’t know what the Cowboys wanted in return. Newsome said the Ravens weren’t willing to meet the Cowboys’ demands.

Once on the clock, the Ravens passed on Tunsil. Less than an hour before, his Twitter account posted a video of him wearing a gas mask and smoking a bong.

Newsome has denied that the Ravens were set to take Tunsil before seeing the video, saying they turned to their board for the answer. But reporters are stuck on Adam Schefter’s report saying otherwise. If the Ravens had Stanley ranked above (or even) with Tunsil, it wasn’t a case of risk avoidance.

Jack and Spence had major question marks. Jack’s knee is an unknown and Spence was kicked out of the Big Ten for failing multiple drug tests for Ecstasy.

What if the Ravens doctors gave the front office a thumbs down on Jack’s knee? And while many pundits had Spence ranked higher than Correa, who said the Ravens did? Spence picked up a lot of media buzz at the Senior Bowl.

CSN Mid Atlantic’s Clifton Brown also gave the Ravens a “B” grade, and said Baltimore left itself open to some “second guessing” by passing on Jack and Spence.

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Ray Rice Impacted Ravens Draft?

Count The Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck as another local reporter saying the Ravens played it “safe,” but he had a different explanation than his peers.

Schmuck wrote that the Ray Rice incident from more than two years ago played a factor.

“That was the day everyone in the Ravens organization realized they would have to make sure [Owner Steve] Bisciotti was never, ever placed in that uncomfortable position again,” Schmuck wrote.

“That's why the Ravens played it safe during this year's NFL draft and they'll play it safe again next year, too. They have become prisoners of their history, and it didn't begin or end with the Rice domestic abuse debacle, though that will long be remembered as the turning point in the evolution of the franchise.”

He didn’t have a problem with it, however.

“That might have blunted criticism about this being a better-safe-than-sorry draft, but there was no need,” Schmuck wrote. “This draft was about rebuilding the team's infrastructure without repeating the mistakes of the past. Check. Check.”

Schmuck wasn’t alone, as ESPN’s Kevin Seifert pointed to Rice as well.

“Two years ago, the nation watched as one of their top players was caught on a security camera punching his then-fiancé,” Seifert wrote. “It's understandable why the Ravens might have been reluctant to draft a player as video circulated of him allegedly using drugs.

Newsome said before the draft that the Ravens would not select any player with a history of domestic violence. That’s a mandate passed down from Bisciotti.

McShay’s Favorite Ravens Draft Pick

Everybody has their favorite pick from the Ravens draft class. Mine was Kaufusi.

ESPN’s Todd McShay identified his for every NFL team. For 31 of 32 teams, he was able to name one player. For the Ravens, he named five.

McShay picked every fourth-round selection.

“Seriously. This might be the best fourth round I've ever seen from a team,” McShay wrote.

“The Ravens got CB Tavon Young, who can be a really good nickel corner. They got WR Chris Moore, the No. 46 player on my board and a true vertical threat for big-armed QB Joe Flacco. They got OT Alex Lewis, who can develop into a starting right tackle. They got DT Willie Henry, an elite run defender. And, finally, they got RB Kenneth Dixon, who runs with good power/balance and has some versatility in the passing game.”

The Ravens put a lot of pressure on themselves to nail their fourth-round picks. DeCosta said it would “make or break” Baltimore’s draft. That pressure was ratcheted up a notch when Baltimore picked up a fifth pick in the round via two trades Friday night.

Even Bisciotti said he wanted his front office to get starters with each of the Ravens’ fourth-round picks.

It’s still early, but it looks like the Ravens got the job done.

“General Manager Ozzie Newsome killed it on Saturday,” McShay wrote.

Quick Hits

 

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  Late For Work 5/3: Biggest Winners, Losers Of Ravens Draft

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• 

 

[Tornado700]

Like I have stated over and over. This was not the horrible draft that some fans here say it was.

[vmax]

Thanks for putting all of that up and doing the research.

 

The Ravens had a very good draft. I give it a B+.

Silva says it well here...

 

Baltimore's roster has gotten old and stale and needed a major youth injection. This draft accomplished that and then some.”

 

Now....they have to hope that none of these guys falls down a flight of stairs.

[tsylvester]

http://espn.go.com/blog/baltimore-ravens/post/_/id/19522/re-grading-the-baltimore-ravens-2013-draft

 

 

 

 

All week the Baltimore Ravens blog will look back and grade the past five drafts. Let's continue with 2013:

 

 

 

First round: S Matt Elam. He failed to make plays as a rookie and was the ninth-worst safety in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. His biggest problems are wrapping up ball carriers and getting beat deep on pass plays. Elam is expected to be a backup this season because the Ravens will likely go with Will Hill and Kendrick Lewis as their starters. Grade: D.

Second round: LB Arthur Brown. What makes this pick even more disappointing is the fact that the Ravens traded two additional picks (in the fifth and sixth rounds) to move up in the second round to get Brown. He went from playing on passing downs as a rookie to not playing a defensive snap last season. The Ravens reportedly tried to trade him last year. Grade: F.

Third round: NT Brandon Williams. General manager Ozzie Newsome said Williams is "probably as good a nose tackle as there is in the league right now." A first-year starter last season, Williams dominated against the run, finishing with 48 tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Grade: A.

Fourth round: LB John Simon. He had trouble playing in space, and the Ravens cut him before the 2014 season began. Simon also didn't contribute on special teams. Grade: D.

Fourth round: FB Kyle Juszczyk. He was a solid role player, and only San Francisco's Bruce Miller played more snaps at fullback last season than Juszczyk. The one disappointment was his less-than-expected 19 catches. Grade: B.

Fifth round: OT Rick Wagner. He proved to be the biggest surprise of the 2014 season for the Ravens. Wagner replaced Michael Oher last season and started 15 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. He was the third-best right tackle in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Grade: A-minus.

Sixth round: DE Kapron Lewis-Moore. He sat out his rookie season while recovering from major knee surgery, and he missed last season after a season-ending Achilles' injury in training camp. Grade: Incomplete.

Sixth round: G-C Ryan Jensen. He's played a total of two snaps in two seasons. Jensen spent most of last season on the practice squad before being promoted to the active roster in December. He has potential as an interior lineman. Grade: C-minus.

Seventh round: WR Aaron Mellette. He missed his rookie season after undergoing knee surgery, and he was cut last June after he failed to recover from it. Grade: F.

Seventh round: CB Marc Anthony. The Ravens needed cornerbacks in 2013, and they still cut him despite only having four corners on the roster. Anthony was cut by the Buccaneers and Titans before the 2014 season. Grade: F.

Overall grade for Ravens' 2013 draft: D.

 

 

That is just one draft, a draft after which, many of the same members you are bashing said was a clunker, a C at best....

 

No, we couch jockeys are not always right, but then again, neither are those who grade drafts, nor make the picks. After the 2013 draft, many pundits were saying the Ravens got B+, A, etc.... now we see....

[GrubberRaven]

http://espn.go.com/blog/baltimore-ravens/post/_/id/19522/re-grading-the-baltimore-ravens-2013-draft

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is just one draft, a draft after which, many of the same members you are bashing said was a clunker, a C at best....

 

No, we couch jockeys are not always right, but then again, neither are those who grade drafts, nor make the picks. After the 2013 draft, many pundits were saying the Ravens got B+, A, etc.... now we see....

 

Time will tell...

[Tornado700]

http://espn.go.com/blog/baltimore-ravens/post/_/id/19522/re-grading-the-baltimore-ravens-2013-draft

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is just one draft, a draft after which, many of the same members you are bashing said was a clunker, a C at best....

 

No, we couch jockeys are not always right, but then again, neither are those who grade drafts, nor make the picks. After the 2013 draft, many pundits were saying the Ravens got B+, A, etc.... now we see....

 

I just prefer not to be one of those miserable SOB's who are negative about everything and would prefer to boo, rather than applaud.

[tsylvester]

 

I just prefer not to be one of those miserable SOB's who are negative about everything and would prefer to boo, rather than applaud.

I never boo, but I also enjoy people's opinions on the games, on the players, on the moves the team makes.

[oldno82]

Just because we downgraded the Ravens' draft doesn't make us any less fans.

 

The draft has a lot of safe, solid picks. But, I don't see any playmakers that DaCosta and Ozzie said they needed before the draft. Now personally, I don't think there were a lot of 'playmakers' out there. The draft had average to above average talent on the whole and they did the best they could with the possible exception of Spence.

[cravnravn]

I never boo, but I also enjoy people's opinions on the games, on the players, on the moves the team makes.

1st time since 2003 the Ravens have had a pick in the top 10, they hit a grand slam with that pick. I expect this year to have the same result

[vmax]

Just because we downgraded the Ravens' draft doesn't make us any less fans.

 

The draft has a lot of safe, solid picks. But, I don't see any playmakers that DaCosta and Ozzie said they needed before the draft. Now personally, I don't think there were a lot of 'playmakers' out there. The draft had average to above average talent on the whole and they did the best they could with the possible exception of Spence.

 

Good point.

Take Ramsey...he can't catch a football.

[vmax]

It was such a good draft that CBSSports has the Ravens ranked 27th...

 

 

27. There are so many key players coming back from injury, but the draft helped re-stock the roster. That's key for the rebuild of this team...http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/25576081/nfl-power-rankings-plenty-of-risers-after-nfl-draft-but-pats-still-no-1

 

They actually dropped 2 spots.

[thundercleetz]

This draft comes down to one comparison: the careers of Stanley, Correa and Kaufusi versus Ramsey and Jack. Ultimately, that is the decision we made on our own accord passing on those two guys.

[oldno82]

It was such a good draft that CBSSports has the Ravens ranked 27th...

 

 

They actually dropped 2 spots.

 

Man that's pretty bad. 27th???

[Tornado700]

Just because we downgraded the Ravens' draft doesn't make us any less fans.

 

The draft has a lot of safe, solid picks. But, I don't see any playmakers that DaCosta and Ozzie said they needed before the draft. Now personally, I don't think there were a lot of 'playmakers' out there. The draft had average to above average talent on the whole and they did the best they could with the possible exception of Spence.

 

 

On the field, Spence’s future looked very bright. Off the field, however, things were getting complicated. Spence tested positive for a form of ecstasy at the 2013 Big Ten title game, and was subsequently suspended for the Orange Bowl and the first two games of 2014. After a second positive test in September 2014, Spence was banned from the Big Ten permanently.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer set him up in a drug treatment program and pointed him towards Eastern Kentucky after Spence decided to spend another year playing college football instead of declaring for the draft. Spence was arrested in May 2015 for public intoxication and second-degree disorderly conduct, but the charges were expunged after community service.

Spence has spent all spring answering questions about his past and how it applies to his future, trying to convince teams he has moved on from his mistakes.

 

Weaknesses: Spence’s game is mostly about speed and power at this point as opposed to technique, and that may leave him open to being eaten up in the NFL for a while. Taller, wider tackles can rag-doll him too easily at times. He desperately needs a credible inside counter to make the most of his get-off at the snap—when he’s boxed out of the arc, he tends to stay there. Has the strength to use rip and swim moves very well, and has the agility to work a spin move into his repertoire, but he’s not there yet. Plays frantically at times, allowing opponents to use his momentum against him. May be too stiff in the hips to create a real bend around the edge. Can drop into coverage, but it’s not a strength at this point. Play strength can be hit-and-miss against tackles with better feet who can mirror him around the pocket—arm length (33 inches) leaves him at a disadvantage, and has him letting blockers into his body too often.

 

[Tornado700]

It was such a good draft that CBSSports has the Ravens ranked 27th...

 

 

They actually dropped 2 spots.

 

Are they referring to the draft or team ranking?

[vmax]

 

Are they referring to the draft or team ranking?

 

It's a team ranking.

It's Pete Prisco. A Raven Hater and Bengal lover. He has the Bengals ranked #3.

[cravnravn]

Go to your room, posting Prisco articles, tsk tsk tsk

[vmax]

BWAAAHAAAHHAAAAROTFLMAOhehee

How many "Prisco is an Idiot" threads did we read back in the days of AOL ONLINE and cbssportsline?

Fun times

Edited May 5, 2016 by vmax

[Tornado700]

27th. That's just pure, unadulterated hate.