4 Corners the Ravens could target

[cravnravn]

Round 1: Jimmy Smith, Colorado. The draft stock of Smith is the most volatile among first-round prospects. He is a top-15 talent with height, speed and cover skills, but some teams have reportedly removed him from their draft boards after chatting with him about his off-the-field transgressions. That’s why Smith might be available when the Ravens are on the clock late in the first round. And if he’s there, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. thinks the Ravens would snatch Smith up. "He has a chance to be a steal if his attitude matches his skill-set,” Kiper wrote in his latest mock draft. "A burner with shut-down skills, good ball awareness and elite size for the position, he adds immediate depth with the chance to start early."

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-sportsblitz-feeling-draft-cornerbacks0316,0,1239222.story

[RavenMad]

If we go O-Line or pass rusher with the 1st then I like Dowling in the 2nd although we don't have much luck with 2nd round picks and injuries and Dowling has an injury history hence he could be available 2nd - 3rd round.

 

The other 2 guys I like at where they are predicted to go.

[vmax]

Smith looks like the favorite...

 

Kiper believes the Ravens will select Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith, who has first-round talent but top-five character concerns. "With the Ravens' leadership on defense in the form of Ray Lewis still in place, Smith has a chance to be a steal if he takes direction from the vets," Kiper wrote. "A burner with shut-down skills, good ball awareness and elite size for the position, he adds immediate depth with the chance to start early."

 

Kiper is not alone in his projection. Sports Illustrated’s Don Banks, Russ Lande of The Sporting News, NFL.com’s Steve Wyche and CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco all have the Ravens taking Smith in their mocks.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-sportsblitz-mock-roundup0407,0,1600762.story

 

What are his character issues?

[yagersports]

Is Corner really a major need with Foxworth returning??? I guess it can't hurt, but I would think a pass rusher would be a far greater need. Or even a Ray Lewis replacement.

[Dunno]

Or a tackle so Yanda can play guard.

[SpearSrai]

Is Corner really a major need with Foxworth returning??? I guess it can't hurt, but I would think a pass rusher would be a far greater need. Or even a Ray Lewis replacement.

 

It's at least as big of a need as any. We have a bunch of average guys at one of the most important positions in the game... just like we have a bunch of average pass-rushers after Suggs. If an offensive tackle is there who the organization loves, maybe you look at a guy like Solder, but otherwise you go with whichever provides the better value... corner or DE/OLB. Assuming Pouncey is long-gone.

 

And considering we didn't draft a single corner last year, maybe it's time we look at one in the first two rounds? There are a lot of young corners who have really helped their teams in the first few years.

[millz58]

Smith looks like the favorite...

 

 

 

What are his character issues?

And he's the winner! And, who 'cares about character' when he's an obvious fit for the rehab-locker-room of Lewis-Reed, so sayeth Michael Irvin? Anyway I like the pick by need, then by talent, then by attitude. He kinda fits all around.

[thundercleetz]

I love the Smith pick. Bottom line is that Smith is a playmaker, and this defense needed another playmaker, especially in the secondary. Smith has shutdown corner potential, and is a gamer. Should he stay clean there is a very gold chance he will reach his potential and be one of the best corners in the league. He could easily be a cornerstone player for us. The secondary has turned into a position of strength for us. Foxworth, Webb and Carr or Wilson suddenly don't look so bad as 2/3 guys.

[cravnravn]

BOOOOO-YAAAAA I love the pick..

 

I think the brass is leaning towards Kindle being healthy, he & Suggs on the ends, Ngatadamyard stuffing the middle..Our D just improved with Jimmy Smith.

[SpearSrai]

I love the Smith pick. Bottom line is that Smith is a playmaker, and this defense needed another playmaker, especially in the secondary. Smith has shutdown corner potential, and is a gamer. Should he stay clean there is a very gold chance he will reach his potential and be one of the best corners in the league. He could easily be a cornerstone player for us. The secondary has turned into a position of strength for us. Foxworth, Webb and Carr or Wilson suddenly don't look so bad as 2/3 guys.

 

I wonder how the media-evaluations of Smith would have been if he didn't have these "character issues". Everything I've ever read on him basically sounds like this: "he's a risk, has size (an understatement? He's over 6'2), and has top 10 talent."

 

A 6'2+ corner with 'top 10 talent', and all anyone can talk about is "POTENTIAL character concerns"? Didn't McAlister have character concerns? (I'd say so...) Unless we're talking about a leadership position (here's looking at you, Ryan Mallett...) I'd take "made a few dumb decisions as a teenager" (Read: Was caught.) over "might need surgery on his knee" anyday. My mailman has great character, but I don't want him lining up in man coverage against A.J. Green for the next 6 seasons.

 

The idea that we may have just found a CHEAP Nnamdi Asomugha (read: we weren't paying Nnamdi $20 mil a year to come here.) at the END of the first round blows me away. A bonafide shutdown corner. At 5'11, the term "shutdown" may be overused, but a 6'2, 220, 4.4 guy? It's no surprise quarterbacks only threw at him 20 times last season! What happens when Ed Reed is covering the OTHER half of the field? No other team, including the Jets, has something like that.

 

But you're exactly right, TC... our "rag-tag team of corners" looks a whole lot better in slots 2-4. We just didn't know we had a chance at one of the best corner prospects to come out of college at #26. Still can't believe Seattle passed on him. I guess Pete Carroll is only going for selfless, high-character guys now. :-/ Or maybe they just hate cornerbacks there. Wait until Jimmy Smith and Josh Wilson are the top corner duo in the league...