The Ravens’ Ever-Changing First Round Draft Possibilities

With the Cory Redding signing, things become interesting regarding the Ravens’ first round selection in April. Again.  After acquiring Anquan Boldin, the thought was that a receiver would not be the logical choice.  Immediately after Justin Bannan and Dwan Edwards signed with other teams, the Ravens blogosphere was abuzz with talk about a defensive lineman. Will Redding change it again?

Let’s take a step back. Before the Boldin deal, the Ravens selecting a receiver was all but a foregone conclusion. Ozzie Newsome even said that they would find a “playmaker” in the first round.  People are forgetting that this was also before Derrick Mason announced his return. Consider that the team now has Boldin, Mason and Donte Stallworth as receivers. While nobody went completely silent about drafting a receiver, most agreed it would be a mid-round selection.

Forgetting all about the defensive line saga, there have been a few names that have been thrown around throughout this whole time. Jermaine Gresham is one. The tight end is some people’s favorite prospect in the first round because of his size, upside and college record, but some consider him an illogical choice because of an injury that has kept him out of live football for a full season. Kyle Wilson has been discussed since whispering began. Devin McCourty has become a popular name recently. Both cornerbacks could be very valuable additions to a secondary that is, by Ravens standards, average or possibly above-average. Add one of those two with Lardarius Webb, Domonique Foxworth and possibly Fabian Washington, and that’s a very nice-looking secondary for next season.

Regardless of what the internet and the fans have to say, Ozzie Newsome and his staff make the real decision. You know that they’re putting in tireless hours scouting, and when it comes down to it, he usually makes the right choice. Sometimes it’s not the sexy pick, sometimes it may be a total surprise, but Ravens fans have come to trust Ozzie and whatever name he shouts out from that war room.