2013 NFL Mock Draft: Baltimore Ravens Select…
Oct 6, 2012; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights linebacker Khaseem Greene (right) stops Connecticut Huskies running back Martin Hyppolite (25) during the first half at High Point Solutions Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim O
In the First Fansided Mock Draft of the season, the Ravens have selected…
"“Khaseem Green, LB, Rutgers- The Ravens Defense Isn’t getting any younger and Green is a guy that can help lead the defense into the next generation. He can diagnose plays early, read the backfield and he’s a hard hitter.”"
I don’t really agree with this choice. To me it feels like a reach, I have Green graded as a late second rounder but I do have him marked as a potential riser. The bigger issue I have though is his size. Green really has the body of a 4-3 OLB and not a 3-4 ILB. He needs to add about 25-30 lbs to fill that role as he only weighs in at about 225-230 lbs right now. Green has had a terrific season at Rutgers and will finish with about 100 tackles 6 forced fumbles 2 picks a handful of sacks etc. He is a very instinctive player and he plays with a nice low pad level that I like. To be honest, in the Ravens system if Khaseem stays at his current size, he would be a better fit at safety than he would at ILB(note: I am not saying that he should be evaluated or judged as a safety) He actually played safety in his first couple season at Rutgers before making the move to ILB this year.
I am not generally crazy about taking inside linebackers in the first round because they have much more value later in the draft. To me the only ILBs with real first round grades are Teo of Notre Dame and Alec Ogletree of Georgia. C.J. Mosley could also sneak in there but that is mostly because he is more of an OLB. Green would be a tremendous value in round 2 though. If the draft feel this way I think I would have gone with Xavier Rhodes, CB, FSU, Kawaan Short, DT, Purdue or John Jenkins, DE/DT, Georgia. I Might have also considered Sheldon Richardson, at some point his talent is going to be too much to pass up.