2013 NFL Draft: Analyzing Ravens Picks In Latest Walterfootball.com Mock

Oct 20, 2012; College Station, TX, USA; LSU Tigers safety Eric Reid (1) in action against the Texas A

From now till the draft Walter football will be having a couple mock drafts come out per week, I am going to be evaluating those mocks.

Todays mock was posted by Charlie Campbell. Here are his picks and my reactions to them.

"32. Baltimore Ravens: Manti Te’o, ILB, Notre Dame The Ravens have a huge hole at inside linebacker. It sounds like they are interested in Te’o.Te’o had a string of excellent performances in 2012 that vaulted him into Heisman consideration. He played a superb game against Michigan State and power back Le’Veon Bell in Week 3. Te’o picked up 12 tackles and was all over the field against the run and the pass. He made eight tackles and two interceptions against Michigan, plus forced another interception by hitting Denard Robinson as he threw.Even though Te’o had an ugly game against Alabama in the National Championship, the senior’s season was phenomenal. He totaled 113 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, four passes broken up and seven interceptions. Te’o has the instincts and intelligence to adapt quickly to the NFL. He is fast enough to play the middle or Sam linebacker in a 4-3 defense, and should have the bulk to function on the inside of a 3-4 defense.Manti Te’o was a tackling machine for the Fighting Irish in 2010, making 133 tackles. The sophomore also recorded 9.5 tackles for a loss, one sack and one forced fumble. Te’o recorded 128 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss and five sacks in 2011. He led Notre Dame in sacks and tackles."

Teo Is a popular pick for the Ravens, i dont hate it. I know many Ravens fans are low on Teo(many fans of all teams are low on Teo), but much of that attitude has way to much to do with his off field troubles and not his on field play. in december, Ravens fans and fans of any team in the 20s would have been overjoyed to see Teo fall to them. He is still the same player he was back then. Teo is never probably going to be a hall of famer, but he will be a reliable starter for years to come and he has low bust potential because his instincts are excellent. Grade: B+.

"62.Baltimore Ravens: Eric Reid, S, LSU The Ravens land a safety pair with Michael Huff.Reid (6-2, 208) has good size and is a hard hitter. The LSU secondary was filled with NFL talent in 2011, and Reid was integral member alongside Tyrann Mathieu, Morris Claiborne and Brandon Taylor. Reid totaled 65 tackles with two interceptions, two forced fumbles and three passes broken up as a sophomore.The junior started this year with a mixed outing against North Texas. He had seven tackles, an interception and a pass broken up, but also was burned for two touchdowns. Reid needs to improve his pass-coverage skills. He looked bad defending the run against Florida, and as a result, his stock has slid.Reid had a bounce-back performance, to a degree, against South Carolina, nabbing an interception, but he also was late in coverage for a big pass to the 1-yard line. Reid totaled 91 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes broken up in 2012."

I hate Reid in the first round, but in the second round he is a good value and a solid prospect. I doubt Reids instincts and I dont like the lines he takes when pursuing the ball. He relies way to much on his physical tools and does not have an elite understanding of the game. That said, he is way to talented physically to drop lower than this. because of his potential, he is a solid pick in the second round. Grade: B+.

"94.Baltimore Ravens: Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia Obviously, the Ravens need wide receiver help.Bailey (5-10, 193) was a dominant force in 2012. He was one of the most productive receivers in the nation and torched defenses with his quickness and route-running. Bailey had 113 receptions for 1,627 yards and 25 touchdowns. He caught 13 passes for 303 yards and five touchdowns against Baylor. The junior went over 200 yards against both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.Bailey was a big-play receiver for the Mountaineers and their potent passing attack in 2011, too. The sophomore hauled in 72 passes for 1,279 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had 24 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns as a redshirt freshman.Bailey is very fast and has enough size to be a speedy slot receiver in the NFL. Former teammate Keith Tandy told WalterFootball.com that Bailey is an excellent route-runner who has great hands."

I like Bailey, but I like Da’Rick rogers way more. Rogers is easily a first round talent with some off field issues. If Rogers is still on the board, I would be very disappointed if the Ravens took Bailey over him. Grade: C.

"129. Baltimore Ravens: Josh Evans, S, Florida The Ravens grab another safety and have shown interest in Evans.Evans was solid for Florida in 2012 and led the team in tackles with 83. He also totaled three passes broken up, 2.5 sacks and three interceptions. Evans was a good run-defender and did well in pass coverage. He had 51 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, one pass breakup and one interception in 2011.The 6-foot-1, 207-pound Evans was one of the top safeties at the East-West Shrine and consistently made his presence felt. He held his own at the Combine."

I am really high on Evans. When I went to watch tape of Matt Elam, who i am not high on, I kept noticing that Elams backfield partner was constantly covering up Elams lapses in coverage on missed gambles. That guy turned out to be Josh Evans.  I immediately liked him. Evans has always been the Ryan clark to Matt Elams Troy Polomalu(not that i am comparing Troy and Matt). Evans is going to be a steal for someone, in this case it is the Ravens. Grade: A.

"130. Baltimore Ravens: Jordan Hill, DT, Penn State The Ravens pick up some defensive line depth.Hill totaled 64 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, one interception, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 2012. He is a fast gap-shooter who can pressure the quarterback, but is tough and holds his ground well in run defense. Hill (6-1, 294) used his final game to show NFL teams that he is worthy of a mid-round pick. He dominated Wisconsin to finish off a strong senior season.Hill totaled 59 tackles with eight tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 2011 playing next to Devon Still."

Hill is a pretty solid pick here. Earlier in the draft process i had seen him rumored as high as late second round, so this is a solid value. Hill projects as a DE in the Ravens scheme and would give them even more depth for their defensive line which has obviously been a major focus this offseason. That said, Campbell has them passing over Devin Taylor to get Hill. I have Taylor significantly higher on my board, so i am not crazy about that idea. Grade: B-.

"165.  Baltimore Ravens: Quanterus Smith, DE, Western Kentucky Baltimore grabs some pass-rushing depth. With their veterans, the Ravens can take their time with Smith and let him spend his first year on rehabbing.A late-season ACL tear sunk Smith’s draft stock even though he recorded 12.5 sacks in 2012. Smith also had 38 tackles with 18.5 tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles. He returned a fumble 75 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Florida Atlantic.The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder started the year well with a three-sack game against Alabama. He destroyed Crimson Tide right tackle D.J. Fluker. Smith’s sacks came in bunches this season. He had four games with sacks and eight games without any. The senior had five sacks against Florida International.Smith totaled 7.5 sacks, 38 tackles and 11 tackles for a loss in 2011. He had 47 tackles with four sacks as a sophomore in 2010.Despite the ACL, Smith would be higher in the 2013 NFL Draft if he wasn’t so undersized. Smith looks like he will need to move to outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense if he can’t add a significant amount of weight."

Love it. Smith has the potential to be the biggest steal in the draft. Smith was an absolute beast this year at WKU before he tore his ACL. He has prototype size for a 3-4 OLB and could be an impact starter in years to come. He would have probably been in the first round conversation if he had not been injured. Smith wont make an impact for at least a year, in fact there is a good chance he is IRed as a rookie, but he could develop into a great player. Grade: A+.

"168. Baltimore Ravens: Chris Harper, WR, Kansas State The Ravens add some receiver depth and have shown a ton of interest in Harper.Harper (6-0, 228) is a physical receiver who uses his strength to make plays. His speed could be an issue in the NFL, so he may not get consistent separation. The senior caught 58 receptions for 857 yards and three touchdowns this year. Harper caught 40 passes for 547 yards and five touchdowns in 2011. He had some good moments and bad moments at the Senior Bowl. His 40 time from the Combine didn’t help or hurt him."

I dont love or hate this pick. Harper could be a solid player, but i think it is much more likely that he is a career special teamer. if he were faster, sure, but he isnt. Grade: C-. 

Overall Grade: B

I wouldnt be upset if this were the Ravens class, but I would be a bit disappointed. I dont see a single impact player in the bunch, but this is a solid workman-like draft class. none of these guys are afraid to do the dirty work on the field and you definately need players like that on your team. Overall it is a pretty good class.