NFL Draft Power Rankings: Baltimore Ravens Fare Well in 2014

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; C.J. Mosley (Alabama) poses with Roger Goodell after being selected as the number seventeen overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the Baltimore Ravens at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

It’s no secret that the teams who draft well, year after year, are also the ones that annually find themselves in the playoffs and competing for a Super Bowl title. As we have learned over and over again, loose spending in free agency isn’t the way. One team that knows this all to well is the Baltimore Ravens.

It should also come as no surprise then that the Ravens are in the upper echelon of a recent Bleacher Report NFL draft power rankings list for the 2014 draft. B/R took a look at each NFL team’s haul from last year’s draft and how those picks panned out in their first year. For the Ravens, that class is already paying dividends.

It goes without saying that the Ravens struck gold with C.J. Mosley in the first round. Mosley was already one of the league’s best linebackers in his rookie season and will hold down a spot on the inside for years to come.

Defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan looks like a potential steal in the second round as well after flashing dominant pass rushing ability last season. His fast emergence is at least part of the reason why the Ravens felt comfortable trading away franchise stalwart Haloti Ngata.

The jury is still out on most of the rest of last season’s picks, which isn’t abnormal in the NFL. Terrence Brooks is hurt and may not make much of an impact in 2015. Brent Urban spent the year on I.R. Crockett Gillmore might be a starter in 2015 despite limited opportunities last year.

Lorenzo Taliaferro looked good in spots and at worst might be a solid rotational back, while Michael Campanaro flashed as a returner and future slot receiver. John Urschel played quite a few snaps for a fifth round pick and picked up a positive grade from Pro Football Focus along the way.

Keith Wenning is still around, but the jury is still very much out on whether he can turn into a long term solution at backup quarterback. The Ravens thus far haven’t shown much confidence in Wenning, even going so far as to sign Matt Schaub this offseason.

All in all, the 2014 draft class has proven to be a pretty nice haul for the Ravens after just one season. While it’s often silly to judge a team’s draft after any time period less than three years, it’s already evident that at least 2-3 of these guys have a great chance of paying huge dividends for years to come.

Next: Five Later Round Receivers the Ravens Should Target

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