Matt Elam Named Baltimore Ravens Biggest Draft Bust

ESPN put together a list of the biggest disappointment in the NFL Draft; Matt Elam is on the list for the Ravens biggest bust:

Matt Elam was drafted in 2013 and he never panned out. When he wasn’t hurt he was bad. There is no doubt that he is a big draft bust. Last year I looked at the five worst draft picks in Ravens history, and I argued that Kyle Boller and Travis Taylor were bigger disappointments for the Baltimore Ravens.

Kyle Boller was taken with the 19th pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. The Ravens got it wrong and it was obvious. The Ravens were set back for years at the quarterback position. Trading for Steve McNair gave Ravens fans some relief at the quarterback position, but Boller kept getting forced on to the field. In 2007 Boller and Troy Smith were seemingly competing for the worst quarterback award. The Ravens finally got a franchise quarterback in 2008 when they drafted Joe Flacco, but imagine if the Ravens had to go through the Boller era.

Travis Taylor was a top 10 pick. That was a real setback for the Ravens. They took a receiver in the top 10 who never had a 1,000 yard season. I would argue that while Matt Elam is a horrible draft pick for the Ravens, nothing could top the frustration Boller put the fan base through.

Here is the case that Jamison Hensley made in the ESPN article:

"“Selected three months after the Ravens won the Super Bowl, Elam started 26 games before being benched midway through his second season. He struggled to cover receivers deep and make tackles. Of all the 21 players selected in the first round by the Ravens, no one disappointed quite like Elam.”"

Elam was such a good player for the Florida Gators, that the pick made sense at the time. Elam was a productive player who made plays all over the field. He had five sacks and six interceptions in his collegiate career. It just never clicked on the next level and the Ravens paid the price.

The Ravens have missed the playoffs for three of the past four seasons. One of the biggest problems the Ravens had during the uninspiring stretch has been the secondary. The Ravens spent good money on the safety position in the past two offseasons, signing Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson. Years later, the Ravens have solved the problem they were trying to fix when they drafted Elam.

The Bottom Line:

You can surely make an argument that Elam is the worst work Ozzie Newsome ever did in the NFL Draft. Elam was horrible. I think confidence had a lot to do with it. He never got on a roll and he played flat footed and slow. He was always in the wrong position to make a play.

Next: Top 3 Draft Busts In Ravens History

The Ravens have a lot of good draft memories. One thing is sure, Matt Elam wasn’t one of them. I Elam was selected at the end of the first round. It’s still hard to blame Mr. Hensley for putting him on ESPN’s list of the 32 biggest draft busts.

Home/Ravens Draft