2015 NFL Mock Draft: Baltimore Ravens Select…

By Brett Foote | Jan 21, 2015

January 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive back P.J. Williams (26) in defense position against the Oregon Ducks in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not exactly a surprise that cornerback remains the Ravens’ top position of need, so it should also come as no surprise that many mock drafters will be predicting that the team spends a high pick on that very position. Though Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome is known to draft with a best player available philosophy, he shouldn’t pass on the opportunity to take a high ceiling corner if one falls into his lap with the 26th pick.

One possibility for Ozzie is Florida State corner P.J. Williams, and it is the pick made by Sayre Bedinger over at our fellow FanSided site, NFL Mocks. Bedinger’s explains his logic for the pick.

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"The Ravens need an upgrade at cornerback, and Williams is a player with a ton of experience and the type of pedigree that Ozzie Newsome loves in his draft picks. He was the MVP of the National Championship game a couple of seasons ago when Florida State took down Auburn."

The Ravens went into 2014 with a thin secondary, and injuries completely decimated the unit to the point where the team was seemingly signing at least one street free agent per week. Couple that with Jimmy Smith’s tricky Lisfranc injury and the decline (and untenable 2015 salary cap hit) of Lardarius Webb, and you’ve got a murky situation headed into 2015 as well.

I have said before that the Ravens need to draft at least one corner and sign a decent free agent as well, so I like the fact that Bedinger goes after the position here. I also like Williams’ experience and pedigree after playing at a winning school and in some big time games (a la C.J. Mosley). His size and speed combo makes him worthy of a high pick, and he has a skill set that translates nicely to the pros.

Though he is in neither Rob Rang or Dane Brugler’s mock first round draft at CBS Sports, Williams does land at number 23 on Rang’s big board. Both highlight his impressive combination of speed, physicality, and fluidity which makes him an ideal outside corner prospect for NFL teams. Williams had success against some of the best wide receivers in college football throughout his career and is a solid tackler as well.

Williams’ downside is that he has shown a tendency to be too aggressive at times, giving up big plays when he jumps routes while attempting to create turnovers. He has also missed a few tackles in run support and could stand to improve in that area. These are relatively minor grievances considering his reputation as a difference maker with a knack for making plays on the ball.

Check out the full first round mock draft on NFL Mocks.

Are you happy with the pick, or do you think the Ravens should have gone in a different direction based on how the first 25 picks played out?

Next: Mel Kiper's Mock Draft 1.0 Has Ravens Drafting Wide Receiver

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