2015 NFL Mock Draft: Baltimore Ravens Back to Dorial Green-Beckham

Dec 7, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (15) runs for a touchdown pass against Auburn Tigers defensive back Ryan Smith (24) during the second quarter of the 2013 SEC Championship game at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

There are a lot of people around the interwebs projecting wide receivers to the Baltimore Ravens in their 2015 NFL mock drafts. And for good reason, especially after the team let Torrey Smith move on to (much) greener pastures in free agency. With a diminutive Steve Smith and some average/unproven talent behind him, this team sorely needs a guy who can catch passes from Joe Flacco and make magic happen afterwards.

The problem is, there may not be a guy worthy of a first round pick left on the board by the time the Ravens pick at 26. One possibility, as we have discussed many times before, is former Missouri Tiger and Calvin Johnson clone Dorial Green-Beckham. DGB has the size, speed, and physical tools to be a big time wide receiver in the NFL. He also has some baggage that will likely scare away several potential suitors.

That didn’t stop Josh Sanchez from making DGB the pick for the Ravens in his latest, pre-free agency mock draft. Sanchez gave the following reasoning to justify the pick.

"The Baltimore Ravens could benefit from adding more weapons to the offense. While Green-Beckham may have his fair share of concerns off the field, there is no denying the fact that he is one of the most talented players on the field in terms of pure talent in this year’s draft."

There’s just one itty bitty problem: Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome flat out told the press that the team would take any player with a history of domestic violence off its draft board completely. And DGB was investigated last spring for allegedly pushing a woman down a flight of stairs. While he was not arrested, as ESPN reports, this was the result of witnesses fearing retaliation.

Whether or not that explanation is good enough for the Ravens to overlook his case remains to be seen. I have my doubts that the team wants to take on anybody with these sort of accusations after the ugly disaster that was the Ray Rice incident. No matter how much world changing talent Dorial Green-Beckham has, his past could make him toxic to a team whose image is already tarnished.

Next: Letting Torrey Smith walk was the right move

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