There is one prospect that could fall to the Baltimore Ravens that we shouldn’t ignore and that’s Reuben Foster:
Reuben Foster is on the Baltimore Ravens radar, this I promise you. Foster is one of the best linebacker prospects to come out of Alabama in recent memory and that’s saying something. The football powerhouse has given the NFL players like Dont’a Hightower and the Ravens’ C.J. Mosley. Ozzie Newsome is also noted to have an affinity for players from Alabama.
I remember the 2014 NFL Draft like it was yesterday. The Ravens had the 17th pick and many Ravens fans were hoping the Alabama connection with Newsome would give the Ravens Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Instead, the Ravens took Mosley. I had Mosley ranked as my seventh best player and I was surprised that he fell to Baltimore’s spot in the draft. Guess where I have Foster ranked? I have him as the sixth best player on the board.
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Foster is a special talent, but he could fall to the Ravens. He has some off the field concerns that may scare other teams away. You may remember that he got kicked out of the NFL Scouting Combine. Most experts still see Foster as a top 10 pick, but he could fall. If a couple of teams take a quarterback and a couple of teams that need a linebacker decide to tackle that position in a later round, Foster is there.
Not The Ravens Biggest Need:
With the injury forced retirement of Zach Orr, you can make the case that Foster would fill a need for the Ravens defense. Wide receiver, outside linebacker, right tackle and center seem like greater needs but Newsome takes the best player available. Foster is a top 10 talent. If he is there at 16, would you really be surprised if Newsome and company took him?
In 2014, Clinton-Dix would have addressed a much bigger need than Mosley. The Ravens went with the better overall player. I could see Foster falling to the 16th pick. Him and Mosley would be an epic combination. That being said, the Ravens have to address other needs.
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I bring this up as a cautionary tale. The Ravens have to get a wide receiver. They have nobody to help Joe Flacco. They have to get offensive line help; protecting Flacco is important too. The offense should be the priority. If the Ravens go defense in round one, Foster would be a great pick, but not the right one. The Ravens need pass rush help and cornerback is still in play.