After rounds one, two and three, here is where the Baltimore Ravens make their money. This is my plan for what they should do.
The biggest problem people have with Ravens’ general manager Ozzie Newsome is that he hasn’t hit in the early rounds enough. That is a fair criticism, as he has struggled in the second, third round and even the first as of recently. However, what a lot of people seem to forget is how good he has been in the later rounds. Day 3 of the NFL draft has been Ozzie’s bread and butter. So going into day 3, let’s see a few selections the Ravens might take a shot at with the 114th overall pick.
Offense
Michael Gallup, WR, Colorado State; 6’1″, 200 lbs
Strengths: Reliable, Good route runner
Weaknesses: Big-play ability
Must Read: 5 Baltimore Ravens who took a step forward this season
Pretty much every receiver I want the Ravens to get has reliable hands. Fans are sick of seeing dropped balls. The Ravens need to focus on guys that can run good routes and do the most important thing a wide receiver can do: catch the ball. There are no changes here as Gallup is a great target for Flacco to have. He has a really good frame and good hands.
Jeremy Maclin is most likely going to be cut, and its possible Breshad Perriman is in danger of the same fate. Therefore, it is possible that the only receiver that returns from the roster last year is Chris Moore. Needless to say, the Ravens need to be looking at a lot of receivers. Gallup can be an excellent player for this Ravens offense.
Antonio Callaway, WR, Florida; 5’11”, 200 lbs
Strengths: First-round talent; Extremely fast
Weaknesses: Stays in trouble
I don’t like this one, as Callaway is a bad thing waiting to happen. This guy has All-Pro talent, but he just can’t seem to stop doing bad things. He has failed multiple drug tests and is also facing felony charges for stealing his teammates’ credit cards. However, Baltimore has shown it is a place that can set guys straight. They aren’t afraid to take chances on guys that have been in trouble because of their faith in their coaching staff and players to keep them out of trouble.
If they feel like Callaway is worth the risk, he would be an excellent player on the field. There have been comparisons to Antonio Brown if that doesn’t tell you how special this guy can be. But the Ravens need to hit on this draft, so they better be 100 percent sure they can count on Callaway to stay out of trouble because he will instantly contribute.
Defense
Marquis Haynes, OLB, Mississippi; 6’3″, 222 lbs
Strengths: Very quick; tough to block
Weaknesses: Thin frame; only a 3rd down guy
Next: Baltimore Ravens blame game: A players problem or a coaching problem?
The Ravens pass rush fizzled out late in the season. Terrell Suggs is aging and the Ravens don’t have another real threat on the edge. Haynes is a situational pass-rusher that is extremely quick. He is very hard to stay in front of for offensive linemen and he would abuse right tackles with slow feet. You can never have enough pass rushers on the roster, and Haynes would be a good addition to the young Ravens group.