Baltimore Ravens - AFC North

Baltimore Ravens - AFC North, 2008 Draft Selections & Prospects

Baltimore Ravens

The Draft Was ... Filled with second-tier prospects. The Ravens filled several holes and had plenty of picks to play around with, but they kept getting players with major question marks. Is Joe Flacco really a QB to build a team around? Ray Rice is a great RB pickup, but they already have Willis McGahee. There isn't an obvious ten-year starter in the lot.
Best Value Pick: Allen Patrick, RB Oklahoma. 7th round. Considering Baltimore used a second rounder on Rice, getting a speedy, change-of-pace back like Patrick late was an interesting flier. It wouldn't have been a shock if the former Sooner had gone in the fourth round.
Biggest Reach: Joe Flacco, QB Delaware. 1st round. With his arm and size, the upside is there to be the best quarterback in the draft, but that's not really saying too much; this could be a very, very overrated lot of passers. Ray Rice was taken one pick ahead of Brian Brohm and Chad Henne; Flacco might turn out to have been a calculated gamble gone wrong.
They Should've ... Gotten more defensive help. This was a corner-rich draft. Baltimore needed one and didn't get one. The defensive line wasn't addressed, either.

#	Pick
18	18	1st Round (from Houston)  Joe Flacco, QB Delaware The hot prospect coming out of the off-season workouts, the 6-6, 232-pound bomber has the best arm of anyone in the draft and it's not even a debate. While he might not have JaMarcus Russell's cannon, he can fit the ball into any space, anywhere on the field. The biggest question will be his consistency which was a big problem in his workouts and will be an even bigger issue under pressure. He can't move, doesn't have a quick release, and will be a sitting duck at times unless he can make quicker reads and can get the ball out of his hands. If he has the tools around him, especially a killer pair of tackles to provide protection, he could be a superstar. If he has make everyone around him better, it's not going to happen. CFN Projection: Second Round   CFN Position Rank: 6

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2nd Round (from Seattle)  Ray Rice, RB Rutgers It all depends on how much of a chance someone is willing to give him. Rice has a lot of tread on the tires. A LOT. On the plus side, he proved he could handle a big workload and was ultra-durable. However, if you're a believer that a back only has so many carries in him, the 935 total touches in three years at Rutgers might mean a short shelf live. Who cares about five years from now? For the next few seasons, Rice could turn into a productive, consistent runner at a high level if he's allowed to pound away. His size, around 5-8, could be a positive as he'll dart in and out of the line behind his big blockers. Much faster than he looked on the field, he has the speed to hit the home run, but that's just gravy. He'll be a consistent positive-yardage machine if he's a featured back for a stretch. He's not the type to get a few carries here and there; he'll need a few series here and there. CFN Projection: Late Second Round   CFN Position Rank: 6

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3rd Round (from San Francisco)    Tavares Gooden, LB Miami With excellent size to play inside or our, the athleticism to be a disruptive force in the right system, and coming off a productive year on a bad team, Gooden has the potential to be a great pro. The problem is that he'll need time and coaching. He made a lot of tackles being moved inside in his senior season, but he has to be on the outside in the NFL. Is he tough enough and can he handle an NFL playbook? There are just enough question marks to keep him from being a sure-thing starter. CFN Projection: Late Second Round to Early Third Round   CFN Position Rank: 17

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3rd Round (from trade)    Tom Zbikowski, SS Notre Dame The ultimate tough guy, he was a four-year starter and a good leader for an Irish defense that was miserable at times before coming through with an underappreciated 2007. He's a good punt returner who always makes something happen, and he's a huge hitter against the run. The problem is his pass coverage ability; he doesn't have any. He needs to be in a secondary with some really good corners. CFN Projection: Fourth Round   CFN Position Rank: 8

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3rd Round  Oniel Cousins, OT/OG UTEP If he can play as big as he looks, and if he can get a few years to develop, the upside is there. But he's a risk; a massive one. Originally a defensive lineman, he was good when he didn't have to use his feet and could simply hit someone, but he struggled in a big way when given a shot on the left side. The athleticism is there and the size could make him a guard if need be, but he's a prospect and is far from a finished product. CFN Projection: Third Round   CFN Position Rank: 8 (as an OT)

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4th Round  Marcus Smith, WR New Mexico With a good combination of size and speed, he's a nice all-around prospect who can make plays deep and also make things happen on short to intermediate routes. While he wasn't quite the deep threat as a senior he was as a junior, he was more reliable, caught 38 more passes, and produced against the better defensive backs when he had a shot. He'll need to be in the right system and in the right situation to stick around, but there's a good chance he could grow into a special teams/third receiver role. CFN Projection: Fifth Round   CFN Position Rank: 17

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4th Round   David Hale, OT Weber State There are a ton of warning flags. He has a back problem, is a bit too old having served two years on a Church mission, and he didn't really do much against the top shelf players, but he's a potential player. While he's just not talented enough to start, he has good size, will battle, and was terrific for Weber State. He'll be tough to cut. CFN Projection: Sixth Round to Seventh Round   CFN Position Rank: 25

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6th Round  Haruki Nakamura, S Cincinnati Undersized and not that fast, but ultra-productive, he's simply a football player. Watch tape of him and he'll look like a world-beater, but he doesn't have NFL measurables or ability. A nasty run stopper for his size, and a tough producer who'll do anything needed, he'll be tough to cut. CFN Projection: Free Agent   CFN Position Rank: NR

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7th Round  Justin Harper, WR Virginia Tech With 6-3, 220-pound size and decent speed, he has the package of goods, but it never came together on a consistent basis at the collegiate level. Not a big fan of contact, he doesn't use his size as well as he should and he isn't polished as a receiver. He doesn't do any one thing at an NFL level and is purely a prospect on his measurables. CFN Projection: Free Agent   CFN Position Rank: NR

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7th Round  Allen Patrick, RB Oklahoma Supremely quick with an extra gear he can get to in a hurry. While he's not all that big, he's not afraid to take a bit of a pounding. That's a positive and a negative since he doesn't have the body to take a full-time NFL workload. If he's asked to find a hole and run through it, he'll shine. If he's asked to be a starter for any stretch of time, he won't be able to hold up and will get worse as the game goes on. CFN Projection: Fourth Round  CFN Position Rank: 18