Torrey Smith, wide receiver from Maryland, at 6-0 and 200, can really burn it and stretch the field…a nice 2nd round pick by the Ravens at #58…
A decent draft by the Ravens… I give ’em a B+ ….
Amidst a holiday atmosphere of enthusiasm at Radio City Music Hall this past weekend, most Ravens fans I’ve talked with agree: this was a pretty decent draft for the Ravens…and wasn’t it nice to pretend for three days that the NFL was in harmony?
Anyway, here’s how the draft selections went for the Ravens:
1 – Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado (6-2, 211); 2- Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland (6-1, 204); 3- Jah Reid, OT, Central Florida (6-7, 327); 4 – Tandon Doss, WR, Indiana (6-2, 201); 5 – Chykie Brown, CB, Texas (5-11, 190); 5 – Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi State (6-3, 278); 6 – Tyrod Taylor, QB, Virginia Tech (6-1, 217); 7 – Anthony Allen, RB, Georgia Tech (6-0, 228)…
Top Pick Analysis: The Ravens could have a legitimate lockdown corner on their hands in Jimmy Smith, whose size and athletic ability rivals that of Arizona rookie Patrick Peterson, the fifth overall choice in this year’s draft. Smith went 21 spots later because of a litany of character issues that included multiple failed drug (codeine) tests, but Baltimore believes it has the right support system in place to keep him in line.
The Ravens added a needed dose of youth and speed to the receiving corps with the second-round selection of local product Torrey Smith, who should see the field immediately as a No. 3 wideout and return man.
Jah Reid has the skill set to develop into an eventual starter at right tackle, but it’ll take time.
Best Value Pick: Cornerbacks with Jimmy Smith’s tools are hard to find, and he’ll be well worth the initial headaches that Ravens fans experienced with his selection if he’s able to stay out of trouble.
Biggest surprise: It seems the Ravens used most of their mid-round picks on raw players that are a long away from contributing quickly or consistently, a somewhat surprising tactic for a team that believes it’s close to reaching the Super Bowl.
Summary: The true measure of this class will be revealed down the road, as Jah Reid (OT), Tandon Doss (WR) and Chykie Brown (CB) are project players that probably won’t see much time as rookies… but the Ravens did pretty well by landing the two Smiths—Jimmy and Torrey.
FINAL GRADE: B+
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