This just in from The Castle at One Winning Drive in Owings Mills, Maryland….
The Ravens’ official NFL.com bloggers, Mike Duffy and Ryan Mink, have just released their individual 7-Round Mock Draft projections…
With just another 10 days to go before the 2011 Draft, Duffy and Mink give Ravens fans a solid base of speculation…if nothing else, they have ruled out certain draft prospects and include some we may have overlooked as fans.
Yet when all is said and done, as you have undoubtedly heard me say before, the Draft is STILL the ultimate crap shoot… and Duffy and Mink acknowledge this. Plus, if Ozzie Newsome decides to trade up, down… or across the board into 2012… all bets here are off…
With that caveat, here are the “official” Baltimore Ravens 7-Round mock drafts for 2011….
Mike Duffy
Round 1 – No. 26: G/C Mike Pouncey, Florida
The deep class of offensive tackles and defensive linemen in the first round could push a player generally regarded as the best interior offensive linemen in the draft. General Manager Ozzie Newsome won’t be afraid to stick to his best player available mantra, especially with Matt Birk entering his 14th year. And Pouncey’s addition could make the Ravens/Steelers battles more interesting, with his twin, Maurkice, starting in Pittsburgh.
Round 2 – No. 58: OLB Sam Acho, Texas
A high-character guy with multiple Academic All-American awards, Acho has drawn comparisons to Washington Redskins outside linebacker Brian Orakpo. Acho could help provide insurance for former Longhorns teammate Sergio Kindle.
Round 3 – No. 90: WR Greg Little, North Carolina
Tough, durable, competitive – all great attributes for a wide receiver, but Little also possesses great speed and size. He ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at Carolina’s pro day, impressive considering his 6-foot-3, 231-pound frame.
Round 4 – No. 123: CB Curtis Marsh, Utah State
At 6-foot-1, 197 pounds, Marsh is a huge cornerback. And, he ran a blazing 4.42 time in the 40 and posted a 37 ½-inch vertical leap at the combine. Only a one-year starter, Marsh will take some seasoning.
Round 5 – No. 164: DE Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh
Romeus was the Big East’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, but was banged up all last year. Prototypical size with a solid set of skills to match, Romeus must show he is recovered from back surgery
Round 5 – No. 165: RB Jamie Harper, Clemson
A 235-pound bruiser, Harper could complement the shifty Ray Rice and add depth to the Ravens’ backfield. Harper also has value catching the football.
Round 6 – No. 180: DT Martin Parker, Richmond
Parker flew under the radar to Richmond, but the 6-foot-2, 303-pounder grew into his body and into a legitimate NFL prospect. Parker was the Defensive MVP off the East-West Shrine Game with a pair of sacks and a forced fumble.
Round 6 – No. 191: OT Jah Reid, Central Florida
The Ravens could use some depth at tackle, and while Reid is raw, at 6-foot-7, 327 pounds he has solid size. And a nice showing at the combine had people talking about the former 370-pounder’s athleticism.
Round 7 – No. 225: ILB Mike Mohamed, Cal
Smart, productive and durable, Mohamed can really run sideline-to-sideline, which means he can run down the field on special teams, too.
Ryan Mink
Round 1 – No. 26: OT Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State
The Ravens pride themselves on winning in the trenches and want to run the ball and protect Joe Flacco better. Sherrod may be taken at the back of the top tackle group due to his smaller stature (6-foot-5), but that could help against compact rushers like Pittsburgh’s James Harrison. His pass blocking is elite and the rough-and-tough SEC has him ready to contribute now. The Ravens like smart, hard-working, high-character players such as Sherrod.
Round 2 – No. 57: WR Titus Young, Boise State
Baltimore gets its speedy, stretch-the-field receiver. But Young brings more than that. His routes are crisp and hands are soft. The standout Senior Bowl performer could contribute as that deep threat now and perhaps succeed Derrick Mason as a possession, quick-twitch target down the road.
Round 3 – No. 90: CB Johnny Patrick, Louisville
Maturity issues may push Patrick down to the third round, but the talent is there. He is adept at reading quarterbacks’ eyes and breaking on the ball to make interceptions. He also has ideal size at 6-foot-1.
Round 4 – No. 123: ILB Casey Matthews, Oregon
An eventual successor to Ray Lewis? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But like Lewis, Matthews is instinctual, a playmaker and has passion for the game. He could be an immediate special teams standout and add to the pass rush.
Round 5 – No. 164: DE Ricky Elmore, Arizona
By some, Elmore’s viewed as too small to be a 3-4 end and too slow to be an outside linebacker. The Ravens, however, have a knack for finding a position for hustle players like Elmore, who had 21.5 sacks the past two years.
Round 5 – No. 165: RB Stevan Ridley, LSU
At 6-foot-0, 223 pounds, Ridley would be a big, physical complement to Ray Rice. He broke out as a junior, notching 1,147 yards and 15 touchdowns, but doesn’t have much wear and tear with just 306 attempts.
Round 6 – No. 180: WR Cecil Shorts III, Mount Union
The Ravens were impressed by Shorts in their combine interview with him. He’s a do-it-all player who could add to Baltimore’s return game, particularly on punt return, and add some elusiveness at wideout too.
Round 6 – No. 191: C Ryan Bartholomew, Syracuse
While not possessing ideal height or bulk (6-1, 300), Bartholomew is very athletic. He stood out at the combine with 34 bench press reps and a 4.97 40-yard dash, the second-fastest of any offensive lineman at the draft.
Round 7 – No. 225: CB Justin Rogers, Richmond
Rogers finished as the CAA’s leading punt returner and returned kickoffs, which could make him a quick special teams contributor. He interecepted seven passes as a sophomore and ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at his pro day.
Pretty cool…two employees of the Ravens have completely diffferent takes on what the Ravens’ Draft Board will look like come next week… There’s virtually no overlap between the two at any one draft position. It will be interesting to see which one—Duffy or Mink—had the closest prediction. And as we have seen in the past history of any mock draft, just getting 2 out of 9 projections right could qualify as a winning ballot.
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