Baltimore Ravens’ general manager Ozzie Newsome and his staff orchestrated one of the most successful NFL drafts in 2013.
It couldn’t have come at a better time.
The Ravens lost defensive leaders Ray Lewis to retirement and Ed Reed to the Houston Texans, among a host of additional integral players. Safety, inside linebacker and depth in the trenches were three significant need areas.
Just when NFL pundits labeled Baltimore as a mere fringe playoff team following the free-agent departures, Newsome came roaring back with a vengeance. He meticulously plotted a course that facilitated need satisfaction and high value selections.
Pick No. 32 all the way down to No. 247 in the seventh round proved as much.
Let’s highlight the 10 acquisitions and give an overall grade for the Ravens’ 2013 draft class.
Round 1 (No. 32 Overall): Matt Elam, Safety, Florida
The safety position was none too safe after a free-agency period that totally gutted Baltimore’s secondary.
Both Reed and Bernard Pollard will no longer be sporting the Purple and Black come September. Reed signed with Houston, while Pollard landed with the Tennessee Titans following his release.
After signing Michael Huff away from the Oakland Raiders, the Ravens needed a high-impact player at free safety.
Enter, Matt Elam—Florida’s hard-hitting defensive back and one of the premier safeties in this year’s class. Elam is a sure tackler who inflicts pain to ball carriers in the box. He possesses good range and fluidity in coverage as well.
Most importantly, Elam is pro ready. He’ll fit in perfectly with the Raven’s identity and coordinator Dean Pee’s schemes on defense.
The 5’10’’, 208-pounder brought appropriate value at the end of the first. He easily could have gone higher in the opening round.
Round 2 (No. 56 Overall): Arthur Brown, Linebacker, Kansas State
Numerous analysts deemed inside linebacker as the area of greatest need for Baltimore.
Franchise all-timer Ray Lewis retired and third-leading sack-man Dannell Ellerbe joined the Miami Dolphins. It was fair to say that the middle of the gridiron would be wide open for opposing offenses.
Compounding the situation was Newsome passing on Manti Te’o with the team’s first-round pick. Would another starting-caliber backer be available later in the draft, questioned many outside observers?
Sure enough, Baltimore’s impressive GM landed Arthur Brown with pick No. 56, another player worthy of a higher selection.
Brown is a sideline-to-sideline coverage linebacker who tracks ball carriers very well in space. He understands both inside and outside responsibilities from his experience at Kansas State.
Like Elam, Brown is capable of starting in Week 1. The Ravens will surely call on him to do so.
Newsome fulfilled the team’s top two needs with its first two picks, culling fantastic value in the process.
Round 3 (No. 94 Overall): Brandon Williams, Defensive Tackle, Missouri Southern State
Here’s a question: What helped enable Ray Lewis to operate as effectively as he did?
Answer: A front three composed of athletic space-eating linemen that occupy opposing blockers up front.
Haloti Ngata, Arthur Jones and Terrence Cody are the Raven’s top defensive tackles currently with the team. Taking the 6’1’’, 335-pound Brandon Williams bolsters that positional corps for years to come.
Williams is extremely versatile as a DT who can align himself anywhere on the line. He’ll provide that interior push against the run and as an underrated pass-rusher. Fellow rookie Brown will serve to benefit playing behind him.
The Missouri Southern State product also had a late-second to early-third-round grade. Grabbing him at No. 94 at the end of the third was yet another tremendous value selection for the Newsome-led front office.
Round 4 (No. 129 Overall): John Simon, Defensive End, Ohio State
Round 4 (No. 130 Overall): Kyle Juszczyk, Fullback, Harvard
John Simon is a passionate high-motor defender. He will provide more pass-rush capability and run support from the outside as a 3-4 OLB. His 16 sacks and 30.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons are testament to that ability.
Kyle Juszczyk will infuse creativity into the Ravens’ offensive play calling. He is a strong blocking fullback with proficiency as a pass-catcher coming out of the backfield and in the slot. He’ll serve as a great No. 2 behind Vontae Leach and H-back weapon.
Round 5 (No. 168 Overall): Ricky Wagner, Offensive Tackle, Wisconsin
Round 6 (No. 200 Overall): Kapron Lewis-Moore, Defensive End, Notre Dame
Round 6 (No. 203 Overall): Ryan Jensen, Offensive Guard, Colorado State-Pueblo
We lump the fifth- and sixth-round selections together because of the needs they satisfy.
Ricky Wagner and Ryan Jensen bring quality depth to the offensive line. Both were potentially higher-round prospects, making their draft positions good value picks. Wagner may have a tougher road ahead, but Jensen seems primed for an interior role sooner rather than later.
Kapron Lewis-Moore’s draft stock suffered due to a knee injury incurred against Alabama in the BCS championship. He offers depth to the other side of the line and has a chance to develop into an effective rotational player. He totaled 180 tackles, 22 for loss, 12 sacks and five forced fumbles in his four-year Notre Dame career.
Round 7 (No. 238): Aaron Mellette, Wide Receiver, Elon
Round 7 (No. 247): Marc Anthony, Cornerback, California
True to form, Newsome drafted for maximum value with Baltimore’s final two picks.
Aaron Mellette is big-bodied wideout who dominated the lower-division ranks at Elon. His best seasons included 1,639 yards receiving in 2011 and 18 touchdowns in 2012. Over his last three seasons, he accrued 4,147 yards, 42 TDs and 14.0 yards per reception.
Mellette, 6’3’’, 217 pounds, was projected as high as the fifth round. He may eventually help account for the loss of Anquan Boldin.
Lastly, Marc Anthony is a late-fourth to early-fifth-round talent acquired in the seventh. His best season came in 2012 when he notched 7.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups and one touchdown.
Anthony might see time in dime- and sub-packages if he excels on special teams. The Ravens lost interception-leader Cary Williams to free agency and need depth on the lower end.
Overall Grade: A-