As everyone knows, the 2015 NFL Draft has come to a close, and Last Word On Sports continues its series on the 2015 NFL Draft. Today, the Baltimore Ravens are under the microscope. Here’s who they selected:
First Round, 26th Overall – Breshad Perriman, wide receiver, Central Florida
Second Round, 55th Overall – Maxx Williams, tight end, Minnesota
Third Round, 90th Overall – Carl Davis, defensive tackle, Iowa
Fourth Round, 122nd Overall – Za’Darius Smith, defensive end, Kentucky
Fourth Round, 125th Overall – Javorius Allen, running back, Southern California
Fourth Round, 136th Overall – Tray Walker, cornerback, Texas Southern
Fifth Round, 171st Overall – Nick Boyle, tight end, Delaware
Fifth Round, 176th Overall –Robert Myers, offensive guard, Tennessee State
Sixth Round, 204th Overall – Darren Waller, wide receiver, Georgia Tech
Baltimore Ravens 2015 NFL Draft Review
Best Player: Maxx Williams
With the departure of veteran Owen Daniels, and the fact that Dennis Pitta has not proven he can stay healthy, it was obvious the Ravens needed help at tight end. They got help in a big way. Maxx Williams was the highest ranked player at the position in the draft. At 6’4″ 250 pounds, he is more than capable of jumping right into the starting lineup. Williams will probably play two tight end and goal line sets unless Pitta gets hurt, which is a real possibility.
The Head-Scratcher: Breshad Perriman
It is obvious the Ravens needed a receiver, as Torrey Smith signed with San Francisco, but why Perriman? There was plenty of talent at the position at this point in the draft. Dorial Green-Beckham and Jaelen Strong were still on the board. One of these two guys should have been the obvious pick. It seems like the Ravens really liked Smith, so they drafted a player similar to him with this pick. He is tall and super fast, but can he do anything else? The Ravens seem to be one of the better drafting teams in the league. It’s probably best to believe they knew what they were doing.
The Surprise: Javorius Allen
Javorius Allen is a good back. There is no surprise there. The surprise comes when you think about the Ravens backfield. They already have Justin Forsett, who had a spectacular season a year ago. Last season, they drafted Lorenzo Taliaferro and he proved he can play in the NFL. It seems the Ravens still felt like they needed more depth at the position with the loss of Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce, but they didn’t have either one of them last year either. Everyone knows what happened to Rice, and Pierce was terrible.
The Steal: Carl Davis
Carl Davis should have went late in the first round. He was one of the best defensive tackles in the draft, but he fell to the third round. What a steal. The Ravens needed someone at this position after sending Haloti Ngata to the Lions for a fourth and fifth round pick. Now that was the head scratcher. Anyways, now they have Carl Davis. He is angry about falling, and should have a chip on his shoulder going into training camp. I am sure the Ravens love angry defensive tackles.
Most Likely to Turn Heads in Training Camp: Tray Walker
Tray Walker is a big, strong corner and he is excellent in press coverage. He can shut down anyone in the first ten yards of a play. He may have trouble covering the deep ball if the receiver gets a clean break because of his lack of speed, but the defensive-minded Ravens knew what they were getting. They will also know how to use Walker.
The Rest
Za’Darius Smith makes up for his lack of size by playing like a possessed man at the defensive end position. He goes 100 miles per hour all game long. Nick Boyle added more depth to the tight end position just in case Pitta goes down again. Robert Myers is a technique guy on the offensive line who proved he could hold his own with top level competition at the Senior Bowl. Darren Waller added depth at receiver, which the Ravens are always in need of.
Bottom Line
The Ravens had another great draft. They have proven year after year that they are the best drafting team in the league, and, likely, there will be no one arguing against that point this year. They made great selections all the way down. There was just one head scratcher move, and that came in the first round. Besides that, the Ravens seemed to be flawless as they filled the biggest positions of need (defensive tackle and tight end) with top talent. However, it is hard to give the Ravens a perfect 10 since they passed on top receivers to draft Breshad Perriman.
Overall Grade: 9/10
Check out our other draft reviews here.
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