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General Draft Thoughts

but im not spending a day 1 or high day 2 pick on a player im expecting to be a backup all year unless someone goes down to injury...
You’re misunderstanding. You can only expect so much from Ingram for the long haul, Jonathan Taylor is a likely upgrade and can step right in because Ingram would go against the norm if he were to keep producing the way he did last year
 
I think a defense centered draft is an overrated concept at this point. I like the idea more of making our team impossible to beat, I know that’s not achievable, but our defense works, it has warts but it works, and it doesn’t need great talent up front to work, keep the secondary intact and keep the scheme going, it will still be a quality defense.

now if you add an elite OL to this unit, how much closer to indefensible do we get? Like you said, Ruiz and Taylor, with the defense we had last year, if we had Ruiz and Taylor instead of mekari and a very banged up Ingram, who’s to say the titans even stand a chance?
The warts bother me. We were run on big time last year. Bengals ran on us...Bell had his biggest game on us even being down a ton. Even if we have Campbell, I'm concerned about a 3tech with injury concerns (Wolfe) and a 34 year old in Campbell being the answer for more than a year.
Add to that the abysmal pass rush.
Our secondary isn't just good...they might be all time good. can't stay the same up front.
 
more like medium lol...
i think he's a top of round 4 type guy - not quite someone i'd want end of 3

currently 99th on my big board

by comparison amik robertson is 79th on my board
We’re miles apart on him then. I don’t have a big board, just guys that I’d be ok with taking in whatever range we’re discussing, because I’m lazy, and highsmith, if we took him in the 2nd round, I’d understand, I think he’s a weapon tailor made for wink martindale to unleash upon the world
 
The warts bother me. We were run on big time last year. Bengals ran on us...Bell had his biggest game on us even being down a ton. Even if we have Campbell, I'm concerned about a 3tech with injury concerns (Wolfe) and a 34 year old in Campbell being the answer for more than a year.
Add to that the abysmal pass rush.
Our secondary isn't just good...they might be all time good. can't stay the same up front.
Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m in no way saying to hell with the defense lol, I’m saying that if there is an offensive prospect we see as a superstar vs a defender who is maybe a high floor guy at a position of need, in taking the offensive superstar.

for instance, if mims and epenesa are on the board at 28, I’m sprinting to the podium for mims.
 
We’re miles apart on him then. I don’t have a big board, just guys that I’d be ok with taking in whatever range we’re discussing, because I’m lazy, and highsmith, if we took him in the 2nd round, I’d understand, I think he’s a weapon tailor made for wink martindale to unleash upon the world

im gonna mark him up to go back to the tape and have another look then - have hardly watched him since early in the process (like late january february time)

it does seem like some guys i didnt like early have been much better received the 2nd time around - Bradlee Anae, jabari zuniga, kenny willekes, darrell taylor all got a positive bump

only guy who notably didnt get a bump of the guys i rewatched recently was curtis weaver who i just cant get behind no matter how many times i watch him

so will go back to the highsmith film and report back (my notes from first time around were: lightning off the snap and has great burst and acceleration - unnatural almost, nice bend, flashes the ability to counter, weak at the point of attack and little power in his pass rush moves - shows up in his run defending too... can be technically sound and still lose despite lower level of competition)
 
Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m in no way saying to hell with the defense lol, I’m saying that if there is an offensive prospect we see as a superstar vs a defender who is maybe a high floor guy at a position of need, in taking the offensive superstar.

for instance, if mims and epenesa are on the board at 28, I’m sprinting to the podium for mims.

id be hella conflicted in this hypothetical situation - epenesa is 1 spot ahead of mims on my draft board - but mims is also one of my draft crushes since the beginning of the process
 
id be hella conflicted in this hypothetical situation - epenesa is 1 spot ahead of mims on my draft board - but mims is also one of my draft crushes since the beginning of the process
Out of the two, which one would you be more confident with.. which would could you say for sure, would atleast be a solid player?
 
im gonna mark him up to go back to the tape and have another look then - have hardly watched him since early in the process (like late january february time)

it does seem like some guys i didnt like early have been much better received the 2nd time around - Bradlee Anae, jabari zuniga, kenny willekes, darrell taylor all got a positive bump

only guy who notably didnt get a bump of the guys i rewatched recently was curtis weaver who i just cant get behind no matter how many times i watch him

so will go back to the highsmith film and report back (my notes from first time around were: lightning off the snap and has great burst and acceleration - unnatural almost, nice bend, flashes the ability to counter, weak at the point of attack and little power in his pass rush moves - shows up in his run defending too... can be technically sound and still lose despite lower level of competition)
Accurate write up tbh, those high you listed are extremely high though. I agree his play strength is far from desirable but I’ve noticed he has a knack for ragdolling guys on occasion, he just has a play here and there where the twitch and explosion and momentum all come together for a perfect storm and he ragdolls a blocker with ease. If he can add some functional strength and hone in on whatever that is that he does very sporadically then he could really become something special. My being enamored with him has a lot to do with our defense, many other teams I think I’d be less sold, but he moves so goddamn fast and quick and in control with such great flexibility as he changes direction that I just drool over the though of wink sending him on standup stunts the way he did with ZDS.
Also it’s funny you’ve gotten higher on those guys, I’ve gotten a bit lower on them all lol
 
id be hella conflicted in this hypothetical situation - epenesa is 1 spot ahead of mims on my draft board - but mims is also one of my draft crushes since the beginning of the process
They’re my 1a and 1b at 28, I would consider them right about even in value with the determining factor being that I think I can find a solid edge rusher later, and I’m practically certain you can find not only a solid, but a stud DL later. With wr I think the depth hype of the class is bullshit tbh and if you pass on a mims at 28 you’re not gonna find another star wr, there are solid guys all throughout but mims is a legitimate Julio Jones potential kinda guy, I’m not missing out on what I think he could become because of needs.
 
Ravens had virtual meeting with Terrell Lewis and with Sewo Olonilua (rb out of TCU) according to WF
 
They’re my 1a and 1b at 28, I would consider them right about even in value with the determining factor being that I think I can find a solid edge rusher later, and I’m practically certain you can find not only a solid, but a stud DL later. With wr I think the depth hype of the class is bullshit tbh and if you pass on a mims at 28 you’re not gonna find another star wr, there are solid guys all throughout but mims is a legitimate Julio Jones potential kinda guy, I’m not missing out on what I think he could become because of needs.
Julio who?
 
I’ve had a suspicion for a long time, before these barely-rumors came out, that Terrell Lewis was a very high player on our board. Eric might be done with the mid tier rushers and is ready to swing on a home run guy, you can’t land a superstar at 28 without focusing on upside and seeing through the warts, Lewis might be exactly that case, though I’m far from sold on him.

I feel like I have a good grasp on what the ravens wanna do, I think we leave the first round(or early 2nd because trade back is certainly in the cards) with one of: k’lavon chaisson, aj epenesa, Kenneth Murray, Denzel mims, or Terrell Lewis.

I genuinely would be shocked if we spent our top pick, whether before, at, or after 28, on someone other than those guys.
 
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