Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.Jonathan Ogden retired last summer, leaving the Ravens with a young but deep group of offensive linemen to protect rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. Not surprisingly, Ogden's replacement, Jared Gaither (a former supplementary draft pick) was inconsistent, but occasionally flashed glimpses of big-play potential.
And while left tackle appears to be set, the team's first-round pick last weekend, Michael Oher, will have a legit shot to earn the right tackle gig in training camp. Free-agent pick-up Willie Anderson manned the position for most of last year, and neither he nor 2005 second-rounder Adam Terry are anything more than short-term solutions. Which explains why the Ravens traded up three three spots to No. 23 to grab Oher, considered one of the top offensive linemen in the weeks and months leading up to the draft who apparently slipped because of concerns about his ability to absorb the playbook.
It wasn't enough to keep the Ravens from taking Oher, and I'm sure Flacco appreciated the gesture.
Baltimore used the next three selections to restock a defense that was overhauled this offseason. Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard followed Rex Ryan to New York, Corey Ivy bolted to Cleveland, Chris McAlister was released, and Samari Rolle, on the downside of a solid career, was cut and re-signed for less money.
Former Nicholls St. cornerback Lardarius Webb has the best chance to immediately seeing the field in '09; he's described as a ballhawk, and he's also a threat in the return game.
Running back Cedric Peerman, taken in the seventh round, might be the most under-the-radar pick of the weekend for the Ravens. Football Outsiders' Speed Score stat measures a bunch of variables (including 40-time and weight) to come up with a number that is a pretty good predictor (though not perfect*) of NFL success.
Peerman ranked second in Speed Score for all draft-eligible running backs. At the combine, he weighed 212 pounds and ran a 4.45 40, which makes for an attractive combination of size and speed. Peerman still lasted till the draft's final round because of a physical shortcoming not captured in the Speed Score. Via FO:
Scouts fear that the 7 7/8-inch hands of Peerman will yield too many fumbles as a professional, despite the fact that he fumbled all of four times on 448 touches in college. Maybe the combine is a stupid idea, after all.If nothing else, Peerman gives offensive coordinator Cam Cameron one more weapon coming out of the backfield. And if he pans out, it could be Willis McGahee's last season in Baltimore (and it might be anyway).
Last season, the Ravens weren't expected to contend in the AFC North. They were fresh off a five-win campaign that cost Brian Billick his job, they were starting a rookie quarterback (not to mention a rookie head coach in John Harbaugh), and there was no reason to think that they would be anything other than a young, rebuilding franchise. Instead, the went 11-5 and made it to the conference championship game.
This time around, Baltimore will be preseason favorites to return to the playoffs, and I'm sure some folks will have them winning the division and maybe even the Super Bowl. The offensive line will be in better shape to protect Flacco, who will be a year wiser, but the defense -- for the first time in the history of the franchise -- could be the weak link. Not the starters -- Ray Lewis returns, and Ed Reed is, well Ed Reed (not to mention Haloti Ngata emerging as one of the best nose tackles in football -- but if there are injuries (this is football, there are always injuries), depth will be an issue.
Draft Picks
1 (23) Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
2 (57) Paul Kruger, DE, Utah
3 (88) Lardarius Webb, CB, Nicholls St.
5 (137) Jason Phillips, ILB, TCU
5 (149) Davon Drew, TE, East Carolina
7 (185) Cedric Peerman, RB, Virginia
Grade: B. Oher's a top-flight offensive lineman but the rest of the class might not contribute much early.
* That should be obvious but, well, the fact that I'm mentioning it here...
