In football and in life, wants and needs are relative terms often used interchangeably when they shouldnโt be.
As weโre finally two weeks away from the NFL draft, the line between those wants and needs has been blurred by the saturation of too many mock drafts as well as the attempt to decipher the truths, half-truths, and outright lies told by executives around the league.
We all know the Ravens will take the โbest player availableโ and will โstay true to the boardโ over the three-day event, but itโs difficult to recall a time in recent years when theyโve had this many apparent needs going into the draft. With all significant free-agent activity over, below is a look at which positions remain real needs and which ones are merely wants.
Wide receiver โ NEED
Skinny: Iโd be more inclined to buy into the hype about Kamar Aiken, Marlon Brown, and Michael Campanaro if this werenโt the same organization that thought it could find a starting receiver among Jacoby Jones, Deonte Thompson, and Tandon Doss two years ago. The trio of young receivers do show promise, but a team with Super Bowl aspirations canโt count on two former undrafted free agents and a 2014 seventh-round selection to be enough opposite veteran Steve Smith. The Ravens have done too good a job trying to convince everyone that they donโt need a receiver for them not to take one early, whether itโs a Jaelen Strong or Breshad Perriman in the first round or coming away with a wideout like Devin Smith or Devin Funchess in the second round.
Pass rusher โ WANT
Skinny: Make no mistake, this one likely tops their list of wants, but the Ravens arenโt doomed if they donโt find a replacement for Pernell McPhee, who was a unique talent but not always consistent in his four years in Baltimore. Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil are still a formidable duo while Timmy Jernigan looks like a perfect candidate to help pick up the slack with some of the inside pressure that McPhee was so good at applying. The Ravens hope defensive end Brent Urban can also be part of that pass-rush equation, but he will need to prove heโs healthy. Perhaps outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw finally seizes the opportunity to rush the quarterback more often, but heโs never shown a consistent ability to do it at the NFL level.
Tight end โ NEED
Skinny: Even if Dennis Pitta returns to football or Crockett Gillmore is ready to become a starter, another tight end is needed if the offense is serious about continuing to use the same system installed by former coordinator Gary Kubiak last season. The problem will be trying to find one as Minnesotaโs Maxx Williams or Miamiโs Clive Walford would be a reach at 26th overall, but both could be gone by the time the Ravensโ second-round pick rolls around. There are a few other decent mid-round options such as Ohio Stateโs Jeff Heuerman, Florida Stateโs Nick OโLeary, or even Penn Stateโs Jesse James, but none of the aforementioned prospects scream immediate starter, which will put substantial pressure on Gillmore going into the 2015 season if the Ravens donโt add another veteran.
Running back โ WANT
Skinny: Thereโs been plenty of conjecture about the Ravens selecting Wisconsinโs Melvin Gordon or Georgiaโs Todd Gurley in the first round, but youโll have a tough time convincing me thereโs enough value there unless either rapidly becomes one of the top four or five backs in the NFL. The release of Bernard Pierce shouldnโt faze anyone considering he was a major disappointment over the last two years anyway. The combination of Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro is enough with such a formidable offensive line in front of them. With an eye toward the future, the Ravens will still have a good chance to grab a solid back in the middle rounds such as Northern Iowaโs David Johnson, Michigan Stateโs Jeremy Langford, or Alabamaโs T.J. Yeldon, but itโs not the pressing need some have made it out to be.
Cornerback โ NEED
Skinny: Thereโs validity to general manager Ozzie Newsomeโs assessment that the position will be in better shape with the return of Jimmy Smith, but letโs not pretend the pass defense was playing that well before his injury last year. Rashaan Melvin showed promise as a solid depth corner, but neither he nor Asa Jackson โ who will be coming off a knee injury and wasnโt very good when he played in 2014 anyway โ should be penciled in as a No. 3-caliber corner. With Smith having a history of injuries and Lardarius Webb turning 30 this season, the Ravens are again begging for trouble if they put too much confidence in their current cast of corners. If itโs not a first-round talent such as Kevin Johnson or Marcus Peters, a second-round corner such as Quinten Rollins or Ronald Darby would be quite desirable.
Interior offensive lineman โ WANT
Skinny: Center Jeremy Zuttah had offseason hip surgery and guards Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele are scheduled to become free agents next winter, making it a slam dunk that the Ravens would like to add another interior lineman to go with 2014 fifth-round choice John Urschel. It isnโt a necessity for 2015, but Newsome could find himself in a tough spot a year from now if the Ravens donโt pick up a lineman in the middle-to-late rounds this year.
Defensive tackle โ WANT
Skinny: Even if Timmy Jernigan is ready to step into the gigantic shoes left behind by Haloti Ngata, the Ravens lack an obvious backup to swing between the 3-technique and Brandon Williamsโ nose tackle spot, which could be an issue if they donโt add a bulky defensive lineman. A mid-to-late-round talent with upside such as Ellis McCarthy of UCLA would make a lot of sense to give the defensive line a boost in short-yardage situations.
Safety โ WANT
Skinny: Not that the combination of Will Hill and the newly-signed Kendrick Lewis will make anyone forget about Ed Reed, but there just arenโt any safeties in this draft beyond Landon Collins of Alabama who represent a clear upgrade over what the Ravens already have. The return of 2014 third-round pick Terrence Brooks from the knee injury he suffered late last year will be an improvement over anything else they would likely come away with in this draft.
Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
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