Draft Day decision makers: Baltimore Ravens
The NFL Draft for the Baltimore Ravens is the Ozzie Newsome show, and why shouldn’t it be. The first two draft picks this cat made went on to be future Hall of Fame players. This is a guy who has turned picking in the first round, especially the second half of the first round, into an art form. He has the final say all personnel issues, but is joined in the Ravens war room by VP of Football Administration Pat Moriarty, Director of Player Development OJ Brigance, Director of Player Personnel Eric Decosta, and Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz.
This is yet another team that invokes a best player available strategy on draft day, but their scouts are so good at what they do it rarely comes back to bite them. Newsome likes to trade down and stockpile picks, and he may do so in the 2010 NFL draft. He also tends to favor SEC players, especially players from Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee.
Over the past five years the Ravens success in the draft has been well above average. In that time frame they have made 41 draft picks, and have produced 3 pro bowlers. Thirteen of those picks are starters, and fifteen more are backups. Only thirteen of those picks are either out of the league or playing for different teams. That is truly impressive.
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