The Ravens are taking a lineman … aren’t they?

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, April 27, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Baltimore Ravens
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Good teams have bad draft slots. That's the way it works in the NFL.

And so while it's generally conceded that the Baltimore Ravens are going to take an offensive lineman with the 29th pick of the first round on Saturday, the details depend upon what happens above them.

Wisconsin's Joe Thomas, universally anointed the best offensive tackle in the draft, will be long gone by the time Baltimore chooses. Ditto Levi Brown of Penn State, and Central Michigan's Joe Staley could be off the board, as well.

But that will still leave a few intriguing prospects, most notably guard Justin Blalock of Texas, center Ryan Kalil of Southern Cal and tackle Tony Ugoh of Arkansas, with Tennessee's Arron Sears and Auburn's Ben Grubbs also possibilities.

Of course, one factor that always gets ignored in mock drafts are the incumbent substitutes. Instead, we hear that Player X is (leaving via free agency, retiring, hurt), and so the team needs to draft someone to replace him.

And it's true that starting Ravens guards Tony Pashos and Edwin Mulitalo are gone, and longtime left tackle Jonathan Ogden is seriously contemplating retirement. But what about young linemen Chris Chester, Jason Brown and Adam Terry, all of whom started at one time or another last season? With one or two years beneath their ample belts, would they be further ahead than a platoon of rookies?

Maybe, but Baltimore still needs depth -- even if Ogden finally decides what he's going to do.

With that in mind, Blalock might be the most intriguing pick. He's NFL-sized (6-foot-4, 329 pounds), versatile (he can play either guard or tackle), intelligent and durable (he became the first Longhorn to start 50 consecutive games). Plus, he's rumored to have a mean streak on the field.

Incumbent center Mike Flynn is 32, however, and Southern Cal's Kalil is regarded as one of the more technically skilled linemen available.

Ugoh and Sears could also play both guard and tackle. If the 6-6, 306-pound Staley falls that far, however, he would be tough to pass on. A former tight end, he runs a sub-4.8 40 and has the most impressive athleticism of any lineman besides Thomas.

All of which would seem to make Baltimore one of the most predictable teams on draft day. But General Manager Ozzie Newsome isn't buying it.

"We do not, especially on the first day of the draft, factor in need," he said.

We'll see.

Get original Baltimore Ravens draft coverage at RealFootball365.com
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