2011 Daily Norseman Community Mock Draft - Baltimore Ravens

The mock Seattle Seahawks (the Seamocks?) have made their mock pick. Mock Roger Goodell finishes up his mock working lunch with the mock owners, where they discussed how they're going to screw over mock retired players with terrible mock benefits, and heads to the mock podium:

"With the twenty-fifth pick in the 2011 Daily Norseman Community Mock Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select..."

"...Ryan Mallett, quarterback from Arkansas."

Not a huge surprise here. Seattle needs a Quarterback of the Future and Mallett probably has the best chance of becoming that out of the available QBs. Ideally, he'll be able to learn behind Matt Hasselbeck for a season or two (at least for the games that Hasselbeck isn't hurt) and get a chance to improve his maturity (or lack thereof) both on and off the field while he's learning. Mallett is a high risk/high reward player no matter where he ends up, but I think Seattle could provide a good environment for tipping the scales towards the positive end.

As an aside, I must say that through 25 picks, you guys have done an excellent job selecting draft picks. I've agreed with nearly every pick our readers have made...except of course THE PICK FOR OUR OWN TEAM, but I'll gripe about that at a later time. Hopefully you'll keep up the good work as we finish up the first round.

Up next is the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are a team that has been on the cusp of a Super Bowl berth for a few years yet hasn't been able to eke out victories when they're needed most. Where will John Harbaugh and the rest of the Baltimore front office look to bolster their lineup and make that next step?

The Ravens' main need can be summed up with one word: speed. The Ravens lost to the Steelers in the playoffs because they didn't have a deep threat for Joe Flacco to throw to on offense and they didn't have anyone to cover Pittsburgh's burners on defense. That game was a microcosm of Baltimore's shortcomings: a talented and balanced team that ultimately didn't have the big plays to keep up with the NFL's elite.

The first place the Ravens might look for more speed is at cornerback. You may recall the Monday Night Football game against the Texans last year, where Baltimore gave up a three touchdown lead because Matt Schaub threw for roughly 835 yards in the second half. There are a few corners available at this point of the draft that could help prevent the Ravens from getting gashed like that in the future, especially with players like Chris Carr and Josh Wilson heading towards free agency. Baltimore could also use a speed infusion at safety; however, there simply isn't any first round talent at either of the safety positions.

The Ravens have solid possession receivers in Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but nobody that scares you down the field. Adding some youth to their veteran receiving corps could help stretch the field and open up more lanes for both the running and short passing games.

We all know about the intimidation factor (and weird Old Spice commercials) of Ray Lewis, but the truth is that he's not getting any better. Or faster. Drafting a linebacker could help Lewis get the most out his last couple years in the league while providing the draftee the chance to learn from one of the all-time greats.

If Baltimore doesn't opt for a speed upgrade, they might look to the offensive line for help. The Ravens have been adamant about fixing their middle-of-the-road rushing attack that averaged only 3.8 yards per carry last year. Grabbing a productive tackle or guard could help this team regain their identity.

You know the drill by now--vote in the poll below to let us know how you think the Ravens should pick at #26.

Picks Thus Far:

1. Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton, quarterback, Auburn
2. Denver Broncos - Patrick Peterson, cornerback, LSU
3. Buffalo Bills - Marcell Dareus, defensive tackle, Alabama
4. Cincinnati Bengals - Blaine Gabbert, quarterback, Missouri
5. Arizona Cardinals - Von Miller, linebacker, Texas A&M
6. Cleveland Browns - A.J. Green, wide receiver, Georgia
7. San Francisco 49ers - Prince Amukamara, cornerback, Nebraska
8. Tennessee Titans - Nick Fairley, defensive tackle, Auburn
9. Dallas Cowboys - Tyron Smith, offensive tackle, USC
10. Washington Redskins - Julio Jones, wide receiver, Alabama
11. Houston Texans - Da'Quan Bowers, defensive end, Clemson
12. Minnesota Vikings - Jake Locker, quarterback, Washington
13. Detroit Lions - Robert Quinn, defensive end, North Carolina
14. St. Louis Rams - Cameron Jordan, defensive end, California
15. Miami Dolphins - Mark Ingram, running back, Alabama
16. Jacksonville Jaguars - J.J. Watt, defensive end, Wisconsin
17. New England Patriots - Aldon Smith, defensive end/outside linebacker, Missouri
18. San Diego Chargers - Ryan Kerrigan, defensive end, Purdue
19. New York Giants - Mike Pouncey, offensive guard, Florida
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Adrian Clayborn, defensive end, Iowa
21. Kansas City Chiefs - Anthony Castonzo, offensive tackle, Boston College
22. Indianapolis Colts - Nate Solder, offensive tackle, Colorado
23. Philadelphia Eagles - Gabe Carimi, offensive tackle, Wisconsin
24. New Orleans Saints - Akeem Ayers, outside linebacker, UCLA
25. Seattle Seahawks - Ryan Mallett, quarterback, Arkansas