The Ravens entered the 2010 NFL draft with five selections. However, the team traded their first round pick to the Denver Broncos and received a second, third, and fourth rounder from the Broncos. In my eyes this ended up being a great trade for the Ravens and set them up nicely for getting more depth.
Round 2, Pick 11 (43 overall): Sergio Kindle, OLB/DE, Texas. Kindle was a mid-first round talent who had his stock drop due to concerns about knee problems potentially limiting his career. I think this is a great pick, and to pick up a player with his talent this late, it was well worth any risk.
Round 2, Pick 25 (57): Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama. This was my favorite pick of the Ravens draft. Cody was seen as a late first round pick, who fell into the second round because of weight issues and questionable work ethic. First, I watched Alabama play a lot last year, and the guy was a beast, unblockable at times. Second, if you think Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and the whole Ravens organization aren’t going to motivate Cody and keep him in shape, I think you’re wrong. Just thinking about the potential of sticking Cody next to Haloti Ngata on the defensive line should make opposing running backs cringe.
Round 3, Pick 6 (70): Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon.
Round 4, Pick 16 (114): Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU. I’m grouping these two picks together because their skill sets are so similar. Both are good pass catching tight ends who aren’t great blockers. Dickson is the better player; I just don’t see the need to add two tight ends who do the same thing. Todd Heap is still in Baltimore, but this might spell the beginning of the end for his career as a Raven.
Round 5, Pick 25 (156): David Reed, WR, Utah. I’m not a fan of this pick at all. Maybe the Ravens see something, but I think he’ll be the last wide receiver on the roster, special teams type. Certainly somebody who may have even went undrafted.
Round 5, Pick 26 (157): Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse. This is a great low risk pick using a late fifth rounder on a player who has first round talent, and was projected to go in round two or three. Injuries again are the concern here, as his senior season ended early, but he could be a great reserve along the defensive line.
Round 6, Pick 25 (194): Ramon Harewood, OT, Morehouse. Another pick I like with high upside. Late round picks are the perfect time to take flyers on boom or bust players, and this is the definition of one. Harewood is from Barbados and only has four years of football experience, but has size to his advantage (6’7” 360 lbs.). Spending a sixth rounder on a player with Harewood’s potential is outstanding.
Looking back, the Ravens had a good draft. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah was available in the fourth round and Crezdon Butler in the fifth, both of whom could have at least provided more depth to the secondary. If the Ravens were set on drafting two tight ends, Dorin Dickerson, who many had as a third round talent and the third best tight end, was not selected until the seventh round. That said, the Ravens draft as well as any team in the league, so I fully expect to be proven wrong in questioning some selections. I’d say the Ravens earned a solid B in the 2010 NFL draft.