The Ravens have to upgrade their quarterbacking position after Steve McNair retired, but improving their secondary is quickly becoming a primary problem for a team known for its defensive prowess.
The Ravens ranked 20th out of 32 teams in passing defense (222.3 yards per game), as they allowed a league-worst 15 plays of at least 40 yards and were third-worst in allowing passing plays of at least 20 yards (53) last season. Those glaring statistics could lead the Ravens, who went 5-11 in last season, to select a cornerback with the eighth pick in the NFL Draft, set for Saturday and Sunday in New York City.
“I think people would say cornerback would be a need,” Eric DeCosta, the Ravens director of college scouting, said. “I think we tried to [address] that a couple years ago, and the jury is still out on some of those guys we brought in. There is work to be done there. But off the top, cornerback would be the thing most people would consider.”
The bolstering of the secondary became even more apparent after starters Chris McAllister and Samari Rolle, who are both over 30 years old, missed a combined 18 games. Their absences exploited the Ravens? lack of depth, as David Pittman hasn?t lived up to the billing of the third-round pick the team used on him in 2006, and Corey Ivy is best utilized as a nickel back or on special teams.
Among the top cornerbacks available this year are South Florida?s Mike Jenkins, Troy?s Leodis McKelvin, Virginia Tech?s Brandon Flowers, Tennessee State?s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Kansas? Aqib Talib.
“They?re all good players,” DeCosta said. “I wouldn?t say there?s a clear-cut No. 1 corner this year in the draft. I think if you polled every single team you?d have a different order, but all four guys are worthy of being first-round picks. I think they all do things very well. They?re all very good athletes. I think they will all be starting corners in the NFL.”
DeCosta said evaluating this year?s crop of cornerbacks has been extremely difficult. Should the Ravens select a cornerback, it would be the third time the team used a top 10 pick on that position, as they took Duane Starks with the 10th pick in 1998 and McAllister with the 10th pick the following draft.
“We spent more time talking about the corners in the meetings than probably any other position because it is a tough group to kind of get a feel for,” DeCosta said. “So, we have more evaluation to do.”
If the Ravens draft another a player at a different position with the eighth pick, there should be plenty of quality cornerbacks available in the later rounds, NFL Draft analyst Mike Mayock said. Mayock added he likes some of the second-tier corners even better than some of the more advertised names.
“The corner class is so deep, I?d be interested to see what corners slip through that first day,” Mayock said. “If an Antwaun Molden from Eastern Kentucky ever got through the first day, there would be a buzz like you couldn?t believe around the NFL of people trying to get that first pick on day two.”
