Somewhere Ray Lewis is probably smiling.
In a move that should surely quiet the linebacker's recent cries, the Ravens beefed up their defensive line in a sizable way, trading up one spot in yesterday's NFL draft to take Oregon nose tackle Haloti Ngata with the No. 12 pick of the first round.
Ngata, a 6-foot-4, 337-pound cog, is expected to get the Ravens back to their Super Bowl formula in which their massive defensive tackles allowed Lewis to run free by shielding him from blockers.
"This is a big block of granite," director of college scouting Eric DeCosta said. "He's a guy who is tough to move. I think he's going to pose nightmares for teams in our division in trying to get him off the ball."
The biggest defensive first-round pick in the Ravens' illustrious draft history - at least by size - was not warmly received by everyone.
Moments after Ngata's name was announced, ESPN analyst and former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Mark Schlereth blasted the Pac-10's co-Defensive Player of the Year for being slow and unmotivated.
"You're going to need a propane torch to light a fire under this guy," Schlereth said. "I don't see a guy who can control the line of scrimmage. He took plays off consistently. He's on the ground more than the grass. I don't like the pick at all."
The Ravens strongly defended Ngata, their top-rated defensive lineman in the draft.
It's difficult to argue with the Ravens considering their track record. Five of the six defensive players drafted by the Ravens in the first round (Ray Lewis, Peter Boulware, Chris McAlister, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs) have made the Pro Bowl. Only cornerback Duane Starks, a four-year starter, failed to do so.
"I think before we got Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams [the two defensive tackles on their Super Bowl team], they said they took a lot of plays off," general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "[Ngata] is on a defense where everybody runs to the football. So that's not a concern."
The bigger concern for the Ravens was whether they would have a shot at Ngata.
The Ravens' other top targets for the first half of the first round - Texas quarterback Vince Young, Texas safety Michael Huff and Florida State outside linebacker Ernie Sims - were gone after the top nine selections.
By the 12th pick, the Ravens faced a decision: Wait to see if the Cleveland Browns would draft their last coveted player or trade with them.
