Feeling the anxiety of the coming NFL draft, first-year Ravens coach John Harbaugh dropped by Eric DeCosta's office last week.
"Are you having trouble sleeping?" Harbaugh asked the Ravens' director of college scouting.
DeCosta replied yes, knowing all the times he has woken up in the middle of the night.
These restless feelings will end April 26, when general manager Ozzie Newsome and the scouting department must deliver new young talent for a 5-11 team.
The Ravens don't have a glaring hole in the starting lineup, but they know the importance of having quality depth at every position after last season and the need to build a foundation for the future.
"I'm very excited," DeCosta said at yesterday's draft luncheon. "This is probably the most critical draft we've ever had based on our needs on this team, based on our record last year and where we want to get to."
During the Ravens' half-hour news conference yesterday, team officials never tipped their hand on their intentions for the No. 8 overall pick.
The Ravens are considered the wild card in the top 10 because they could draft at any position from a quarterback to a cornerback to an offensive or defensive lineman.
The players most commonly linked to the Ravens in the first round are: Troy cornerback Leodis McKelvin, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, Southern California defensive lineman Sedrick Ellis and Boise State offensive tackle Ryan Clady.
Based on the Ravens' preparation, their focus seems to be on cornerback and quarterback.
Two of the draft's top cornerbacks - McKelvin and Kansas' Aqib Talib - recently visited the Ravens' headquarters.
"I wouldn't say there's a clear-cut corner this year in the draft," DeCosta said. "I think if you polled every single team, you'd have a different order. But all four guys [McKelvin, Talib, Tennessee State's Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and South Florida's Mike Jenkins] are worthy of being first-round picks."
The Ravens have been doing an equal amount of work on quarterbacks.
Louisville's Brian Brohm, a second-round prospect who worked out for the Ravens earlier this year, met with team officials yesterday at Ravens headquarters.
The Ravens have also had visits from two other quarterbacks: Delaware's Joe Flacco and Michigan's Chad Henne. Both could go late in the first round or early in the second.
