In a draft where multiple scenarios could occur today in the top 10, the Ravens haven't ruled anything out when it comes to the No. 8 overall pick.
"I don't think it's inconceivable that we could get a player from our top three this year," said Eric DeCosta, the Ravens' director of college scouting.
Do the Ravens think Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan could really fall to them?
There are four teams standing in the Ravens' way of landing the top quarterback in the draft: the Atlanta Falcons (who pick third), Kansas City Chiefs (fifth), New York Jets (sixth) and New England Patriots (who could trade the seventh overall pick to the Carolina Panthers, who have shown interest in Ryan).
But there has been a trend of quarterbacks sliding in recent drafts (Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Leinart and Brady Quinn).
DeCosta said teams "get scared" because selecting a quarterback is such a hit-or-miss proposition.
"I feel like when you take a quarterback, you're making a statement with the organization," DeCosta said. "Your organization has to be in position to make that statement. If you have any instability in your organization, you're probably not going to take a quarterback because it's pretty risky."
Here's a scenario in which the Ravens would get Ryan:
After the announcement of Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long to the Miami Dolphins, the St. Louis Rams select Virginia defensive end Chris Long. With the No. 3 pick, the Atlanta Falcons take LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey because he's generally rated higher than Ryan and new coach Mike Smith's background is on defense.
At No. 4, the Oakland Raiders choose between Arkansas running back Darren McFadden and Ohio State's Vernon Gholston. The Kansas City Chiefs, picking fifth, take an offensive lineman, Boise State's Ryan Clady or Virginia's Branden Albert.
With the sixth pick, the New York Jets go with the player that the Raiders pass on, whether it's McFadden or Gholston. Then, the New England Patriots grab Southern California defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis.
That would clear the way for Ryan to fall to the Ravens.
"I think it's very clear that Matt Ryan is the premier quarterback of the 2008 draft," ESPN analyst Todd McShay said, "and he is head and shoulders above the rest of the quarterbacks."
Last season at Boston College, Ryan completed 59 percent of his passes, throwing for 31 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. His statistics are skewed by the fact that he wasn't throwing to NFL-caliber receivers.
