"They've all had guys who could pull the trigger, and we now think we have that in Joe Flacco. We have to get a young receiver that can work with Joe and [backup quarterback] Troy Smith in the offseason, and in time, develop into a big-time player for us."
The Ravens have other needs, as well. If Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew is available, the Ravens probably wouldn't hesitate to draft him because they want a big blocker who could help seal off the outside, especially against a strong 3-4 team such as the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Or the Ravens might select Ohio State running back Chris Wells or Southern California inside linebacker Rey Maualuga. It's not just the position. The Ravens are looking for a certain player profile that general manager Ozzie Newsome and former coach Ted Marchibroda agreed to in 1996.
"They have to have a tough mentality and a passion for the game," DeCosta said. "They have to have a physical style and speed, particularly on defense, which we're now trying to get on offense."
DeCosta, as expected, left open the possibility of a trade for the Ravens to move up but pointed out that the team hasn't done well when it has moved up to draft for need. He noted that the Ravens have had success moving back and trading for more draft picks but also still getting a quality player they wanted, such as running back Ray Rice last season.
It's unlikely the Ravens will trade up, because they don't have any trade bait. They have just six picks and no compensatory picks. They don't have a seventh-round selection after trading it last year in a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for reserve defensive lineman Marques Douglas.
But Newsome and DeCosta are confident they'll have a good draft and get a quality player in the first round. The Ravens will interview nearly 320 players before the first day of the draft.
"The teams that do the best year in and year out draft very well at the bottom or are flexible enough to move out of the first round and accumulate picks," DeCosta said. "I love picking in the 20s. Last year, we thought we had to be real gutsy and risky. We thought our draft was critical because of our quarterback situation. This year, there is more of a comfort level because after the first five players in the draft, picks nine though 26 are pretty much the same, and it's our job to find that player and put him in position to make plays."
Listen to Mike Preston on Mondays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Fox Sports (1370 AM).
