The Ravens almost pulled off an upset and landed two of their coveted players in the second round, but instead had to settle for one, Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw.
After taking Upshaw with the No. 35 overall pick in the second round, the Ravens then selected Iowa State offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele 25 picks later.
Upshaw was rated as one of the best pass rushers in college football. Osemele has a huge upside, but has a downside to match. Osemele's selection came five picks after the Atlanta Falcons selected Wisconsin center Peter Konz, a player many of the experts thought the Ravens would draft on the first day before they traded out of the first round.
So after two days of the draft, it seems like the Ravens are back to the old days where they draft a dominant defensive player, but there are some concerns about a player on the offensive side.
With the selection of Upshaw, the Ravens' pass rush just got better. He is explosive, has strong hands, comes off the ball well and uses leverage with a 6-feet-1, 273-pound frame.
Even if he doesn't start right away at SAM or strong side linebacker, a pair of fresh legs from a pass rusher at the end of the season is a great commodity. But don't believe Upshaw is just a pass rusher.
He can play the run and is relentless in pursuit. He has had 52 tackles each of the past two seasons and could hold the edge against the run in college, something that current Ravens starter Paul Kruger has yet to prove.
That's why Upshaw was a good pick.
He'll make Kruger better as well as Sergio Kindle, and improves the overall linebacking corps. If he plays as well as advertised, the Ravens could have Terrell Suggs on one side and Upshaw on the other.
If cornerbacks Lardarius Webb, Jimmy Smith and Cary Williams continue to improve, the Ravens might have something special.
The Ravens had other players they liked when they picked at No. 35. They had some offers to trade down, but not a big enough offer. Team officials had rated Upshaw higher than Georgia Tech receiver Stephen Hill, and they thought Clemson outside linebacker Andre Branch was a better fit for a 4-3 defense instead of their own 3-4. With the addition of Upshaw, the Ravens can move second-year linebacker Albert McClellan back inside behind starters Ray Lewis and Jameel McClain.
It's hard to predict where Osemele might fit in, but he is versatile. Osemele played left tackle at Iowa State, but he doesn't appear quick enough or athletic enough to play that position in the NFL.
He's probably a guard or right offensive tackle.
Just by watching him on tape, he appears better, more powerful and more athletic than second-year player Jah Reid, who will battle for the starting position at left guard.
The Ravens could also insert Osemele at right tackle and move Michael Oher back to left offensive tackle. There is one question the Ravens want answered in the next year or two: Is Oher a starting left tackle in the NFL?
I don't think so, but the Ravens want more proof. The addition of Osemele at least gives the Ravens some options as far as moving Oher to the left side and possibly cutting current starting left tackle Bryant McKinnie, who has struggled with weight problems. McKinnie, who didn't play well last season.
Osemele, though, has been known to balloon up during the offseason, and the criticism of him is that he plays too upright and has a soft football temperament.
But Osemele is huge, has a large wing span and can dominate physically at times. He also has motivation because he saw himself going higher in the draft.
"I feel like I bring a lot of competitiveness and I feel like I bring a lot of physicality and aggressiveness to this team," Osemele said. "I just want to get in there and compete from Day One and try to fit where I may, let the cards fall where they may, and try to make the team better."
Was he miffed that he had to wait so long to hear his name called?
"Well, yeah, that's true," Osemele said. "I'll just use that as a motivator, more than anything, to help fuel me when I first get in there — and try to prove everybody wrong, prove the naysayers wrong. Hopefully, 10 years from now I'll still be there and be playing."
Does he prefer guard or tackle?
"It really doesn't matter to me, honestly," Osemele said. "At the Senior Bowl I played a lot of guard and I dominated so regardless of where I am, I'm going to compete and be physical like I always do."
