Nfl Draft

The physical gifts and athleticism have never been in question. When he was a student at Wilde Lake High School, Zach Brown mastered a presidential physical fitness test by completely clearing a 9-foot mat that was rolled out to measure his broad jump. While at the University of North Carolina, Brown joined the indoor track team after football season and set a school record by running 60 meters in 6.72 seconds. Then, there was the time he walked back into the Tar Heels' football weight room after missing a week of conditioning because of an illness, and lifted and squatted "400 and 500 something," according to North Carolina linebacker Kevin Reddick.

What's happening tonight is either the greatest development since the Internet or another sign of the apocalypse, depending on your point of view. Now instead of wasting your time watching "Survivor" or some dopey sitcom, you can waste your time watching beefy guys in expensive suits talk on their cell phones and become instant millionaires while a slew of network analysts drone on and on about how tough the beefy guys are and what a great "motor"...

ARIZONA CARDINALS Heady move: Got CB Patrick Peterson with 5th pick. When they had 5th pick 4 years ago, they let guy with same last name — RB Adrian Peterson — slip past in favor of T Levi Brown. Oops. Head scratcher: Took Virginia Tech RB Ryan Williams in 2nd. Cardinals used 1st-rounder on Beanie Wells only 2 years ago. ATLANTA FALCONS Heady move: Traded up from No. 27 to No. 6 to get Alabama WR Julio Jones. That's big for team that was tied for last in league in 2010 with 44 plays of 20 yards or longer.

At some point in next week's NFL draft, the Ravens will get the itch. It's usually a good itch, and few teams, if any, have been as successful at scratching it as they have been the past two decades. That's why during the draft it has become a question of when, not if, the Ravens will swap one of their picks. They have made at least one trade in each of the past 10 drafts and 14 of 16 overall. Their preference has been to trade down, but they can be aggressive when trying to secure a player they believe is special.

The order of the first round for the 2001 NFL draft, to be held April 21-22: 1. San Diego 2. Arizona 3. Cleveland 4. Cincinnati 5. Atlanta 6. New England 7. Seattle (from Dallas) 8. Chicago 9. San Francisco 10. Seattle 11. Carolina 12. Kansas City 13. Jacksonville 14. Buffalo 15. Washington 16. Pittsburgh 17. Green Bay 18. Detroit 19. New York Jets 20. St. Louis 21. Tampa Bay 22. Indianapolis 23. New Orleans 24. Denver 25. Philadelphia 26. Miami 27. Minnesota 28. Oakland 29. Tennessee 30. New York Giants 31. Ravens

The 34 undergraduates who have declared themselves eligible for the NFL draft to be held April 26-27:Michael Bates, RB. . . . . . . . . . ArizonaTerrell Buckley, DB. . . . . . . . . Florida StateDenny Chronopoulos, G. . . . . . . . PurdueMarco Coleman, LB. . . . . . . . . . Georgia TechTodd Collins, LB . . . . . . . . . . Carson-NewmanCurt Douglas, LB-DT. . . . . . . . . GeorgiaShane Dronett, DE. . . . . . . . . . TexasReggie Dwight, TE. . . . . . . . . . Troy StateSteve Emtman, DT . . . . . . . . . . WashingtonSean Gilbert, DE . . . . . . . . . . PittsburghMarcus Grant, WR . . . . . . . . . . HoustonKeith Hamilton, DE . . . . . . . . . PittsburghDesmond Howard, WR-KR.

If you look at a player like Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap on paper, you could easily convince yourself he would be a great addition to the Baltimore Ravens. At 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, he's big enough to play right away, and his speed and athleticism are off the charts. He has the potential to be scary good, considering he can probably move around and play multiple positions. He's the kind of guy who, at least in theory, could give the Ravens pass rush a much-needed boost in 2010.

During the first round of the annual NFL draft, players are selected who don't end up panning out at the professional level. Some just want a fat paycheck (JaMarcus Russell). Some have legal issues (Rae Carruth). Some can't handle the pressure (Ryan Leaf). And some simply aren't good enough for pro football (Akili Smith). The Ravens have avoided major first-round busts in their history. The selections of Kyle Boller and Travis Taylor were failures for sure, but they are nowhere near cracking a list like this . This year, there will be a handful of first-round picks who won't live up to the billing.

Before the Ravens opted to trade out of the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night, they watched their three AFC North rivals make moves that appear to make them better heading into the 2012 season. The Cleveland Browns were boldest. Less than an hour before the draft began, they engineered a trade with the Minnesota Vikings to move up one spot to pick No. 3. There they selected Alabama running back Trent Richardson, who some say is the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson . He should be a significant upgrade over current Browns backs Montario Hardesty, Chris Ogbonnaya and Brandon Jackson.