Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

With the 2010 NFL Draft a month away, mock drafts are plentiful. In fact, our good friends at HailRedskins.com have a a database with 171 mock drafts published for the big day. If you took a minute to scan through a few of those drafts, you probably noticed that there are as many as six or seven players mentioned that might go to your favorite team come April. Obviously, only one (or maybe none) will end up being on the team you root for, but part of what makes the 2010 NFL Draft so interesting is the different possibilities that can change your favorite teams future.

In this article, we’ll break down the possibilities that lay ahead for the Baltimore Ravens. With that said, let’s get to it.

Baltimore Ravens

It’s time to start getting excited. The NFL off-season is in full swing and we are less than a month away from the NFL Draft that takes place on April 22-24 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

When the Baltimore Ravens front office gets together to talk about what route they should go in Round 1, you have to figure they are taking a thorough look at some of the offensive playmakers that might be available at the end of the round. They have outstanding defense with sold veteran leadership and a nucleus of talented youngsters so taking someone on that side of the football seems unlikely. With the trade for Anquan Boldin, Baltimore is taking the necessary steps to surrounding quarterback Joe Flacco with skilled receivers and the addition of another pass catching option could pay off big as the Ravens look to get to their first Super Bowl since 2001.

Baltimore has the 25th overall pick in Round 1, and while there will probably be two wide receivers gone (two of Dez Bryant, Golden Tate,  and Demaryius Thomas) at that point, the Ravens are in great position to add depth to their receiving corps.

Whether it is a tight end or a wide receiver opposite Anquan Boldin, Baltimore needs to provide Flacco with as many targets as possible. Ray Rice is a viable receiving threat from the backfield, Boldin brings much needed help, but Derrick Mason is unsure if he is coming back and Todd Heap is struggling to stay healthy. The team did sign Donte Stallworth earlier in the off-season and that could prove worthy, as he is a low-risk, high-reward type; however, we won’t mention him as a factor until he proves he can rebound from missing the 2009 season.

Most mock drafts in the HailRedskins.com database have the Ravens taking Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham. He is the No.1 tight end on the draft board for 2010 and would probably go higher if not for his “injury-prone” title. He is reminiscent of another first round pick from 2009, Brandon Pettigrew (who went to the Detroit Lions at No.20 overall). Gresham’s biggest flaw is his blocking, which is average at best. Being a running team, if Baltimore were to snag the physically gifted tight end, they will need Gresham to improve his blocking before he finds the field on a regular basis. However, if Gresham stays healthy and keeps developing, his body size and playing ability looks similar to an Antonio Gates type. No, he won’t be Gates immediately but the ceiling on his ability is high enough for him to be a staple on an NFL team for years to come. 

Another route Baltimore could opt for is finding a wide receiver to play opposite Boldin and split time with Stallworth. Boldin will be the teams primary possession receiver, and Stallworth has the speed to stretch the field; however, the Ravens look to be searching for another receiver to mix into the offense. Dez Bryant is all but gone for pick 25, but the other Round 1 ability wide outs are currently unknowns as to where they will land.

Golden Tate out of Notre Dame and Arrelious Benn out of Illinois are two worthy options that are solid pass-catching receivers and could fit in with the Ravens style. The most intriguing wide receiver of them all could be Demaryius Thomas out of Georgia Tech . His size, leaping ability, and speed could parallel someone like a Plaxico Burress — without the felony charges — we hope.

With a Gresham, Tate, Benn or Thomas draft pick, the Ravens will add another weapon on offense and put themselves in a great position to vie for a playoff and perhaps a Super Bowl spot in 2010-2011. 

Fantasy Football Outlook:  Look for Flacco to continue to build on last years success and perhaps become worthy of a low QB1 for the 2010 season from a fantasy football perspective. Rice should be off the board within the first 5-7 picks of any fantasy football draft. Boldin finally becomes a No.1 receiver in the NFL and should have a floor of 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns.

As for the rookies, Gresham is the only one that could become a worthy fantasy football option as quickly as this season. However, it’s best to temper expectations with the ACL injury from 2009 and his needed maturity as a blocker. For those of you in Dynasty and Keeper Leagues you should look to target him as a roster mainstay.

NFC 2010 NFL Draft Coverage:  STL  |  CAR  |  SEA  |  GB |  WAS

AFC 2010 NFL Draft Coverage:  BUF  |  JAC  |  BAL

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