Ravens: Comparing The Draft Classes of 2013 and 2014
Heading into the 2014 season, the Ravens know that they will need to rely pretty heavily on their draftees from the past two years. Many of those drafted in high rounds will be expected to take over starting roles.
Taking a look at those draft classes, they are almost identical. If you break it down position-by-position, you will actually find that the Ravens draft classes from 2013 and 2014 are almost exactly the same.
Although the Ravens took a safety in the first round of the 2013 draft and a linebacker in the first round of the 2014 draft, they would draft both those positions just a little later. In the second round of the 2013 draft, the Ravens took middle linebacker Arthur Brown. They would then take middle linebacker C.J. Mosley in the first round of the 2014 draft.
In the first round of the 2013 draft, the Ravens took safety Matt Elam. In the third round of the 2014 draft, the Ravens also took a safety, by the name of Terrence Brooks. Seeing the similarities already? Well they don’t stop there.
In the third round of the 2013 draft the Ravens took defensive tackle Brandon Williams who played the same position as the player that they drafted in the second round (Timmy Jernigan) in 2014. In the fourth round of the 2013 draft, the Ravens took another defensive lineman, as they did in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. With their second fourth-round pick in 2013, they took a fullback. With their second fourth-round pick in 2014, they took a running back.
Are you seeing the trend? Because I know I am.
In the fifth round of the 2013 draft, the Ravens took offensive guard Ricky Wagner. In the fifth round of the 2014 draft, they took offensiive guard John Urschel. In the seventh round of both years, they took a wide receiver. Six out of their first seven picks in 2014 were the exact same position as their first six picks from 2013.
If you’re confused right now, don’t feel stupid because even I’m a little befuddled right now. To make it a little easier on you, here are the lists of the 2013 draft class and the 2014 draft class:
2013 Baltimore Ravens Draft Picks
| Round | Pick | Position | Player | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32 | S | Matt Elam | Florida |
| 2 | 56 | LB | Arthur Brown | Kansas St. |
| 3 | 94 | DT | Brandon Williams | Missouri Southern St. |
| 4 | 129 | DE | John Simon | Ohio State |
| 4 | 130 | FB | Kyle Juszczyk | Harvard |
| 5 | 168 | G | Ricky Wagner | Wisconsin |
| 6 | 200 | DE | Kapron Lewis-Moore | Notre Dame |
| 6 | 203 | C | Ryan Jensen | Colorado State-Pueblo |
| 7 | 238 | WR | Aaron Mellette | Elon |
| 7 | 247 | CB | Marc Anthony | California |
2014 Baltimore Ravens Draft Picks
| Round | Pick | Position | Player | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | LB | C.J. Mosley | Alabama |
| 2 | 48 | DT | Timmy Jernigan | Florida St. |
| 3 | 79 | S | Terrence Brooks | Florida St. |
| 3 | 99 | TE | Crockett Gillmore | Colorado St. |
| 4 | 134 | DT | Brent Urban | Virginia |
| 4 | 138 | RB | Lorenzo Taliaferro | Costal Carolina |
| 5 | 175 | G | John Urschel | Penn St. |
| 6 | 194 | QB | Keith Wenning | Ball St. |
| 7 | 218 | WR | Mike Campanaro | Wake Forest |
As you can see, there are several similarities between the two lists, and few differences.
Now the big question is: which one will perform better? They will both be just as important, as they both feature the same positions.
The rookies from 2013 and the rookies from 2014 should make bets on who will win the starting spot. Since they are so similar, nearly every player in the draft class will be able to do so.
I think that more players from the 2014 class will get starting spots, due to the fact that the last occurrence is always the first thing on your mind. However, I think that both classes will be important to the team’s success this year and they will need players from both draft classes to perform up to their potential.