Baltimore Ravens 2008 Draft Picks:
Round 1 (18):
Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware
Round 2 (55):
Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers
Round 3 (71):
Tavares Gooden, LB, Miami
Round 3 (86):
Tom Zbikowski, S, Notre Dame
Round 3 (99):
Oniel Cousins, G, UTEP
Round 4 (106):
Marcus Smith, WR, New Mexico
Round 4 (133):
David Hale, T, Weber State
Round 6 (206): Haruki Nakamura, S, Cincinnati
Round 7 (215): Justin Harper, WR, Virginia Tech
Round 7 (240): Allen Patrick, RB, Oklahoma
The Good: Ozzie Newsome pulled off the best deal of the entire draft when he got two threes and a four to move down to Jacksonville's spot in the first round. It gave him the ability to go and get whoever he wanted as evidenced by the deal back up for Flacco in the first round. I'm not sold on him but it was a bold move to get the guy you wanted. Gooden and Zbikowski will help a defense that's getting old and both should make
Rex Ryan a happy man when he sees them in action. While neither Cousins nor Hale figure to start, they'll both add depth to a young, intriguing line.
The Bad: The Rice pick got rave reviews but I'm not a fan of it. Rice is tough as hell but he'll need to show a lot more as a receiver and pass blocker to make up for subpar physical tools. Neither receiver will offer much help to Flacco or whoever precedes him as the team's quarterback, though Smith gets high marks for special teams work.
Fantastic game in San Jose between the top two teams in the Western Conference, as the Sharks and Red Wings entered Saturday's tilt separated by just one point in the standings. In a game that featured 11 goals and 75 shots on goal, San Jose emerged with a 6-5 win, extending its lead to three points for the top spot in the conference.
