On Now
Coming Up
  • Wed., May. 10, 2017 8:00 PM EDT Metallica with Avenged Sevenfold & Volbeat

    ON SALE: Presale for CITI® Card Members Starts Tuesday, February 14 at 11:00 AM; Tickets go on sale to general public Friday, February 17 at 10:00 AM at LiveNation.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, the box office, or charge by phone (800) 745-3000.

  • Thu., Jun. 01, 2017 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM EDT Beach Bash This summer will mark the 5th annual Ravens Ocean City Beach Bash, presented by Miller Lite, June 1-3 in Ocean City, Md. Join Ravens Players, Cheerleaders, Playmakers, Band, Mascots and talent from 98Rock and Miller Lite as they turn Ocean City into Ravenstown for the weekend.
  • Fri., Jun. 02, 2017 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM EDT Beach Bash This summer will mark the 5th annual Ravens Ocean City Beach Bash, presented by Miller Lite, June 1-3 in Ocean City, Md. Join Ravens Players, Cheerleaders, Playmakers, Band, Mascots and talent from 98Rock and Miller Lite as they turn Ocean City into Ravenstown for the weekend.
  • Sat., Jun. 03, 2017 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM EDT Beach Bash This summer will mark the 5th annual Ravens Ocean City Beach Bash, presented by Miller Lite, June 1-3 in Ocean City, Md. Join Ravens Players, Cheerleaders, Playmakers, Band, Mascots and talent from 98Rock and Miller Lite as they turn Ocean City into Ravenstown for the weekend.
  • Sat., Jun. 03, 2017 10:00 AM EDT 7-On-7 Tournament Prepare for the fall football season at the Ravens 7-on-7 Football Tournament presented by Under Armour!
  • Sun., Jun. 04, 2017 10:00 AM EDT 7-On-7 Tournament Prepare for the fall football season at the Ravens 7-on-7 Football Tournament presented by Under Armour!
  • Sun., Jun. 11, 2017 10:00 AM EDT 7-On-7 Tournament Prepare for the fall football season at the Ravens 7-on-7 Football Tournament presented by Under Armour!
  • Mon., Jun. 12, 2017 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM EDT Play Like A Raven Football Clinic The Ravens players use the offseason to prepare for next season…and you can too. Get ready for the upcoming football season this summer at a Play Like A Raven Football Clinic, presented by Under Armour!
  • Tue., Jun. 13, 2017 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM EDT Play Like A Raven Football Clinic The Ravens players use the offseason to prepare for next season…and you can too. Get ready for the upcoming football season this summer at a Play Like A Raven Football Clinic, presented by Under Armour!
  • Wed., Jun. 14, 2017 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM EDT Play Like A Raven Football Clinic The Ravens players use the offseason to prepare for next season…and you can too. Get ready for the upcoming football season this summer at a Play Like A Raven Football Clinic, presented by Under Armour!

News

Print
RSS

Small-School Prospects Who Could Interest Ravens In 2016 Draft

Posted Apr 25, 2016

The Ravens have a history of dipping into the small-school well to find prospects, and that could happen again this season.


Few teams around the NFL have filled out their rosters with small-school prospects as well as the Ravens.

Baltimore has drafted key players like Joe Flacco, Brandon Williams and Lardarius Webb over the years, and the team’s personnel department digs deep in the scouting process to find some of those players that went overlooked by the big-time colleges.

The Ravens have drafted at least one small-school player in each of the last four drafts. Last year they selected three players from FCS Schools (Tray Walker from Texas Southern, Nick Boyle from Delaware and Robert Myers from Tennessee State).

Will they go that route again with some of their nine picks in this year’s draft?

Here’s a look at some of the small-school prospects who the Ravens could target:

OLB Matt Judon, Grand Valley State
6-foot-3, 275 pounds; 81 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, 3 forced fumbles

Judon was a man amongst boys last year playing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. His 20 sacks were the most in college football and that earned him a selection as a Division II All-American. Judon is built like an NFL pass rusher and he is expected to be a mid-round draft pick. He is a developmental prospect who could be ready to be a situational pass rusher in his rookie year.

OLB Victor Ochi, Stony Brook
6-1, 246 pounds; 16.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks

Ochi is known as a hard-nosed player who led the FCS with 13 sacks last year. That kind of production gets players noticed by NFL scouts, and the Ravens are in the market for more pass rushers. He doesn’t have the ideal size that NFL teams want in their edge rushers, but plenty of undersized players have developed into quality pass rushers at the professional level. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah compared Ochi to veteran pass rusher Dwight Freeney, saying “[Ochi] doesn't have that same juice, but, man, he knows how to rush the passer.”

Safety Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee State
5-11, 216 pounds; 66 tackles, 4 interceptions, 6 passes defensed

Byard was a defensive playmaker throughout his college career. The Conference USA product was a four-year starter who came up with 19 interceptions during his four years in college. He took a pair of those back for touchdowns and also has experience in the return game. The Ravens are on the lookout for playmakers, and Byard fits the bill. He could be a mid-to-late round pick who plays special teams early and learns from the veteran players around him.

CB Deiondre’ Hall, Northern Iowa
6-2, 199 pounds, 82 tackles, 6 interceptions, 4 passes defensed

Hall has the prototypical size that NFL teams want in their cornerbacks. He has a long, lean frame, and he also showed off good ball skills throughout his college career. Hall had 13 interceptions at Northern Iowa, and he played a combination of safety and cornerback throughout his career. He is a mid-to-late round prospect who could be a developmental prospect.

WR Paul McRoberts, Southeast Missouri State
6-2, 202 pounds; 76 catches, 940 yards, 9 touchdowns

The Ravens got a close look at McRoberts at the Senior Bowl in January, where he had a chance to prove himself against prospects from much bigger schools. He is a good-sized athlete with solid speed, and he was a highly production player throughout his college career racking up 2,435 receiving yards. McRoberts also has experience in the return game. The Ravens are on the lookout for a mid-round receiver to develop, and McRoberts could fall into that mold.

Related Tags

Please Note

The opinions, analysis and/or speculation expressed on BaltimoreRavens.com represent those of individual authors, and unless quoted or clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of the Baltimore Ravens' organization, front office staff, coaches and executives. Authors' views are formulated independently from any inside knowledge and/or conversations with Ravens officials, including the coaches and scouts, unless otherwise noted.

Related News

Recent Videos

Recent Photos