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While draft analysts are lauding the Ravens' selections in rounds two and three of last weekend's draft, the team's final four picks are drawing rave reviews as well.
With that said, I thought I'd pass along some inside information on all of the Ravens' Day Three picks, courtesy of director of college scouting Joe Hortiz.
You'll also find some key notes and stats on each player below Hortiz's quotes.
Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU
4th-round, 114 overall
"He's a real instinctive player," says Hortiz. "He lines up in the slot and at traditional tight end. He's got outstanding hands. In the five or six games I've watched him, he dropped one ball. He's a real savvy route runner and just knows how to get open versus a zone. He's quick and sudden enough to be a mismatch versus linebackers, and he just brings that flexibility to an offense where you can line him up on the line or put him out in the slot."
(Notes: Pitta played wide receiver and cornerback in high school before bulking up and moving to tight end. The 24-year-old went on a two-year LDS mission to the Dominican Republic after his freshman season. A former walk-on at BYU, Pitta leaves the school holding the NCAA record for most career receiving yards by a tight end with 2,901.)
David Reed, WR, Utah
5th-round, 156 overall
"David Reed, to me, he's a crafty route runner," Hortiz says. "I'm being honest - he was one of my favorite guys in the Draft. He's got really good hands, really good body control and excellent toughness. He's 6-foot, 190 pounds, and you'll see him go over the middle of the field like he's 6-2, 220, and he gets hit like he's 6-1, 190. He'll get knocked back and snapped, but he jumps right back up and the next play he's catching the ball over the middle of the field. So, he's just a really tough, aggressive wide receiver with some playmaking ability."
(Notes: Reed might have had nearly 1,200 receiving yards last year, but he also has good special teams ability, and could be an option in the return game. He averaged 25.4 yards per kickoff return his junior year, but was taken off kick returns in 2009 because the coaches thought he was too valuable to the offense to risk on special teams.)
Art Jones, DT, Syracuse
5th-round, 157 overall
"Art Jones is a guy, to me, that is a big-body 'D' tackle with athleticism and competitiveness," Hortiz says. "His long speed is probably average, but we don't ask those guys to get outside to the sideline very often. He's a high school wrestler who was a national champion, or finished in the nationals in high school, so he's a leverage player like Goose [Tony Siragusa], like Kelly Gregg. He has that background, foundation. He battled some injuries this year starting in the spring with a torn peck and then he had a knee [injury], but he's got a lot of ability. And when you watch that junior tape, he's a much better player than he was as a senior, and he was a good player as a senior as well."
(Notes: Jones was a First-Team All-Big East selection his junior year and a team captain his senior year. He missed the last three games of his senior season with a knee injury. The 6-3, 305 pounder finished his Syracuse career with 38.5 tackles for loss, the most in school history by an interior defensive lineman.)
Ramon Harewood, OT, Morehouse
6th-round, 196 overall
"Harewood is a huge man," says Hortiz. "I mean he's a giant. You guys are going to see him - he's massive. He can knock down his side of the line of scrimmage. He's raw. He needs a lot of developmental work and technique, but he's got foot speed. He ran a 5.08 at his pro day. He didn't go to the Combine, and he got hurt when he ran on his pro day, but that's another story. He's got a lot of work to do, but he's got the passion and drive to get better."
(Notes: Born and raised in the Barbados, Harewood had limited football experience prior to arriving at Morehouse. His previous sporting interests were soccer, rugby and cricket. Known as the "Big Mon", Harewood majored in Applied Physics & Engineering, and hopes to become an engineer after his NFL career is over. The 6-6, 340 pounder has the ability to become either a guard or a tackle. Director of player personnel Eric DeCosta compares his size and body to Orlando Brown.)
