I know it's probably a little early to be thinking about the draft, but seeing as it's a slow news week, let me spark your curiosity. As we all know, Ray Lewis's days left in this league are quickly deteriorating, and we need to face that fact. I never believed all of the nay-sayers that he's dropped off, but in our last game against the Chargers, it was starting to become quite evident that his time is almost up. He's still very helpful in the run-game, but when it comes to chasing a guy down or ANY coverage assignment, he's beat. This game left me thinking,"What are we going to do?"

Well I believe the answer to that question is quite simple: Dont'a Hightower. This stud is coming out of Alabama (Which we all know Ozzie Newsome has very strong ties to) this year, and looks to be one of the top linebackers in the draft. This guy really reminds me of Ray Lewis in the sense that he has a motor that never stops going. He's in on almost every defensive play in some way, and seems to swarm to the ball. Oh yeah, he can lay a pretty good lick too. He's a very instinctive player, and I think he could be the next MLB for the Baltimore Ravens. Put him next to Ray Lewis as a mentor for a year or two, and we could have a very capable replacement. So when you're watching the National Championship this New Year, look for Alabama's #30.