Wednesday Ravens links: Jimmy Smith was worth the wait, staying put in the draft

During his first two seasons, there was some wonder as to whether cornerback Jimmy Smith would live up to the potential of being a first-round draft pick.

In 2013, Smith put all of those concerns aside. Smith put in a stellar season and flashed the kind of talent that made the Ravens select him during the 2011 draft. As last season went on, Smith did an excellent job defending the opposing teams' receivers when lined up against him.

When the Ravens played the Lions, Smith actually shadowed Calvin Johnson a good bit. Purple Reign Show's Rob Michels provides an excellent breakdown of Smith's production from last year, which includes the amount of yards he surrendered against top wideouts during a crucial stretch.

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It's not often the Ravens get to pick inside the top 20 of the NFL draft.

From 2009-2013, the organization was picking later in drafts, due to its winning ways. With the premier talent gone by then, the Ravens have traded back out of the first round to accrue picks later. This year is different, writes BaltimoreRavens.com's John Eisenberg.

Eisenberg states that the Ravens should stick at No. 17, even though there has been some buzz about the Ravens trying to trade back.

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CSNBaltimore.com's Clifton Brown offers five reasons why Steve Smith will be able to help the Ravens at 35 years old.