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As we head towards the Conference Championship round this weekend, the fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Atlanta Falcons will all watch and hope that their teams can punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the fans of the other NFL teams including Baltimore Ravens fans will watch as their team prepares for free agency and most importantly, the NFL Draft. You can spend all the money you want in free agency, but championships are built through the draft. The process is already underway with the Senior Bowl next weekend and of course, the infamous mock drafts by many national pundits.
One of the most well known NFL analysts and draft experts is former Ravens college scout Daniel Jeremiah, who has worked for NFL Network since 2012. Along with guys like Mel Kiper, Todd McShay and Mike Mayock, Jeremiah is one of the most well known draft experts around and is regarded as one of the best every draft season. On Thursday, Jeremiah released his first of many mock drafts as we approach draft day on April 27th. One of the top needs this offseason for the Baltimore Ravens to address is the cornerback position. Jeremiah seems to agree with his mock selection for the Ravens, who hold the 16th overall pick.
In his mock draft, Jeremiah has the Ravens taking Florida Gators cornerback Quincy Wilson with the 16th overall pick. Jeremiah states:
"Wilson is a very talented press cornerback with excellent ball skills. He would upgrade the Ravens secondary, teaming with Jimmy Smith to give Baltimore two of the biggest corners in the league."
Wilson is a talented defensive back out of the University of Florida, who are looking at a second consecutive year with multiple defensive backs in 1st round. Last year, Vernon Hargreaves III and Keanu Neal were both picked in the first round. This year Wilson and teammate Jalen Tabor will both hear their names called on Day 1 of the draft.
Wilson is a 6-1, 213 pound athlete who nabbed three interceptions last season, making it a total of six interceptions for his career at Florida. Jimmy Smith stands at 6-2 and would be a great fit with Wilson. In addition, it helps Tavon Young move back into the slot position in the secondary.
Of course, this is only the first of many mock drafts by Jeremiah and other draft experts. A lot of opinions about the draft change after events such as the Senior Bowl, the scouting combine and numerous pro days. Each player with professional aspirations can have a dramatic effect on their eventual draft spot by their performance during the pre-draft process.
The draft is less than 100 days away and no matter who Ravens fans want to see the team select, or the numerous draft experts who predict which player will be selected by Baltimore, one things for sure - Ozzie Newsome will do what he always does and stick to his board.