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BBV Community Mock Draft 2011: With The 26th Pick, Baltimore Selects ...

Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia.

Playing the role of Baltimore Ravens general manager is Larry Soprano. Here is his rationale for selection of Houston:

With head coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco at the helm, the Ravens have enjoyed winning and playoff runs the past three seasons. I believe Baltimore has the pieces to continue that success and make a Super Bowl run. That being said, they do have some holes and need areas to shore up in their lineup in order to maintain their position as perennial contender in the AFC North.

They have potential free agent losses at the cornerback position as well as age concerns for their wide receiver corps and their front seven. Even an upgrade on the offensive line could be warranted with center Matt Birk entering his twilight years, the uncertainty of Michael Oher's ability to anchor the LT position, and tackles Jared Gaither and Marshall Yanda being unrestricted FAs.

For the second year in a row I get to play GM Ozzie Newsome, a man looked upon in the same light by the Baltimore faithful as we look upon our GM Jerry Reese. Their slogan is "in Ozzie we trust." Ozzie typically doesn't draft just for need. I personally feel that CB Brandon Harris, OT Derek Sherod, LB Martez Wilson, and WR Jonathan Baldwin would all be adequate selections to help fill those needs, but they are not the best player remaining on the board at this time. That would be OLB Justin Houston.

Justin Houston provides Baltimore with the prototypical size, speed, and athleticism to make an immediate impact on their defensive front. Houston enjoyed solid production in college posting 10 sacks and 18.5 TFL in Georgia's 3-4 defense in 2010. His draft stock has risen after tearing up the combine and his pro day. Paired across the line from OLB Terrell Suggs, Houston has the potential to help solidify an already intimidating defense for the Ravens for years to come.

My take: Luv ya, Larry, but I am going to have to disagree with you here. Justin Houston is a good player and not a bad pick for the Ravens, but if your logic is simply that he is the best player available I think you are open to a huge argument there. Harris, Sherrod, Baldwin, Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget, Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph, Temple defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, maybe even Penn State center Stefen Wisniewski are in that conversation. Given this choice I believe the Ravens look for the best marriage of need and value and wind up taking whichever offensive lineman or defensive back is highest on their board.

NOTE: My son is going to bow out of the remaining part of the draft, meaning the three selections for New England are now up for grabs. What I would like to do is have a different person make each of those selection to give some of you who got shut out of a pick a chance to participate. E-mail me at bigblueview@gmail.com if you want in.

-- 'pataroons' is now on the clock with Atlanta's selection at 27.

Round 1

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
1 Carolina Cam Newton
QB
Auburn
Tito
2 Denver Nick Fairley
DT
Auburn
Mike Fiammetta
3 Buffalo Patrick Peterson
CB
LSU
Bigbluethruandthru
4 Cincinnati Blaine Gabbert
QB
Missouri
BitterEli
5 Arizona Von Miller
OLB
Texas A&M
gmen2thebowl
6 Cleveland Marcell Dareus
DL
Alabama
Bobely
7 San Francisco
A.J. Green
WR
Georgia
Pat19
8 Tennessee Da'Quan Bowers DE
Clemson
RealLT
9 Dallas
Prince Amukamara
CB
Nebraska
Simms-McConkey
10 Washington Julio Jones
WR
Alabama
jcalafiore
11 Houston
Robert Quinn
DE/OLB
North Carolina
daddyzander
12 Minnesota Tyron Smith
OT
USC
RolloT
13 Detroit Anthony Castonzo
OT
Boston College
Ed Valentine
14 St. Louis
Aldon Smith
DE
Missouri
GiantNomad
15 Miami
Mark Ingram
RB
Alabama
HenneGivenSunday
16 Jacksonville Cameron Jordan
DE
California
ct17
17 New England
Mike Pouncey
OG/C
Florida
Ryan Valentine
18 San Diego
J.J. Watt
DE
Wisconsin
Anthony P
19 N.Y. Giants Akeem Ayers
OLB
UCLA
Ed Valentine
20 Tampa Bay
Jimmy Smith
CB
Tampa Bay
willgfass
21 Kansas City
Phil Taylor
DT
Baylor
The Blood Of Eli
22 Indianapolis Gabe Carimi
OT
Wisconsin
dannymac56
23 Philadelphia Nate Solder
OT
Colorado
JimmyK
24 New Orleans
Ryan Kerrigan
DE
Purdue
Charles L.
25 Seattle Jake Locker
QB
Washington
Ejaay
26 Baltimore Justin Houston
OLB
Georgia
LarrySoprano
27 Atlanta


pataroons
28 New England



DManInBLUE
29 Chicago


You're my boy, Blue
30 New York Jets



PlaxicoBurress
31 Pittsburgh


stephen_ross
32 Green Bay



NYG28

Round 2

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
33 New England



Ryan Valentine?
34 Buffalo


Bigbluethruandthru
35 Cincinnati


BitterEli
36 Denver



Mike Fiammetta
37 Cleveland


Bobely
38 Arizona



gmen2thebowl
39 Tennessee


RealLT
40 Dallas


Simms-McConkey
41 Washington


jcalafiore
42 Houston


daddyzander
43 Minnesota


RolloT
44 Detroit


BigBlueIntervention
45 San Francisco



Pat19
46 Denver



Mike Fiammetta
47 St. Louis



GiantNomad
48 Oakland


G Fan In England
49 Jacksonville



ct17
50 San Diego



Anthony P
51 Tampa Bay



willgfass
52 N.Y. Giants


Ed Valentine
53 Indianapolis



dannymac56
54 Philadelphia


JImmyK
55 Kansas City



The Blood Of Eli
56 New Orleans



Charles L.
57 Seattle


Ejaay
58 Baltimore


LarrySoprano
59 Atlanta


pataroons
60 New England



Ryan Valentine?
61 San Diego



Anthony P
62 Chicago



You're my boy, Blue
63 Pittsburgh


stephen_ross
64 Green Bay



NYG28