The Baltimore Ravens did about the best they could to shore up their questionable safety position this offseason when they added former San Diego Chargers standout and All-Pro's All-Pro Eric Weddle. Weddle immediately upgrades the backend of the Baltimore secondary at a position that's sorely needed an injection of talent thanks to the failures of guys like Will Hill and Matt Elam.
With the 2016 NFL Draft only a few weeks away though, it sure sounds like Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome still has his sights set squarely on the safety position. And per the latest report, Newsome even has a favorite.
The Ravens are said to "love" former USC linebacker/safety Su'a Cravens. Cravens - 6-foot-1, 226-pounds - is built more like a small linebacker in today's NFL. But he also sounds like a guy who was born to be a part of Newsome and John Harbaugh's squad, as the draft profile for Cravens starts with "born to be a football player."
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean "born to be a safety," but in an NFL where sub-packages are becoming more and more the norm, a guy like Cravens who brings a unique skillset as well as immense athleticism could be an impact addition, even if he's not technically a starter.
"He's a lot of fun to watch because he processes quickly like an NFL linebacker and then just fires into the play. I've never really cared about the size at the WILL, I just want to know if they have instincts and can run and make plays. That's it. He can do that," a former NFL general manager said.
Because of his experience playing all over the field at USC, Cravens presumably would bring the ability to do the same to the NFL, though teams may be better off limiting him to one position, at least at first. Then again, Cravens' other biggest assets are said to be his intelligence and his instincts, meaning that no matter whether he lines up at linebacker or safety, he should be able to handle the role.
Interestingly, the New Orleans Saints may have provided the perfect NFL comparison for Cravens while the former Trojan was visiting them.
Saints comparison on my visit . pic.twitter.com/3F2ncrEKRI
— Su'a Cravens (@Sua_Cravens) April 5, 2016
Kenny Vacarro, the Saints' first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, has developed into something of a safety/linebacker hybrid himself. He's similar in size to Cravens - 6-foot, 214-pounds - and plays both deep and in the box. Vaccaro's posted just three interceptions over his three-year career, but he's also collected 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a whopping 257 tackles.
In the end though, it may not really matter where the Ravens view Cravens' long-term fit, assuming they're as enamored with his talents as the report suggests. In an NFL where the Pittsburgh Steelers' Ryan Shazier - 6-foot-1, 230-pounds - and Ohio States' Darron Lee - 6-foot, 232-pounds - another top draft prospect, have excelled and are expected to excel, respectively, then there's almost certainly a place for Cravens.
And with the Ravens hurting for talent down the middle of their back-seven, it really wouldn't be surprising to see them add the multi-talented former Trojan.
