Ravens score big in Rounds 2 and 3...

The Ravens waited patiently until the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft, and their restraint was rewarded...

In terms of pure draft value, this may have been Ozzie Newsome's best performance ever...


Courtney Upshaw, DE, third pick of the 2nd round...6-2, 272, Alabama...


Kelechi Osemele, G, 28th pick of the 2nd round... 6-5, 333, Iowa State...


Bernard Pierce, RB, 21st pick of the 3rd round... 6-0, 215, Temple...

The Ravens take value. Year after year, they see a blue-chip talent fall for some bogus reason or another. And then they snap them up, coach them up and make them into Pro Bowlers. General manager Ozzie Newsome did it again by drafting Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw with the 35th overall pick in the draft.

Upshaw was a player with whom most teams didn't know what to do. They didn't know what position at which to play him. The Ravens specialize in customizing roles to fit a player's strength.

Is Terrell Suggs a linebacker or a defensive end? What was Adalius Thomas?

Upshaw is a tough, smart football player. He's a hitter. And now he's a Baltimore Raven.

"He plays like a junkyard dog," Ravens director of personnel Eric DeCosta said of Upshaw, according to The Associated Press. "He's a physical, violent football player. A lot of guys can rush the passer, a lot of guys can drop and play in space, but setting the edge is really one of the most important things at this position, and we feel this guy can do that."

Then the Ravens upgraded their offensive line in a big way – literally. Baltimore had a couple players at positions of need remaining on the board that they liked at No. 60. The higher-ranked of the two was Iowa St. guard/tackle Kelechi Osemele.

So General Manager Ozzie Newsome stayed true to his board and pulled the trigger. What Baltimore got is a massive, physical player who has a very high ceiling because of his outstanding physical traits.

The offensive lineman many pundits predicted for the Ravens, center Peter Konz, was taken by the Atlanta Falcons five picks before Baltimore.

Osemele will immediately contend for the starting spot at right tackle and particularly left guard after Ben Grubbs’ departure via free agency and right tackle. In 43 consecutive starts, Osemele played 38 games at left tackle and five at left guard. He recorded 299 knockdowns and posted 49 touchdown-resulting blocks.

“I think at the Senior Bowl, he was one of the better offensive linemen there,” Ravens Director of Player Personnel Eric DeCosta said. “We had an opportunity to watch him all week. We saw a big, physical guy with very, very long arms who moves well on his feet. He’s strong.”

Osemele stands in at 6-foot-5, 333 pounds. He has some of the longest arms of anyone in the draft (35 1/4–inch reach), a wingspan of 85 ½ inches and huge 10 3/8-inch hands. Those arms and hands make him difficult to escape. He is very strong (32 bench press reps at the combine), with a powerful base to anchor.

But Osemele said his temperament is what makes him stand out. “I feel like I bring a lot of competitiveness and physicality and aggressiveness to this team,” Osemele said. “I just want to get in there and compete from Day 1 and try to fit where I may. I’ll let the [chips] fall where they may and try to make this team better.”

Head Coach John Harbaugh confirmed that Osemele will compete with Jah Reid, the currently penciled-in left guard. He’ll also push Michael Oher at right tackle. Oher could swing to left tackle. “You know what? It gives us some competition and we like that,” Harbaugh said.

Then Baltimore traded up in the third round to take Temple running back Bernard Pierce. To get Pierce, the Ravens traded with the Atlanta Falcons to move up seven spots, swapping third-round picks and also giving up their fifth-round pick (No. 164).

“We started to look at the board and we started to see that a lot of the players that we really wanted were being picked,” General Manager Ozzie Newsome said. “We had the additional pick in the fifth round and we felt like the value of going up and getting Bernard was worth it.”

Pierce (6-foot-0, 215 pounds) comes to Baltimore after rushing for 1,481 yards and 27 touchdowns last season. During his three-year career at Temple, Pierce finished second in school history with 3,570 rushing yards.

“He is a one-cut runner with some size,” Newsome said. “He runs really well behind his pads. That’s the style of running game that we use.”

Pierce is a big-bodied running back that brings a contrasting style to Rice. He has decent speed – he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds – but is also big enough to replace running back Ricky Williams, who surprisingly retired at the start of the offseason, as the Ravens power rusher.

“If you want me to get those short yards, those fourth-and-1s, third-and-shorts, I can definitely adapt to a game plan any way you want me to,” Pierce said on a conference call. “I’m a big back, and I’m not going to go down easy. I’m going to fight for every yard.”

The Ravens made the move to provide some additional depth in the backfield with Williams gone. Newsome said that Williams’ decision to retire factored into drafting Pierce, and that Rice’s ongoing contract negotiations were not part of the decision.

The Ravens like having a big running back to provide a different rushing style than Rice. With the bruising Williams as his backup last year, Rice had the best season of his career and routinely said that Williams was the “best thing that ever happened to me.” Adding Pierce to the mix gives the Ravens another option to wear down defenses and keep Rice from getting overworked.

“He’s an amazing player,” Pierce said about Rice. “I’ve watched a lot of film on him. He does his job and his does it well. I just want to come on the team and try to contribute in any way I possibly can.”

Pierce could also be an option in the red zone and in short yardage situations. “He’s really good down in the red zone, and also at the goal line,” Ravens Director of Player Personnel Eric DeCosta said. “He’s a real physical guy. He can lower his pads and do a really nice job down there.”

Pierce will compete with second-year running backs Anthony Allen and Damien Berry for the backup job. All three players also have the ability to play special teams, which appealed to the Ravens.

Day 2 Draft Summary:
Round 2:                                             ESPN Grade

1 Brian Quick	WR	Rams	79
2 Coby Fleener	TE	Colts	89
3 Courtney Upshaw	DE	Ravens	90
4 Derek Wolfe	DT	Broncos	84
5 Mitchell Schwartz	OT	Browns	81
6 Andre Branch	DE	Jaguars	87
7 Janoris Jenkins	DB	Rams	87
8 Amini Silatolu	OG	Panthers	87
9 Cordy Glenn	OT	Bills	91
10 Jonathan Martin	OT	Dolphins	89
11 Stephen Hill	WR	Jets	90
12 Jeff Allen	OG	Chiefs	89
13 Alshon Jeffery	WR	Bears	83
14 Mychal Kendricks	ILB	Eagles	82
15 Bobby Wagner	ILB	Seahawks	73
16 Tavon Wilson	S	Patriots	32
17 Kendall Reyes	DT	Chargers	86
18 Isaiah Pead	RB	Rams	78
19 Jerel Worthy	DT	Packers	91
20 Zach Brown	OLB	Titans	78
21 Devon Still	DT	Bengals	89
22 Ryan Broyles	WR	Lions	70
23 Peter Konz	C	Falcons	87
24 Mike Adams	OT	Steelers	86
25 Brock Osweiler	QB	Broncos	87
26 Lavonte David	OLB	Buccaneers	88
27 Vinny Curry	DE	Eagles	86
28 Kelechi Osemele	OG	Ravens	78
29 Lamichael James	RB	49ers	79
30 Casey Hayward	DB	Packers	80
31 Rueben Randle	WR	Giants	88

Round 3:                                        ESPN Grade

1 Dwayne Allen	TE	Colts	83
2 Trumaine Johnson	DB	Rams	86
3 Josh Robinson	DB	Vikings	82
4 Ronnie Hillman	RB	Broncos	59
5 Devier Posey	WR	Texans	57
6 T.j. Graham	WR	Bills	60
7 Bryan Anger	P	Jaguars	31
8 Josh Leribeus	OG	Redskins	54
9 Olivier Vernon	DE	Dolphins	79
10 Brandon Taylor	S	Chargers	78
11 Donald Stephenson	OT	Chiefs	71
12 Russell Wilson	QB	Seahawks	69
13 Brandon Brooks	OG	Texans	79
14 Demario Davis	OLB	Jets	72
15 Michael Egnew	TE	Dolphins	69
16 Brandon Hardin	S	Bears	62
17 Jamell Fleming	DB	Cardinals	71
18 Tyrone Crawford	DE	Cowboys	75
19 Mike Martin	DT	Titans	78
20 Mohamed Sanu	WR	Bengals	68
21 Bernard Pierce	RB	Ravens	71
22 Dwight Bentley	DB	Lions	81
23 Sean Spence	OLB	Steelers	64
24 John Hughes	DT	Browns	35
25 Nick Foles	QB	Eagles	84
26 Akiem Hicks	DT	Saints	63
27 Jake Bequette	DE	Patriots	60
28 Lamar Holmes	OT	Falcons	31
29 T.y. Hilton	WR	Colts	75
30 Brandon Thompson	DT	Bengals	87
31 Jayron Hosley	DB	Giants	70
32. Tony Bergstrom	OG	Raiders	60