All week the Baltimore Ravens blog will look back and grade the past five drafts. Let's start with 2010:
It's easy to criticize this draft for the Ravens because the top two picks (pass-rusher Sergio Kindle and nose tackle Terrence Cody) were disappointments. And based on these seven picks, this will go down as one of the Ravens' most underwhelming drafts (the ones in 1998 and 2004 were worse, though).
What often goes overlooked is that the Ravens used their third- and fourth-round picks to acquire wide receiver Anquan Boldin. The Ravens then traded out of the first round and received three picks (ones in the second, third and fourth rounds) from Denver so the Broncos could trade quarterback Tim Tebow. One of those picks was used on tight end Dennis Pitta.
Would the Ravens win the Super Bowl in 2012 without Boldin and Pitta? The chances of the Ravens doing so would've been greatly reduced. The same could be said about defensive tackle Arthur Jones, a fifth-round pick in 2010 who made some big plays during the championship run.
The Ravens' 2010 draft certainly had more misses than hits, and the drafting of Kindle was a major miss. But the players added from this draft -- Boldin, Pitta and Jones -- were key to bringing another Lombardi Trophy to Baltimore.
Second round: OLB Sergio Kindle. He'll be remembered as the worst top pick in any Ravens' draft. There was bad luck involved here. Kindle fractured his skull when falling down a couple flights of stairs before his first training camp, and he played only three games in his disappointing NFL career. But he was a red-flagged prospect when the Ravens drafted him, and he wasn't worth the gamble. Grade: F.
Second round: NT Terrence Cody. He was supposed to be the long-term replacement for Kelly Gregg, and he only managed one season as a full-time starter. Cody struggled with his weight early in his Ravens career and injuries toward the end of it. He never lived up to expectations but he wasn't a total bust. Grade: C-minus.
Third round: TE Ed Dickson. He looked like a rising prospect in 2011 when he broke out with 54 catches and five touchdowns. But a lack of confidence and unreliable hands led to 46 catches in his final two seasons with the Ravens. Dickson is currently with the Carolina Panthers. Grade: C.
Fourth round: TE Dennis Pitta. He became one of quarterback Joe Flacco's most trusted targets in the Ravens' 2012 Super Bowl season, when he set career-highs in catches (61), receiving yards (669) and touchdowns (seven). Hip injuries in each of the past two seasons might shorten a promising career. Pitta wasn't a Pro Bowl player, although he was close to becoming one. Grade: A-minus.
Fifth round: WR David Reed. He showed flashes of being a playmaker as a kickoff returner. Fumbles and lack of production as a receiver (five catches in three seasons) led to the Ravens trading him to the Indianapolis Colts in 2013. Grade: C-minus.
Fifth round: DL Arthur Jones. He got better each season and made big plays for the Ravens during their Super Bowl run. Jones was the Ravens' best defensive lineman in 2013 and priced himself out of the Ravens' range in free agency. He is currently with the Colts. Grade: A.
Sixth round: OL Ramon Harewood. His first two seasons ended on injured reserve. Harewood started the first five games of 2012 at left guard before being replaced by Bobbie Williams. Grade: D.
Overall grade for Ravens' 2010 draft: C-minus.