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ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Jim Caldwell and the Baltimore Ravens didn’t need a quarterback during the 2012 draft, having been firmly comfortable with starter Joe Flacco. But like every team, Caldwell and the Ravens still investigated everybody and during all of those interactions with Caldwell, now-Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson managed to stand out above a lot of the others, especially when it came to leadership. "It’s always fun for me because I get a chance to talk and see what makes these guys tick," Caldwell said Saturday. "And you can tell, it doesn’t take you very long, if you’ve done it a while, it doesn’t take you very long to know who you’re talking to, and you could see he was a cut above the rest. "A very interesting guy." Wilson was part of a talented 2012 quarterback class including No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck, Washington's Robert Griffin III and Miami's Ryan Tannehill -- all of whom were taken in the first round. Of those quarterbacks, only Wilson has won a Super Bowl and has helped the Seahawks to two straight wins in the NFC Championship Game. Wilson said he met Caldwell a few times, but doesn’t really know him at all. The two did have the aforementioned meeting at the combine, though. Wilson was the sixth quarterback taken in the 2012 draft, behind Luck, Griffin III, Tannehill, Brandon Weeden and Brock Osweiler. Immediately, though, Caldwell saw a winner in Wilson. "You could see that this guy had unbelievable amount of ability in terms of leadership. Great leadership qualities," Caldwell said. "Everybody was concerned obviously about his height and those kinds of things, but all he did was win. He knows how to win, and that’s carried over and he’s a pretty special guy. "He showed the traits that he’s very smart, doesn’t take many hits, can make you miss in the pocket, outside the pocket. He can throw on the run extremely well. All of those things he demonstrated. I think everybody was a little concerned about his height, but he’s proved everybody wrong in that regard."
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