NFL Combine... What will the Ravens staff be looking at?

The annual NFL combine will begin this Saturday Feburary 27. This event gives scouts the opportunity to examine which players they should consider drafting and which ones they should not. The combine will be spread out over the course of four days.

The first day, and least exciting day, will present all of the Offensive Linemen and Tightends invited to this exhibition of talent. Sunday will be the day Wide Recievers, Quarterbacks and Running backs run through the drills.

Will the Ravens' scouts be watching closely this day, I quite sure they will but they also know that they need help in other areas. The defensive line needs to get younger and better at rushing the passer. This is why the scouts will come back the next day to see the defensive linemen and linebackers trying to impress scouts so they find an NFL home this spring.

The final day is the day of defensive backs. Lardarius Webb is hurt and may or may not come back the same physical player he was last semester. Fabian Washington is coming off of IR this offseason and may need some time to recover. This is why the Ravens have to keep an eye open for any cornerback bargains. The major factor in drafting a safety is Ed Reed. If he retires, someone has to come in a compete with Zbikowski for the spot right away whether it be through free agency or draft. If he does not they still need to look for a person of the future if Zbikowski does not workout.

Ravens fans need to remember that the team is not in need of players in just one position. Every season that passes is another physically-intense season for the players on the roster. Players get old and have to be replaced. This is why the draft is so important. Look out for which wide recievers, defensive linemen and defensive backs perform well at the combine. The players that do well there usually get moved up higher on team draft boards then those who do not perform well. Also remember that the best performers at the combine do not always pan out to be the best players on the field (namely Vernon Gholston).