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Baltimore Ravens' draft message is clear: Attack the quarterback

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- A wrap-up of the Baltimore Ravens' draft, which included 11 draft picks (one shy of the modern franchise record):

Best move: Adding pass-rusher after pass-rusher after pass-rusher. The Ravens drafted three players -- Boise State linebacker Kamalei Correa (second round), BYU defensive end Bronson Kaufusi (third round) and Grand Valley State linebacker Matt Judon (fifth round) -- who totaled 80.5 career sacks in college. Granted, none played in a Power 5 conference. But Baltimore didn't use a first-round pick to acquire a player who can get after the quarterback. Owner Steve Bisciotti said last month that he wanted young pass-rushers because of the age of Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil, both of whom are in their 30s. General manager Ozzie Newsome and staff obviously listened.

Riskiest move: Ignoring the cornerback position until the fourth round (Temple's Tavon Young). Assistant general manager Eric DeCosta said earlier this month that all of the starter-quality corners are gone by the middle of the third round. That's why it was shocking that Baltimore passed on that position on its first three picks. Then again, maybe it's not too surprising. In the past six drafts, the Ravens have taken five cornerbacks, and only one was in the first three rounds (Jimmy Smith in 2011). That's why three of the top four corners in Baltimore weren't drafted by the Ravens, who are coming off a season in which they allowed a franchise-worst 30 touchdown passes and made an NFL-low six interceptions.

Most surprising move: Passing on UCLA linebacker Myles Jack in the second round. The Ravens have a hole in the middle of the defense after cutting Daryl Smith, and Jack was available when Baltimore was on the clock at No. 36. It seemed like a slam dunk for the Ravens to take an explosive talent like Jack and pair him with C.J. Mosley. Instead, the Ravens chose to trade back two spots with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who chose Jack. Baltimore got an additional fifth-round pick, which it used on Judon. Maybe the Ravens were concerned about drafting a prospect with knee issues after watching 2015 first-round pick Breshad Perriman (knee) miss his entire rookie season.

File it away: Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Dixon will become the Ravens' starting running back at some point. This marks the third consecutive year that Baltimore used a fourth-round pick on a running back. Lorenzo Taliaferro can't stay healthy. Buck Allen has trouble holding on to the ball. But with Dixon, it looks like the Ravens have found their featured back, whether it's toward the end of this season or next. He has a nose for the end zone. His 87 total touchdowns rank second in NCAA history. Dixon also is a dangerous receiver who can line up in the slot. That versatility is a perfect fit for Marc Trestman's offense.

Thumbs-up: This was a solid but not spectacular draft. The Ravens checked a lot of boxes with pass-rushers, offensive playmakers and even a returner (Navy standout Keenan Reynolds). There just wasn't a lot of flash. The Ravens failed to trade up for Jalen Ramsey and passed on Jack and Noah Spence. It was a safe draft with good upside.