Risk vs. Reward: Selecting Jimmy Smith

The fan reaction on Twitter to the Ravens first round draft selection was mixed to say the least. In the moments leading up to the draft, some were saying that they were willing to look past some of the character flaws in Jimmy Smith because they knew that Ray Lews, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs would be able to straighten him out. Others felt that it wasn't the job of the Ravens defense to babysit this player with the troubled past and hoped the Ravens would make a different selection. There's no question about it, there was certainly a great deal of talent left on the table when the Ravens made their 26th  27th pick selection. Why did the Ravens decide to take such a gamble?


Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun summed it up pretty well in my opinion:


"And when a team is close to making the Super Bowl, it has a tendency to look the other way. The Ravens turned their heads Thursday night. They looked away, and then toward a possible Super Bowl."


Preston believes that Smith is a natural fit into the Ravens defense and is confident in that Smith will be a definite contender for the starting cornerback position over Dominique Foxworth, Lardarius Webb and Chris Carr. 

"Because they blitz so frequently, their cornerbacks are often exposed one on one. The Ravens have a lot of munchkin cornerbacks, but no one nearly as big and physical as Smith, who specializes in press coverage."


Unlike some fans who believe that the defense will be able to shape up this young player with such potential, Preston thinks that it will be up to Smith to clean up his reputation on his own.


"Smith's turnaround will have to come on his own, and the Ravens are willing to take that chance. With Smith, the Ravens have a cornerback who comes up strong in run support. Smith is smart and instinctive and reads and reacts quickly."


According to the Baltimore Ravens website, John Harbaugh respected Smith for revealing his questionable past rather than hiding it. Harbaugh is confident in Smith's character and desire to move on and make the most of this new opportunity:


Smith freely acknowledges that he’s made mistakes. According to a report by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Smith flunked three drug tests at Colorado. He also told teams about two alcohol-related arrests for minor-in-possession and an arrest for third-degree assault in a restaurant.
 
“He didn’t try to hide anything.  He put it right out there for the whole world to see.  He’s going to have to deal with that, and we’re going to have to deal with that.  That’s OK.  This guy, I think, is a good person at heart.”


Smith claims that he wasn't nervous that he wasn't drafted until the 27th round despite the fact that he had top 10 talent and felt that he was going to the Ravens all along. 


“I feel like everything happens for a reason and I was destined to go to the Ravens,” Smith said. “So, I guess that’s the way things worked out. I’m very happy with it and not disappointed by any means.”


“I don’t expect anything,” Smith said of a starting role. “I just expect to go out there and do everything that they want me to do. If they need me to start, then I’m going to start. If they need me to play special teams, then I’m going to play special teams. Whatever they need, then that’s what I’m going to do.”


Here is a look at some of the media buzz surrounding the Ravens first pick as well as the fans immediate reaction.